South Dakota St Defensive Coverage Concepts

South Dakota State was a dominant defense in 2023. There defense allowed 9.27 points per game en route to their very succesful 15-0 National Championship season.

I want to look at 3 coverage concepts that they run.

1. Trap coverage(Some may call it something else)

2. Cover 8- 4 to the boundary, 2 to the field

3. 3 buzz

4. 2 man leverage based on #2

1 Trap Coverage Concepts

They love to run some trap concepts with their Cb. This is a design where the cb is a very active force player in the run game. He is reading run his way and if he reads pass he will drop to the flat. This is run with the safety over the top and can be done two ways. The first is with the safety over the top and playing cover 3. The other way it is done is the safety comes over the top but they play quarters to the front side.

The two times they will often run it is as follows:
1. RB away from the weakside cb

2. When the CB is to the 1 wr side and the ball is on the boundary.

Cover 3 Trap Variation

The Cb reads run and fills hard as the safety rolls over the top. It isn’t a blitz as the cb will drop if it is pass.

You will often see them run it with the RB away from the CB. They bring him inside and it’s an easy drop if he reads pass.

Film

Here are 2 more examples of trap in the run game.

The Cb triggers fast on both. The first looks like 4 pre snap but he rolls up quick to support the run.

Nice job by the CB

Example #3

In the next again they do it when the rb is away from the CB.

The CB comes hard when he reads run. They play 1/3 behind him.

film

Some bonus clips of trap coverage.

Here’s how it looks vs pass

If the CB reads pass he drops into the flat into coverage. He triggers but will drop to the flat if he reads pass. They are playing cover 2 here vs the 3x1. They really drop the cb to a sideline defender position with the safety getting to 18. Looks like they are expecting some flood sideline concept.

Nice job of triggering, CB reads pass and drops to the flat.