When The Stitt Goes Down...

Below are some screen shots and a final drive video from Bob Stitt's Montana Griz head coaching debut. Let's take a look below at some of the concepts captured. It won't be clear what the reads are exactly, but I'll do my best to make educated guesses. Bob Stitt's offense is predicated on abusing zone defenses, forcing many defenses, in many cases, to play more man-coverage than they may be accustomed to playing. This tends to have two effects. One, it's not that easy to play a lot of man-coverage throughout a game and two, many of Stitt's spread football innovations lie in beating man-coverage. The latter aspect is why many vaunted spread practitioners nationwide have sought the help of Coach Stitt. So, let's take a look.

Many spread quarterbacks are taught to read alignment, leverage, and numbers before the snap. Some initial reads may even comprise taking advantage of whether the defense has 1 or 2 high safeties. In the above example, two safeties are outside the hash marks, a clear indicator of a 2-high safety coverage. So, the quarterback chooses to read the side that will have a greater number of receivers, the boundary side. Here, Stitt employs a spacing concept with the slot receiver. Also of note, the middle linebacker is bailing to the middle of the field in coverage (Tampa-2). Now this is where it's hard to decipher whether the receiver runs a short curl "spacing" concept or whether it's a drag route read, where the receiver can stay on his path if the linebacker stays. Either way, he's able to sit right in the zone vacated by the middle linebacker for an easy pitch and catch. Special note, Tampa-2 coverage is a North Dakota State specialty and it's beat early-on with ease. Keep that in mind when you watch the final drive video below.

Next we see what may be the drag concept again. This time the linebackers stay underneath in coverage and the receiver continues his path to cross the face of the linebacker in his zone. You'll note the boundary receiver runs a deep route and the back releases to the flat creating a stretch between the two linebackers underneath. Most offenses will take those matchups all day.

Here's a gander at the run and receiver screen game. Stitt became famous for the fly-sweep he helped Dana Holgorson abuse Clemson with, so it's no wonder that the motif remains in the offense. The offensive line blocks zone (note the double teams) and the sweeper continues past the defensive end who the quarterback may or may not be reading. In my mind, this could be a read on the linebacker between the hashes who stays in to defend the inside run. Where the constraint for the free rusher comes is in the fly-sweeper continuing his path to the flat to receive a quick pass-lateral from the quarterback. A very important aspect to this play is the block that comes from the slot receiver on the outside linebacker. What a great way to create a significant leverage advantage!

Here, the quarterback chooses to read the single receiver side, why, if it's still a 2 high safety defense? If I had to guess, it's because the defense aligned it's outside linebacker to the field outside the box and over the slot receiver. So, the space and leverage advantage is to the boundary in this case and another short curl, spacing, is run to beat the underneath coverage, simple.

Now we get to one of my favorite plays of the game. I'm not sure whether to call this a delayed running back screen or merely a tagged running back route. Nevertheless, the result is a very difficult assignment for the middle linebacker, having to pursue and tackle a running back in the open field. That's not it though, in the last shot you can see the receiver, probably after running a curl route stem, come back to block that middle linebacker! The scheming of that block alone causes me to lean toward calling this a delayed screen. Well done Bob.

Lastly, we see the beloved drag concept again. Why more teams don't abuse the drag route is beyond me. Above, the underneath coverage is beaten again. It must have been maddening for those defenders all game.

That's it for the screen shots. Below is the final drive and I'd like you to pay special attention to the coverage on the first play. I hope you recognize it. That's all I have time for, but I'd like to add a little tidbit. I had the pleasure of speaking with Bob Stitt when he was at his last coaching job. One thing that stood out from that conversation was him explaining that if teams choose to play zone against his offense, the outcome would be heavily tilted in his favor. Now I see why.

A Very Brief Look at Swoopes And The Spread Quick Game

This is an extremely brief glimpse of "Texas Fan Enemy #1", Tyrone Swoopes in the spring game. Below are merely 4 quick passing game plays, but I wanted to note some good and bad things executing them.

In the first example there is a 1-high safety look, inside the hashes. Based on alignment and leverage of the corner backs, a pretty clear zone defensive look. After the snap, the quarterback looks like he is reading the middle linebacker. This would be a R.A.M. read (Read Away from Mike). The play looks like a run-pass option, RPO, based on whether the middle linebacker stays put on run or expands to defend the pass. The quarterback keeps the ball, rolls right and throws the curl route on time. The quarterback exhibits good footwork and timing on the throw. In the parlance of Dan Gonzalez' work, the "Advantage Principle" here is R.A.M. and the concept is curl-flat to the field side, meant to conflict the flat defender, the defensive back in the alley in this case.



The next play the defense shows a 2-high safety look, but if you look closer, the boundary side corner back is "pressed up" on the receiver. What I call a "force clue", meaning he may have responsibility to contain the run on the boundary side. Given that and the alignment of the field corner back, it is another fairly clear zone defensive look. The quarterback may note the pressed corner and the soft coverage on the first receiver to the field and elects to keep the ball and execute a throw against said soft coverage. The problem is, the quarterback's movement to the left is less efficient and forces him to take what looks like an extra step, thus making the throw late. Also, the receiver could have come back to the ball some more to help the quarterback's throw. The quarterback must quicken his feet and get his shoulders turned earlier in order to better time his release on an otherwise easy throw and catch.



Below is another 2-high safety look, but with one outside the hash to the boundary and the other right between the hashes, indicating a 1-high safety look. Again, there is a cornerback pressed-up to the boundary, a force clue. Now, the middle linebacker is walked out over the third receiver in from the field side, leaving five in the box, a look most teams would typically choose to run against. However, it's the spring game and it's 2nd down and 10 yards to go. This play is an in-flat (similar to slant-flat) to the boundary, and I suspect it's thrown to the boundary because of the above aforementioned alignments. This time, the QB takes a drop and throws behind the weak side linebacker tracking the running back to the flat, an excellent well-timed throw.



The last play, there is another 2-high safety look with one safety on the boundary hash and the other inside the field hash. Neither corner back is pressed on receivers, but both linebackers are threatening to blitz, showing a 6-man pressure. If the linebackers blitz, the running back needs to pick up the linebacker to his side and the quarterback needs to recognize the blitz as well, he's part of the protection. The pass protection here is excellent and the boundary side receiver looks to run an in-breaking route below the corner back that is bailing over top of him. However, not only is his break inside a bit sloppy, but the quarterback's throw is late as well, allowing ample time for the corner back to break on the ball and break up the pass. This ball must come out quick because of the 6-man pressure.



Now, the above are an extremely small subset of plays, meant to illustrate some of the timing involved in Texas' quick passing game and some of what the quarterbacks are tasked with checking and reading. The question that will be answered this fall is, which quarterback manages these tasks and executes similar concepts the best for this offense? Also, where is the "fulcrum" that will decide how much the staff gives each quarterback to work with for the season opener at Notre Dame. One thing is certain. I can't wait to find out!