Anybody who has spent time inside McGuirk Alumni Stadium this month probably noticed what looks like a date displayed prominently on the video scoreboard in the South end zone.
9.09.
Sept. 9? UMass doesn’t have a game that day.
Turns out, it isn’t a date at all.
Instead, 9.09 represents one of the principles behind the defense Joe Harasymiak and defensive coordinator Jared Keyte are building at UMass.
“It’s the decimal version of 1/11th,” linebacker Tyler Martin explained. “So if everyone does their 9.09, their 9 percent on every play, that’s going to reach 100 percent and that’s a win for that play.”
The idea is simple and similar to Bill Belichick’s famous “Do Your Job” mantra.
11 defenders each have a responsibility on every snap. If each handles his share, the defense should be in position to succeed.
“And then you’ve got to put the ball down and do it again,” Martin said. “That’s what we preach on defense is if everyone does their 9 percent on every play, all 11 of us, there’s no way we can lose that play.”
For Martin, doing his part has become easier as he’s gained experience in Harasymiak’s defense.
The fifth-year linebacker is entering his second season in the system and believes the group has absorbed another one of Harasymiak’s challenges this offseason of being together.
“The biggest thing I’ve really enjoyed about playing in this defense is everyone’s really connected,” Martin said. “Everyone’s come together a lot since summer workouts into now and bringing in new faces, new people, but everyone’s getting along really well as a defense.
“We’re just playing with a lot of excitement. Everyone really wants to play for one another, which I’m excited about.”
That connection is important in a defense that asks each player to handle his 9.09, and Martin’s definition of doing the job goes beyond making tackles or defeating blocks.
Keyte has talked about bringing more violence to the UMass defense and pointed to Martin and fellow veteran linebacker Timmy Hinspeter as catalysts for establishing that style.
“I think violence can come in all sorts of forms,” said Martin. “Violence with your voice is huge in our defense, making sure everyone knows the call. Everyone’s aligned, gets aligned fast. Everyone is ready to go before the snap of the ball can assess pre-snap.”
Those details aren’t as noticeable as a big hit or a tackle for loss, but they fit into the larger idea behind the number displayed on the scoreboard. Each player has his responsibility. Each player has his 9.09.
“I think those are different ways, not just block destruction and tackling, that violence plays a huge role in stuff that we’re just trying to build on every day.”
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