Offensive Scheme Q&A Thread

[stylee]

Inspired by Eric's thread, I'll add this variant.

I'm not an "expert", but I am at least somewhat knowledgeable about what we do on offense.
If you have any X's and O's questions, fire away. If I can't answer them, I'm sure one of masterminds here can chime in.

 

[Eric]

Great idea! This will come in handy during the season.

 

[Dustman]

Almost afraid to ask, but why do we cut block on the line of scrimmage? Everybody cuts out in space, I get that.

 

[stylee]

Almost afraid to ask, but why do we cut block on the line of scrimmage? Everybody cuts out in space, I get that.

Although others can provide some more detailed explanations if they want, a short answer is just "Because it works."
The ultimate rationale behind cut blocking is no different than that of tackling ballcarriers low. If you go low, the target has a harder time staying on his feet (and, thus, making the tackle or running for a touchdown).

On the backside of running plays, it's usually the most sure way to get across a defender's body and prevent him from chasing down a play. Zone teams often/usually cut on the backside too.

With quick-hitting option plays, you don't have to keep a defensive lineman blocked for an extended period of time, so a quick cutblock which can prevent a guy from making a tackle within the first 1.5 seconds is a successful one. If you are zone-blocking a guy, waiting for a running back to choose his lane, you don't have that option; a defender who is cut can get back up and fill a gap in that longer time frame. Furthermore, zone-blocking is based on combination blocks between two defenders, making the cut block illegal in most situations.

That being said, we don't always cut block, not even on our triple option play.



Notice the right guard engage the DT just as he would in any other scheme.
A lot of this is situational - where is the defender lined up, what's the play call, what has been working, am I likely to get help with this block, etc?

 

[ATL1]

Would you describe the passing concepts that are implemented into the scheme? I remember the run and shoot & air raid concepts you posted on another board.

 

[TampaGT]

I have heard that the line has the option whether cut or not. In terms of passing concepts, I think routes are based on the run and shoot. I think the offense is based off the R/S. The inside WRs in the R/S are our ABs. If I am not mistaken CPJ was looking at how to run more out of the R/S and it just expanded from there.

 

[stylee]

I'll get into some passing stuff, though it will take a while to do it thoroughly.

 

[slugboy]

@ATL1, go to https://drive.google.com/folderview...ogspot.com/p/offensive-playbo&pli=1&hl=en_US#, and click on the "Georgia Southern Offense" playbook on the lower left. It's an old Paul Johnson playbook.

I might be being lazy, but I don't think I can go through everything without wearing my fingers out.

Passing plays start on page 72 (about halfway in). There are some pass option plays before then. The passing tree is on page 73, so it's a run-and-shoot-style read what the defense is giving you passing offense.

There is a bunch in there about reading the defense, so the receivers and the QB make the same reads (and agree on the routes).

 

[Dustman]

Although others can provide some more detailed explanations if they want, a short answer is just "Because it works."
The ultimate rationale behind cut blocking is no different than that of tackling ballcarriers low. If you go low, the target has a harder time staying on his feet (and, thus, making the tackle or running for a touchdown).

On the backside of running plays, it's usually the most sure way to get across a defender's body and prevent him from chasing down a play. Zone teams often/usually cut on the backside too.

With quick-hitting option plays, you don't have to keep a defensive lineman blocked for an extended period of time, so a quick cutblock which can prevent a guy from making a tackle within the first 1.5 seconds is a successful one. If you are zone-blocking a guy, waiting for a running back to choose his lane, you don't have that option; a defender who is cut can get back up and fill a gap in that longer time frame. Furthermore, zone-blocking is based on combination blocks between two defenders, making the cut block illegal in most situations.

That being said, we don't always cut block, not even on our triple option play.



Notice the right guard engage the DT just as he would in any other scheme.
A lot of this is situational - where is the defender lined up, what's the play call, what has been working, am I likely to get help with this block, etc?

Thanks Stylee. I realize we don't cut on every play but with all the negative recruiting and stories about D line recruits not wanting to line up against that, why do we do it more than other teams and could our offense be as successful with less of it?

 

[GTYellowJacket12]

Is there a way to disguise the counter run out of the triple option if the opposing defense reads the pulling guard? It seems like our opponents did it a few times last year so efficiently that it caused us to scrap that play from the playbook (think the Clemson game), so is there a variation of this play we can run that will capitalize on the defense when they're sold on reading the pulling guard?

 

[stylee]

Great question.

One thing we do is have a BB give towards the "counter" side, so that it's almost a Trap run...the AB runs his twirl motion and the QB acts like he carrying out the counter option with the AB...but he actually gives to the BB, who takes the ball on the "dive" side but bends back to follow the pulling guard.

That description doesn't do the play justice. Steebu has a video on his channel of Dwyer scoring on this play v Wake.

 

[Dustman]

It's been said before that we can't throw out of a triple option look because we would get called for downfield blocking. Yet Auburn did this vs Bama on the go ahead score. Did they just get lucky? Or was it a trick play and the line stayed back?

 

[jchens_GT]

Man, great thread. Thanks for starting this @stylee. I look forward to the info that accumulates here.

 

[stylee]

Here's the play I was referencing, @GTYellowJacket12 .
Instead of a fake dive to the "triple option" side, Nesbitt actually gives and then carries out a fake counter option away from the fake triple.
The guard still pulls, but instead of "logging" the defensive end (getting outside and blocking him down, opening the perimeter up), the guard lead blocks and kicks that guy out, opening up a lane for Dwyer up the gut.

The safeties and linebackers pursue outside, thinking they've diagnosed a counter.

On a side note, I like what Oregon does with "false flag" pulling guards - guards pulling away from the playside to break keys. I'm not sure how translatable that is to under center, though.

 

[ATL1]

What separates GT from other run oriented spreads like Oregon or Auburn schematically.

 

[slugboy]

Flippantly, @ATL1, one fewer read and 5* athletes.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

We seem to have developed a reputation of ineptitude in our 2 minute offense. I personally think we have more of a red zone problem in the 2 minute. My personal point of view is that we have largely been able to move the ball fairly well in the 2 minute drill. We just have failed to punch those drives in for scores too often. It may be fair, at least in my mind, to say we struggle in obvious passing downs when we have a short field to work in. Does this opinion jive with what you guys have seen or am I alone on a desert isle?

 

[TampaGT]

After reading some of the Ga Southern play book about o line splits. I thought I remember a couple of season back we would have some extra wide splits. Am I correct about them running wide splits? If so, I don't remember using them this past season. Why use extra wide splits?

 

[GTJason]

Not a question, more of a comment. All of the examples shown are from the glory days of CPJ here. The cut blocking is really effective when you hit someone. Our problem has been execution the past few seasons. I can't tell you the last game where I didn't see one of our OL just fall over in an attempt to cut someone. I realize it's hard to practice because you don't want to hurt your own players but we have to get better at it or just stand up and block. I realize you only need the block for a short period of time until the option is past you. In my mind this is even more reason to stay on your feet against elite guys. We're just trying to slow them down. VPI game last year was frustrating... Of course if the 4 guys in the backfield are more decisive and quicker to execute maybe that guy falling into space hits his mark because the D guy can't stunt and wait on him to hit the ground to get around him.

 

[Josh H]

Does this opinion jive with what you guys have seen or am I alone on a desert isle?

I don't have the empirical data to back it up, but we very often simply do not pass the ball once we're inside the 20. In most game situations, our ground game is sufficient to punch the ball in and we decrease the chance of a turnover. In the 2 minute offense, we obviously can't run the ball, unless we can get out of bounds or gain a first down.

I think we lack red zone passing efficiency because we don't pass the ball much in that zone in regular situations. Additionally, we lack tight ends in the passing game. Our A-backs work alright when they can get behind the defense or get linebackers running laterally, but that space goes away in the red zone and you really miss having a 6'4"+ target at tight end.

Then again, we have big WRs that should have single coverage on the outside, so a fade route would be an option if we were comfortable hitting it.