POP Play

ICHawk24

ICHawk24

Well-Known Member
http://www.sbnation.com/college-foo...read-option-pass-play-football-xs-os-diagrams

But if you were to ask a longtime defensive coach like Manny Diaz where the sport is heading, he'd point you to a signature moment in the most thrilling game in recent memory: Auburn's victory in the 2013 Iron Bowl over mighty Alabama.

But Diaz wasn't as struck by the "Kick Six" touchdown that sealed the deal for the Tigers, nor the budding Saban-vs.-spread rivalry. Instead Diaz zeroes in on a play by Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall, one ending 31 seconds before Chris Davis' 109-yard game-winner.

"It's the most significant thing to happen to college football," the 17-year coaching veteran says. "The most important play of last season was the touchdown that tied the game at 28."

The play in question started out as a standard zone-read play, one Auburn had been running the entire season. It was at this moment that Gus Malzahn's offense brought football's future to the biggest stage.
 




This isnt new, it looks a lot like running QBs threatening the edge and doing the old jump pass ala Joe Kapp and Sid Luckman.

It also looks alot like Evy's wing T with motion and a lot of running and then once in a while the QB/passer just flicks a pass downfield over the defenders playing the run.
 




Everything in football is just something recycled. But it is still an interesting evolution of current offenses.
 


Malzahn bought a bunch of thirty or forty year old playbooks when he was coaching in high school in rural arkansas. His single wing formation and pass concepts resemble much earlier forward passing plays. He won with it in some tiny town in the poorer region of Arkansas, then at the prosperous Springdale High, then later under Houston Nutt at Arkansas.
 


I remember that drive by Auburn. I don't even need to read the article. That drive was so bizzarre. Less than 2 minutes left. Auburn down by 7, and Aurburn runs it like 7 straight times. I could not figure it out. What in the world are they doing? Then POP! Auburn's QB fakes like he is going to run and throws to wide open WR who runs fown the field for TD.
 




If you remember the long touchdown Pitt had against Iowa in the first quarter back in '11, it was a really similar look. They ran a read option to the right, but the QB threw the ball down the field to an uncovered receiver at the last minute. There is nothing new under the sun.
 


I like the clip called "The Unstoppable Play" and then show them running it against Iowa State. A fullback dive would look unstoppable against Wally's defense.

I do love the play, though. Tough to stop when you have a good option game. A thing about it is that you have to commit an extra body to the run option because the offense's scheme takes one player out of the game by leaving him unblocked and reading him. That also gives you an extra blocker to take out another defender, so you have to commit that extra guy to counter that. This leaves the pass wide open. You can't stop all facets of it, you just have to hope a team doesn't execute it well for an entire series or that you can out-athlete them. As a HS D-coordinator for over 20 years, I was so glad to see the option go and was not happy to see it come back! Plays like this suck...
 


99topdawg said:
I like the clip called "The Unstoppable Play" and then show them running it against Iowa State. A fullback dive would look unstoppable against Wally's defense.

I do love the play, though. Tough to stop when you have a good option game. A thing about it is that you have to commit an extra body to the run option because the offense's scheme takes one player out of the game by leaving him unblocked and reading him. That also gives you an extra blocker to take out another defender, so you have to commit that extra guy to counter that. This leaves the pass wide open. You can't stop all facets of it, you just have to hope a team doesn't execute it well for an entire series or that you can out-athlete them. As a HS D-coordinator for over 20 years, I was so glad to see the option go and was not happy to see it come back! Plays like this suck...
Click to expand...

The mid to late 60s thru mid 80s saw a lot of option, the wishbone, triple option, etc whatever you want and teams like OU, Nebby, bama would run it down your throats and then once in a while the qb would start that action, fake the fullback dive, start to the outside then throw a short pass or drop back and hit a wide open receiver down field
 




hawkeyebob62 said:
It appears one key is an illegal "headstart" downfield by the O line...
Click to expand...

OK, so I wasn't the only one that saw that!

That play was a pretty obvious "ineligible man downfield" penalty - the entire auburn online surged past the los.

The Alabama defense (correctly) read that auburn had committed to either a run or a screen pass (or, more precisely, a pass that did not cross the los). Given the actions of the auburn ol, its completely unremarkable that Auburns wr was able to get behind the d - there should have been flags flying from both side judges.
 




CFB allows linemen to be 3 yards downfield. I can't find any downfield penalties on Auburn's play.
 




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