you forgot an option
by jt (2021-11-05 00:28:22)
Edited on 2021-11-05 00:34:57

In reply to: Navy could give ND fits on Saturday.  posted by mkovac

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Midline--this is the play that killed us in 1996 vs AFA (the announcers kept calling it a "duck" play). Qb reads the first DL outside shade of the guard out (usually a 3 technique, but it could be a 4i, 4 or 5--inside shade to outside shade of the tackle). If the DL stays home, qb gives to the fullback. If the DL crashes on the dive, qb keeps and then "ducks" up the midline, off guard.

it is a double option play, no pitch option. You also can just run speed option, which involves no dive key (and which Nebraska used to run all the time with Crouch, and the play that set up their play action passes to Winstrom the TE). Most of the qb's I worked with when we ran this offense hate this one, because they're exposed to a hit from a crashing OLB right NOW! However, it puts a lot of stress on the defense, and I know Holtz loved it (believe McDougal ran it for a long TD vs Michigan in 1993). We would have qb's however who hated the exposure and would just check to triple option and not even read the dive key. In essence, it was the same play but just with different blocking; on the true triple option, you leave 2 guys unblocked as your read keys--first DL outside shade of the Guard out and end man on the line of scrimmage (dive/pitch respectively). On the speed option, you either leave just the end man on the LOS unblocked or you can "load option" and lead on him and try and option the second level (which can lead to huge plays, but you need a really good qb who can read that pitch key on the fly down the field).

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