How Ball State's Defensive Scheme Plays into Auburn's Favor

Too often, people dismiss early-season games that could become lopsided as blowouts as unwatchable and boring. However, as the axiom states, football is a game of individual matchups. Those battles will eventually shape the game, perhaps leading to the eventual winner.

One person who knows this is Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze, who broke down one particular part of the Ball State defense.

“They’re a base out of a quarters team, and in most quarters teams, safeties are active in the fit. And their safeties are physical, guys, so you would expect them to be at least a semblance of who they are.” Freeze said Thursday. “I don’t know that they’re going to change that. But they could, obviously, play one-high or do different things that we’ll have to get in.”

Is that enough to sway the tide of the game in the Cardinals' direction? Probably not. Ball State lacks athleticism up front, and it looks like the Tigers will run them completely over at the line of scrimmage. However, the safeties and the quarters scheme are of particular interest.

The quarters coverage thrives against the spread offense. Additionally, you can operate from it with any type of front as it pertains to the backend. Now, here's the slight hitch. More than just about any other scheme, the quarters demand the absolute most from the safeties.