Linebackers blitzing up the middle collapsed the pocket protecting 49er quarterbacks. Later it became common for offensive linemen to pick up blitzing linebackers. Linebackers are either blitzing or in pass coverage. A man in motion is also prevented from blocking defensive linemen or the blitzing linebacker. Another key play of the linebacker position is blitzing. However, this left a hole in pass protection that a blitzing middle linebacker could exploit. Linebacker A. J. Duhe was extremely effective at blitzing and in pass coverage. They are also responsible for blitzing the quarterback. The Tigers switched to a more aggressive blitzing scheme on defense. Florida continued to struggle against Nebraska's aggressive, blitzing defense. He was an excellent fit for the Steelers defense, notably due to his blitzing abilities. The Cougars' other opponents repeated Miami's game plan of heavy blitzing. This coverage is also the most popular when zone blitzing. Gayle set the tempo through his blitzing knock of 44 off a mere 17 balls. If executed properly, this play can result in large gains and heavily discourage blitzing.