Hafley focused on staying true to defensive philosophies against FAU
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Going into the first game of the season, Jeff Hafley and the Ohio State defense are more focused on doing the right things than making major adjustments for their opponent.
Ahead of their Saturday game against Florida Atlantic, the defense will be relying on properly executing their training and staying true to their identity to win.
“In a first game it’s hard, because you are watching last year’s tape,” Hafley said. “For us it’s about us right now, and I am not saying that knocking them at all. It’s really whoever we were going to play in this first game we have to worry about ourselves.”
The internal focus will allow the Buckeyes to build solid habits and correct mistakes going forward.
There seems to be a confidence in the players that will suit up for the Buckeyes on the defensive end, and the philosophy of Hafley is to rely on his players’ talent rather than leaning on a complex system.
“Our philosophy right now is to try and make it as crystal clear as we can, and then on game day, we have to go play ball,” Hafley said.
Breaking down defense to its most basic element, tackling is the supreme focus. Robert Landers said that the struggles in that area from last season are unlikely to carry over to this year’s unit.
“I feel like we’ve hit on that so much this offseason that I feel like our improvement of developing on tackling, not only as individuals but as a team, is going to be completely different than last season," Landers said.
As far as preparing for FAU, Hafley discussed the difficulty that comes with looking at last year’s film. He noted that tendencies from last season do not necessarily carry over to this season and that FAU is likely to notice their patterns as well.
Due to this uncertainty, Hafley is focused on what he can control, which is making sure his team plays hard and is in the right position to make plays.
“We have to be very calculated, and again, it goes back to in this game, we have to be who we are. I think we have to line up and play,” Hafley said. “Get our cleats in the ground, play as hard and as fast as we can, tackle, get off blocks, cover, play with great eye discipline, and I don’t think there will be a lot of guessing and taking chances. I think we’re going to try and play good, solid football.”
Hafley is aware that Lane Kiffin and the Owls will have some tricks up their sleeve. He commended the talent of FAU and the creative mind of Kiffin.
The combination of coaching and playmaking from the Owls will make it nearly impossible for the Buckeyes to shut down FAU for an entire game, and Hafley is preparing his unit to properly react to a play that does not go Ohio State’s way.
“We told the guys you’re going to see some stuff that you’ve probably never seen before and it’s okay,” Hafley said. “If they hit us on a play, it’s okay. Just line up and play again.”
One of the players responsible for reacting to the play on Saturday is co-captain Tuf Borland. He said that when something new arises, he will rely on his training.
“I think within in a system of a defense, you have a set of rules you rely on,” Borland said. “If things get out of whack, just kind of revert back to the rules that are set within the system and just play from there.”
At the end of the day, Hafley will lean on his core philosophy to set up his defense for success. By keeping it simple, he hopes that the team will play fast and free on Saturday and throughout the season.
“I say this and I believe this with all my heart that defensive football is about lining up, having your eyes in the right place, running as hard and as fast as you can, and tackling,” Hafley said. “That’s the biggest thing we have to do for this football game.”