The Morningside Method: Dominating Defensive Line Block-Destruction

with Nathan Turner, Morningside University, Co-Defensive Coordinator,
Defensive Line Coach & Strength/Conditioning Coach;
2019 and 2021 Named FootballScoop.com NAIA Coordinator of the Year;
3X NAIA National Championships (2018, 2019 & 2021)

Regardless of the type of defensive front you utilize, if your defensive linemen dominate and win the battle at the line of scrimmage, it will completely disrupt and thwart the opposing offense’s game plan and offensive goals. Having success along the defensive front also provides newfound flexibility and confidence for the back end of your defense – allowing them to ramp up their aggressiveness and attack the reeling offense.

Nathan Turner, Morningside’s Co-Defensive Coordinator and Defensive Line Coach, brings his national championship pedigree and knowledge to the forefront in this defensive line instructional video on utilizing successful block destruction techniques that disrupt an opposing offense’s run game and throw their pass-block schemes into disarray.

Block-Destruction vs. The Run GameCoach Turner wastes no time and dives into detailed information on using block disruption techniques to defeat an opponent’s running game. You will learn the five primary skills that defensive line need for consistent block destruction with visual pressure keys to reset the line of scrimmage – including examples of practice and game clips that show Morningside defensive linemen defeating backside cutoff blocks.

Resetting and controlling the line of scrimmage against the run is critical to the success of any defensive front. Turner outlines the best practices for executing the three main defensive lineman fundamentals: feet, hands and pad level to increase the success of the position group. 

Coach Turner then showcases five strategies that support those key fundamentals with a progression of nine daily drills that coaches must use to create a dominant defensive line. Turner provides coaching tips and detailed game-film examples (including Championship games!) – that illustrates the importance of emphasizing and teaching ‘violent hands’ as a critical defensive lineman technique as well as stressing the ‘ownership-of-space’ principle. 

Block Destruction vs. Pass Blocking, Creating a Pass-Rush Game Plan

Coach Turner provides a detailed overview on how he breaks down the opponent’s pass protections – with an emphasis on looking for personal weaknesses and scouting quarterback tendencies. Turner offers several informative examples that show the type of things that Morningside looks to exploit in an opponent’s pass game and provides details on how their defensive line is instructed to attack it. 

You’ll receive important information on how Morningside teaches their defensive linemen to attack and what they need to identify as offensive linemen weaknesses, including:

• Poor posture. 
• High and low hands in the punch.
• The ‘Over and Under Set’ of an offensive guard or tackle 

Learning how to identify various offensive tendencies and use that information to create a game plan, not only creates sack opportunities for defensive linemen, but it also disrupts the timing of the passing game and makes an opposing quarterback feel uncomfortable from the moment he takes the snap. 

Coach Turner provides examples from previous games to demonstrate when to adjust pass rush lanes, the keys to executing pass rush games and techniques to counter offensive linemen when matched up one on one. Other valuable techniques that Turner highlights include: 

a) Learning how to beat ‘slide protection’-  

b) Adjusting rush lanes to work against a quarterback’s launch point and escapes - 

c) How to properly execute 2- and 3-man pass rush games.

Turner offers his championship insight to making the fundamentals of defensive line play come to life in game situations. You will learn the details to create knockback and reset the line of scrimmage with the block-destruction progression. The pass rush game plan gives your defense a specific methodology to attack the weaknesses, week-in and week-out against an opponent’s offensive line. 

Coach Review: 5 Out Of 5 Stars.‘Coach Turner does a fantastic job of keeping the coaching simple and emphasizing the important things you need to possess to have a dominant defensive front. One of the most impressive and enlightening segments of the video was his attention to detail from scouting opponents. Evaluating an opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and understanding what an opponent wants or likes to do, is key to getting players thinking football. Highlighting these areas of weakness and then watching him use teaching techniques and drills to expose them – and then watching his players successfully use this knowledge in a game – is coaching at its finest! This video is a master class for intermediate or advanced teams on getting your players to think football, not just to be bigger and stronger; but also the importance of being smarter and more prepared!’ 

76 minutes. 2022.