Auburn's read-option

[tgr4lfe 220]

What is the counter on the zone read if, like in this instance, they have a LB crashing down on the give to the RB as well as a safety there covering the keep? A pass option off of that?

Difficult to have a pass-option here because the potential for having an OL down field. You can bet the UAT coaches will be telling the refs to watch for this before the game.

Could that not be remedied with a pass option to the flats or maybe a wheel route?

Yes, as long as the pass is behind the LOS. If there is a designed pass off one of the zone read, I'm sure the OL know to stay in tighter. A quick slant to the side where the OLB and Safety are crashing would be beautiful.

[tgr4lfe 220]

What about in general? What kind of things can be done to offset a team accounting for 2 guys being asked to defend the 2 run options on the zone read?

1. Use an H-Back as a lead blocker.

2. Use a triple option with a bubble screen wide receiver play as the third option.

3. Use a triple option with a down field wide receiver play as the third option (dangerous due to OL down field risk).

4. Substitute a designed RB give and use the H-Back to block the crashing DE/OLB (can make a fool out of a scraping ILB).

5. Substitute a designed RB give and use pulling OL to block the crashing DE/OLB (same as above but works in a single back set).

6. For 4 and 5 above, change the DE/OLB read (now blocked, not read) to read the scraping ILB--at snap, if ILB moves towards RB zone blocking, QB keep; if ILB moves outside to take QB, RB give. IIRC, we did this against Tennessee in 2013, and I think we did it against Mizzou late in the game.

I think for #4 and #5, AU could also have the backside OG pulling to bust that crashing OLB

[JBiGGiE 2,488]

I really wish we had Cam at quarterback.

We'll have him on the sideline as honorary coach if that means anything to you!

[meh130 1,043]

Yes, as long as the pass is behind the LOS. If there is a designed pass off one of the zone read, I'm sure the OL know to stay in tighter. A quick slant to the side where the OLB and Safety are crashing would be beautiful.

This is the key. The Zone Read Triple Option was originally designed to use a WR bubble screen as the third option, because the pass could be designed to be completed behind the LOS. However, CGM and Hugh Freeze and others have taken advantage of the 3-yards past the LOS linemen are allowed to be in the college game. If the pass play is executed quickly, it can be done without risking the lineman down field. The read needs to be almost immediate.

I believe the POP we ran to tie Bammer in 2013 did not have a real RB run option. The line only blocked for a few steps, and then pivoted to protect against a backside pursuit against Nick Marshall. In other words, the blocking was more like a fake RB sweep QB run/pass bootleg option. Note Marshall ran for a ways before he attempted the pass.

We have the true triple option with the down field pass in the playbook. We ran it a few times against Idaho. JJ messed this play up against LSU, where he waited too long to throw the ball. The QB really needs to know, if he has taken more than two steps after the RB mesh, he is now committed to the run.

[tgr4lfe 220]

Yes, as long as the pass is behind the LOS. If there is a designed pass off one of the zone read, I'm sure the OL know to stay in tighter. A quick slant to the side where the OLB and Safety are crashing would be beautiful.

This is the key. The Zone Read Triple Option was originally designed to use a WR bubble screen as the third option, because the pass could be designed to be completed behind the LOS. However, CGM and Hugh Freeze and others have taken advantage of the 3-yards past the LOS linemen are allowed to be in the college game. If the pass play is executed quickly, it can be done without risking the lineman down field. The read needs to be almost immediate.

I believe the POP we ran to tie Bammer in 2013 did not have a real RB run option. The line only blocked for a few steps, and then pivoted to protect against a backside pursuit against Nick Marshall. In other words, the blocking was more like a fake RB sweep QB run/pass bootleg option. Note Marshall ran for a ways before he attempted the pass.

We have the true triple option with the down field pass in the playbook. We ran it a few times against Idaho. JJ messed this play up against LSU, where he waited too long to throw the ball. The QB really needs to know, if he has taken more than two steps after the RB mesh, he is now committed to the run.

Absolutely think JJ gained some positive momentum last week. He hit a few really quick developing automatic adjustments and did well with zone read. Granted that was only Idaho, but hopefully, he can build off that and execute against the turds.