Package Plays in All Forms, pt1

I have long mentioned the concept of the  package(d) play; a strategy of using multiple concepts in one play. The objective is have the defense, either using in pre-snap or post-snap reads, decide where the ball goes. Football, believe it or not, is all about numbers. Rich Rodriguez, Arizona head coach and pioneer of the package play, preaches both the importance of putting the ball where the offense has a numerical advantage and getting players in open grass situations. Any given area of the field where the offense either outnumbers or has the same amount of players as the defense is considered a numerical advantage. This week, we will explore how specific teams use different schemes to achieve that goal - have the numerical advantage. Today, we will take a look at the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

OKLAHOMA STATE - STICK DRAW/SLIP

Dana Holgorsen is credited for being the offensive engineer of the Air-Raid offense. At Oklahoma State, starting in 2010, he was one of the first to introduce new schemes on a national scale. This includes the Pistol Full House formation, the jet shovel, and most notably the stick-draw. You have seen all three of these concepts at least once while watching recent college football. Both the NCAA and the NFL are copycat leagues - if something works, you can bet it will be picked up by a multitude of teams in the near future. This was no exception; the Pistol Full House, for example, features three backs in the backfield with two lone receivers split out wide. This formation has spread like wildfire around all forms of football - high school, college, and even the NFL. Unfortunately, Oklahoma State hasn't used these concepts as much as they used to, since their personnel drove them in a different direction offensively. Still, Holgorsen deserves to be appreciated. 

He used the majority of concepts when he was at Houston, but virtually no one on the national stage was paying any attention to Houston. Not to be blunt, but were any of you watching Cougar football in 2008? I didn't think so.

the concept here is for the quarterback to read the defender shaded over the inside slot receiver. This is a post-snap read. When I refer to either a pre/post-snap read, I mean that the quarterback looks at the position or movement of a specific defender, either before or after the ball is snapped. In all of my diagrams, a dotted circle indicates a pre-snap read (isolation route by the X receiver), and a dotted square indicates a post-snap read.

 *Note - in many of these concepts, if there is an isolated receiver on the back-side of the play (the X in the picture), he is almost always running an isolation route. This route can be a number of things, but the concept is that if the cornerback on that receiver is playing at least seven or eight yards off of the receiver, the quarterback can take the snap and immediately throw to that receiver. This is still considered a numerical advantage, and the receiver is expected to catch the ball and make a play in open space. 

Back to the play: the three receivers on the right are running what is called a "stick" route combination. The outside (Z) receiver is running a streak in attempt to push the safety upfield and prevent him from cluttering the quarterback's read. The outside slot (osl) receiver is running a quick out, and the inside slot is going a yard upfield and then "sticking" back to the quarterback, hence the name. Inside the tackles, the offensive line is running a draw play. The concept of a draw is to get the defense thinking that it's a pass and then surprising them by running the ball. Holgersen, the smart devil that he is, put them into one play. If that linebacker sits on the stick route, the quarterback hands the ball off to his back, who should have a hole to run through. If the defender blitzes towards the line, the quarterback ignores the handoff and throws to the stick route in the open void. Either way, the play takes advantage of numbers and open space.

*Note #2 - in all plays using a run-pass option, any offensive player who blocks on the second level (past the trenches), either a receiver or a lineman, is told to let the defender come to them instead of immediately attacking the defender to block. This is for two reasons - 1) if it turns out that the ball is going in the opposite direction, why block the defender? If he's paying attention, he will follow the ball, even though it would be virtually impossible for him to make a play since the ball is going in the other direction. So why waste energy trying to block someone that can only end out negatively with a holding penalty. 2) it is illegal for both lineman and receivers to block a certain number of yards past the line of scrimmage if the quarterback has the option to pass. For lineman, this is the ineligible man downfield rule. For receivers, this is considered offensive pass interference. 

The NFL has their own variation of the play, turning the draw into a back-side screen. In the NFL, defenders are much faster and stronger, so the stick-draw doesn't necessarily have the same effect as it does in lower levels of football. Similar concept, just something to ponder upon. 

Here's the stick-draw in action. This clip is of Arizona State using the concept under then offensive coordinator Noel Mizzone. Ironically, we will be talking about this offensive genius in the near future. He has been credited for his own creations in the college football world, but we'll get to that in due time. Take a look and see the play in action.

Well, that wraps up this analysis on the stick-draw. All of this junk for one play?! I can't believe it! Stay tuned for more of these one-play analyses. A new one might be up in 24 hours, if you're lucky.