Flex Not Only Bends, It Breaks

Desert Swarmed?

Arizona’s venerable double-eagle flex defense, which has sort of been to college football what Buddy Ryan’s 46 defense has been to the pros, has been more flop than flex this year. No, it isn’t easy being John Mackovic.

The first-year Arizona coach could have scrapped the famed pressure, gap-control scheme he inherited, but, instead, he went out of his way to build on the concept. In his first major move, Mackovic lured from the New York Giants’ staff Larry Mac Duff, the architect of the double-flex at Arizona while an assistant under Dick Tomey from 1987 to ’96.

The Wildcats’ defense under Mac Duff garnered national attention in its heyday and was dubbed “Desert Swarm.” The 1992 squad led the nation in scoring defense at 8.9 points a game and in 1993 led the country in rush defense, giving up only 30.1 yards a game.

So what gives this year?

Just about everything.

In its last two defeats to Washington State and Oregon, the Arizona defense has given up 111 points, 1,028 yards and 14 touchdowns. Arizona ranks eighth in Pac-10 total defense, giving up 397.6 yards a game; eighth in rushing defense, eighth in scoring defense and seventh in pass defense.

Mackovic has to figure out if the problem is systemic or a result of a rash of defensive injuries.

“We’re not going to go away from our defense,” he said, “but obviously we have to look at how teams have attacked us over the last couple of weeks. We have to make some decisions, whether it’s personnel or scheme. If it’s personnel, we have to decide if there is someone better.”

Frankly, he is running out of puzzle pieces. The injury list is mounting and Arizona will be hard-pressed to field 11 healthy players when it meets Oregon State this weekend in Corvallis.

The injury list includes linebackers Joe Siofele (hand), Shelton Rosa (knee), Scott McKee, Pat Howard (quadriceps), defensive ends Eli Wnek (foot) and Austin Uku (knee) and defensive tackle Keoni Fraser (concussion).

UCLA could attest to what impact injuries can have on a defensive scheme, although there is a theory that “Desert Swarm” has perhaps run its course in a pass-happy conference that employs assistant coaches who have studied the intricacies of the double-flex for years.

Mackovic, though, says his players didn’t stick to the Desert Swarm script during Saturday night’s 63-28 home defeat to Oregon. “Our guys did not play our defense very well,” he said. “There were guys freelancing, watching the ball when they’re supposed to be watching their man, things like that.

“It’s not a matter of it [the scheme] being singled out.”

Pac Bits

Washington State is 5-0 but still can’t crack the top 25 or get a TV gig. The Cougars’ 34-27 victory against Oregon State wasn’t enough to earn favor in either the coaches’ or writers’ polls. A public relations problem, perhaps? Washington State hasn’t been on television since an Aug. 30 victory against Idaho and isn’t scheduled to appear until Oct. 18 against Montana State. Until then, you’ll have to keep up with the Cougars in the newspapers.

Oregon (5-0) visits California (0-4) in a battle of touted quarterbacks, Joey Harrington and Kyle Boller. Harrington is starting to live up to his preseason hype, while Boller has not lived up to expectations. Might Boller be thriving if he were playing in the high-octane Oregon offense? He had the chance.

“We wanted Kyle Boller, recruited him very hard and hoped he would come to Oregon,” Duck Coach Mike Bellotti said this week.

Boller, however, wanted to play right away and opted for Cal, where he has struggled on a poor team. Boller might have been better off biding his time in a proven program, but the junior is starting to progress with first-year offensive coordinator Al Borges. Boller has completed 55.5% of his passes this year, compared to 46.7% last year. He also has seven touchdown passes and only three interceptions. Last year, he finished with 15 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. “I think he’s developing now into the quarterback people thought he would be,” Bellotti said. “He seems to be hitting his stride.” That’s not to suggest Bellotti would trade Harrington for Boller.

Compare and contrast: The fall of a Heisman Trophy candidate. Through four games last year, Oregon State tailback Ken Simonton had 709 yards and 10 touchdowns. Through four games this year, he has amassed 256 yards and three touchdowns.

The biggest surprise in the conference so far has got to be Arizona State quarterback Jeff Krohn, who has gone from shaky status to the nation’s No. 2 passer. His efficiency rating of 180.9 is second nationally to Florida quarterback Rex Grossman’s 199.8.

Some Arizona players did not appreciate that Oregon seemed to be padding Harrington’s Heisman statistics in Saturday’s 63-28 drubbing. Harrington passed for three touchdowns and ran for three others, the last to give his team a 35-point lead late in the third quarter.

“The Ducks want some publicity for Harrington, but their lack of respect for us seemed a little arrogant,” Arizona receiver Bobby Wade told the Tucson Citizen. “What they did was a slap in the face.”