Air Raid specifically refers to a type of route tree and concepts. A pure air raid offense attacks the defense with short passes while always having a shot route on any given play. The goal is for the QB to get the ball out fast based on one read (usually the nickle). The run game of an air raid offense is usually simple, limited to inside zone.
A very common "air raid" concept that CPJ often used in his offense was the Mesh route concept. We did not really run this after 2014 favoring the drag to create the space against Man and we saw a little less zone against us with our ground game being as dominant as it was in 2014.
You will likely see this as a base play in our offense going forward.
In CPJ's offense, we ran this usually from either Spread, OR Spread Pistol (put in place likely for Vad Lee. notably Tevin hit Deon hill for a TD off this concept against VT that should have won the game but we lost because reasons)
The big differentiation between what we did before in the passing game and what we are about to do is the way the reads are setup for the QB.
In a run and shoot, its about the option routes to make the defense guess wrong and rely on the QB and the Receiver to make the same read if its not there, run. In an air raid, plays are designed to attack open space instead of create it if its not there, flat or throw away. Georgia Southern last season did a very good job of blending an Air Raid style passing attack with an option run attack. They didn't throw it often, but Werts did not throw an interception all year against 10 tds with his longest pass being a 61 yard wheel route to the RB off of the mess concept which basically froze the defense and turned the RB loose on a delayed wheel.
and us runnign the concept in 2012
www.arkansasonline.com
