College Football Screen Game, Crack screen, wr screens, pass-pass options and more!
College Football RPO & Unique Screen Game-Passes Thrown Behind the Line of Scrimmage
This article looks at screens and RPO's thrown behind the line of scrimmage. Most are excellent man beaters. They are passes thrown behind the line of scrimmage where players block and crack inside on another player downfield at the same time. Its a great concept!
The college screen game is a little different than the NFL game because if the ball is thrown behind the line of scrimmage, WR, TE and OL can block downfield. It's a definite advantage and teams are taking advantage of it with some short yardage type RPo's and crack screen game. They like them especially vs man type coverage.
USC Crack Screen with the tackle pulling
12P back to the TE side. He slips out as they crack with #2 and get the tackle out on the perimeter. They make it look like slide protection. Nice scheme.
TCU Vs. Michigan
One of the biggest plays vs Michigan was a pass downfield that was actually caught behind the line of scrimmage. Michigan was in man and they ran a mesh concept ,but the wr was actually behind the line of scrimmage when he caught it.
This was a 79 yard touchdown at a key point that sealed the game in the 4th quarter.
Michigan brings pressure 6 man and goes cover 0
You can see the mesh developing as the slot wr is waiting to block the Michigan DB
The slot blocks him as the ball is caught behind the line of scrimmage. Not pass interference.
Now he beats the Michigan DB 1x1
Tiffin runs a version but uses the Guard in the design.
USC Version of the same play out of empty. Get zone so no one to set the pick on but still a good play and nice 20 yard gain.
Coastal Carolina
They start stacked and motion the wr down, He blocks the edge run support and they get a nice 10 yard gain on the h back to the flat off play action
THey bring the wr in motion they want to throw to the tight end coming across.
Niec fake the wr cracks on the LB and it frees the tight end up. Nice 20 yard gain.
QB gets the tight end the ball.
Wisconsin Crack Screen
This crack screen is mostly run vs 3x1 with some type of man coverage on the backside. Excellent play to run vs those type of coverages. The WR will crack on the man covering the running back, and the tackle will block the CB. Easy play and design to run as it takes advantage of angles and leverage.
Wisconsin runs it for a nice 20 yard gain.
They get the tackle on the cb with a crack from the wr.
RB in space with the 3 blockers
Good concept vs man coverage.
Oregon Shovel 3 out concept 2021
Oregon runs shovel pass with the rpo attachment. Presnap bubble if you get 3 over 2
Post snap shovel option after your presnap read. Read the DE for the inverted pitch read. Pull the backside guard for the LB.
Clemson Crack Screen
Clemson goes twins to the boundary with the H Back that way.
Clemson gets a cover 1 look to the boundary and takes advantage with a crack screen to the field vs cover 1 to the boundary.
You can see the nice design as the crack block starts to develop.
The tackle pulls and blocks the perimeter
Maryland vs Michigan
3rd and 1
Maryland runs a nice run pass option against Michigan who is in man coverage. They run the slot across behind the line of scrimmage and throw him the ball behind the line of scrimmage. This allows both WR to legally block downfield. The safety tries to come off and pick up the WR and they get a 2 for 1 on the perimeter. Nice design for a 10 yard gain.
wr cracks
get the ball to the h across for a nice 10 yard gain.
Maryland vs Michigan film
Oklahoma
2 back bootleg
Now, this may be an Rpo and has some zone read elements, with the Qb reading the DE, the nice part about this it is a designed pass to the HB and the wr are blocking downfield, which makes me think it's an RPO. If the DE Takes QB I assume he gives it. Again they get the nice read and easy completion in the flat behind the line of scrimmage.
Similar concept from 2 back.
Nice design and blocking allowed because ball thrown behind line of scrimmage
Mississippi State vs Georgia.
Man coverage
They run a nice crack screen to the 1 wr side and block the weakside LB.
WR blocks the man covering the RB
Nice scheme
Here is a 3rd route with the quick out by the h back and the #1 and #2 wr blocking.
Nice design and 25 yard gain but it's called back on a holding penalty.
Houston Cougars run the h back out with 2 wr blocking behind the line of scrimmage.
You can see the play below:
Texas RPO with HB/H Back swings
Texas throws the ball to the h back on a nice designed h back to the flat design with 2 lead blockers. Nice design vs a 2 high coverage for a 6 yard gain. (film below)
Get 2 blockers out in front
Good blocking down field
Here's another nice design vs Georgia for a 7 yard gain. This time they get the h back leading the swing screen and get nice blocking on the perimeter. (film below)
They have 2 plays in one .
Counter or swing!
They have numbers so throw the RPO
get it out In space, nice design.
2 clips of the concepts above!
3rd and 8,
Texas gets a pre snap man free read.
They call the crack screen for a nice 20 yard gain.
Pre snap looks like cover 1 run the crack screen to the HB to the boundary.
The WR blocks the LB and they get a 2 for one on the perimeter as LB is trying to cover RB
You can see the 2 OL getting out on the perimeter with nice space ahead. 2 for 1 with WR works out well.
Nice blocking downfield for a nice 20 yard gain.
Nice play designs by Texas in 2018 under Tom Hermann.
NC State vs Clemson
Outside zone/shovel pass RPO. NC State reads the end/c Gap defender for the shovel pass. Clemson plays the RB so they shovel the ball.
3 over 3 so keep it inside
Nice design and shovel option.
Read key runs upfield
Here Notre Dame recognizes man coverage. They go 3x1 into the boundary as they see man free. They motion the h back to an off the ball 1 yard off the tackle in the backfield. Fake the zone read and crack with the #1 wr. Great design and execution.
Blocks safety h is open.
ball thrown behind the line of scrimmage.
LA Chargers:
run the rb to the flat off play action with him. Very effective man beater when you bring the #1 and #2 wr down inside. You fake him the ball then throw it to him.
Wr outside 11 perrsonnel will motion inside. All indications is it's man coverage.
Motion with a pick design but OLB comes down inside which makes it easy for the qb
Good fake to the back and they have the easy dump off to Ekeler.
Wide open for easy completion
Houston Gets the ball to the #1 wr on short yardage.
12p
motion to tight bunch 3x1
Bring the #1 wr all the way across the formation and hit him on the drag crossing route behind the los.
Nice design
This looks like a pass pass option as he has the option to throw the ball to the flat.
Flat wasn't open so he throws it to #1 coming across with 3 lead blockers.
Ball thrown behind line so legal as he catches with a few blockers downfield as you can see below.
Great design for a nice 40 yard gain.
49ers pass pass option!
They run the 2 man pattern but have the option to throw the swing with th h lead blocking on the play. The FB leads for the HB on the swing.
TCU return screen
Rb runs to toward the flat and then returns back inside and catches the ball behind the LOS, allowing the offensive line to get out in front. They send both guards to the LB in the tite front.
Nice screen play by TCU with 2 blockers on the LB with the ball thrown behind the los.
Other Resources:
crack screens
http://smartfootball.com/offense/the-crack-toss-sweep-and-the-double-crack-screen-against-an-overloaded-defense#sthash.MS7m6gMh.dpbs
swing draw
https://www.stateoftheu.com/2018/8/15/17683474/miami-hurricanes-football-clinic-talk-spicing-up-the-swing-draw-pro-malik-rosier-mark-richt
pass first rpo:
http://breakdownsports.blogspot.com/2018/08/football-fundamentals-pass-first-run-pass-option-RPO-PRO.html
Here are a few examples with more to come!