Day 13 - Photo Album
The Broncos began their third and final week of preseason preparation at Waldo Stadium on Monday. As it has been said already, each unit takes pride in perfecting their part of the game so that when it comes time to line up across from an opponent they know what to do and how to perform at the highest level.
When the opposition has the ball on offense, the part of the Western Michigan football team that is closest to the action is the defensive line. They are the first line of defense whether the play is run or pass. The line must block the opposing offensive line and plug up any holes the o-line is attempting to open for the running back. They need to fly towards the ball carrier as he approaches.
When the quarterback drops back to pass, the defensive line has one goal - get to him. The interior linemen, the defensive tackle and nose guard, press into the offensive line while the defensive ends use leverage and their opponent's strength against them to either get around the edge or rush to the inside in an attempt to reach the signal caller before he can release.
When the ball is tossed to a back and he breaks to the outside, the defensive line must make sure they get to the edge or the corner before he does. Doing this stretches out the line of pursuit and if worked effectively, will keep the back from breaking the line of scrimmage and from gaining any ground.
In order to be ready for this 100-mile an hour pursuit, Coach Tim Daoust works his corps of linemen through many drills. The linemen will use "blocking dummies" to work on swim motions and bull rushing into the opponent. At certain points of practice, the linemen throw themselves full speed into the dummies to improve speed and velocity so that when the opposition is real, they have the power to push them back and into their own backfield.
The line will also work against Coach Mike Sullivan's offensive line with the goal of getting by them. All of this is put into action when the team comes together in game situation drills. When the team is in "shells" or just helmets and shoulder pads, the line is not allowed to bring down the ball carrier or even touch the quarterback but stopping a play before it can fully develop proves to be a success for the defense.
It is not normal for a defensive linemen to drop into pass coverage and therefore, a defensive linemen may not get a chance to record an interception during a season. This was not true for the Broncos in 2005. Zach Davidson registered a pair of picks and Nick Varcadipane and Anthony Belmonte each recorded one.
The defensive line does not get a break on a point-after attempt or field goal attempt. Their pursuit of excellence on every play proved to be beneficial for Western Michigan last season. The team blocked eight kicks a year ago and defensive linemen accounted for five of these. Varcadipane and Cory Flom each had one and former Bronco Paul Moersch set a career and single-season mark with three.
One of the biggest proof of success for a defensive linemen is a tackle for a loss and/or a quarterback sack. There may have been no bigger sack than the one against former Bowling Green quarterback, and current Pittsburgh Steeler, Omar Jacobs. Matt Ludeman broke through the line and caught Jacos on the outside. Ludeman forced Jacobs to the ground and forced the ball loose. The play resulted in a Bronco fumble recovery and a touchdown en route to a, 45-14, road victory.
