Texas A&M DL Fadil Diggs Says Aggies Need To Switch Up Schemes
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The Texas A&M Aggies came into this season boasting one of the most talented defensive fronts in college football. All that hype hasn't exactly equated to production, though, as the Aggies have only totaled three sacks in the past four games. It's been frustrating to A&M's pass rushers, like Fadil Diggs, who thinks the Aggies may be keeping it a little too simple.
Head coach Jimbo Fisher and DC D.J. Durkin have essentially opted to go exclusively with a three-man front. The formation has its strengths, and Diggs says that Aggies are getting one-on-one situations, but he also thinks that alternating between a three and four-man front may help throw off opponents' blocking schemes.
"I like both [three-man and four-man fronts], just to give different looks to teams," said Diggs. "If we come out in a three-man front every week, then they'll know what to block and how to block it. [Coming] out in a four-man front sometimes just gives different looks for other teams."
He may have a valid point. In A&M's loss to Mississippi State this past weekend, Bulldogs head coach Mike Leach looked like he knew everything Fisher had in store for his squad, and State took advantage. While switching over schemes may help a bit in keeping opposing blockers honest, Diggs says it really comes down to the Aggies winning individual battles up front.
"We just need to win our one-on-ones in the pass rush and just come out hard. We just haven't been winning our one-on-ones," admitted Diggs. "We need to execute better in the stems and the schemes that we're running. We've just gotta provide more pressure on the quarterback."
That's exactly what he and the Aggies will try to do this Saturday when they hit the road to take on No. 1 Alabama. Pressuring the top-ranked Tide and their Heisman-winning quarterback Bryce Young certainly won't be the easiest task in the world, but A&M has the gas to get it done. Backfield bullies like Diggs and fellow lineman Shemar Turner are the key to making this Aggies' defense run the way it's supposed to. If they can start harassing passers more effectively, this is going to look like a much different Texas A&M team.
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