Zone Read Options?

[Spartness]

I saw one element perhaps we might see in future ... after the fake to the RB, the QB throws a quick pass to a receiver in the flat. Forces the D to spread out more if executed well.

But here's a question I asked a while back. Can you make the zone read into a triple option, where the QB either hands off to a RB, QB runs it, or pitches it to another back (in the slot) trailing the QB?

 

[knapplc]

But here's a question I asked a while back. Can you make the zone read into a triple option, where the QB either hands off to a RB, QB runs it, or pitches it to another back (in the slot) trailing the QB?

Absolutely. I forget who I saw doing this last year, but there were a ton of variations of this kind of triple option. Someone ran this play in the NFL playoffs on a two-point conversion and the option man was a WR swinging around behind the formation.

 

[Husker from Kansas]

The steelers ran it in the super bowl

 

[TemporarySaint]

But here's a question I asked a while back. Can you make the zone read into a triple option, where the QB either hands off to a RB, QB runs it, or pitches it to another back (in the slot) trailing the QB?

Absolutely. I forget who I saw doing this last year, but there were a ton of variations of this kind of triple option. Someone ran this play in the NFL playoffs on a two-point conversion and the option man was a WR swinging around behind the formation.

Oregon does this quite a bit. We did this against Idaho last year HTH.

 

[ZRod]

I'm pretty sure Oregon ran it in the championship game as well, or at least I remember them running it sometime during the year.

 

[knapplc]

But here's a question I asked a while back. Can you make the zone read into a triple option, where the QB either hands off to a RB, QB runs it, or pitches it to another back (in the slot) trailing the QB?

Absolutely. I forget who I saw doing this last year, but there were a ton of variations of this kind of triple option. Someone ran this play in the NFL playoffs on a two-point conversion and the option man was a WR swinging around behind the formation.

Oregon does this quite a bit. We did this against Idaho last year HTH.

You are correct! I remember that! I believe Niles was the trailing pitch option, correct?

 

[TemporarySaint]

But here's a question I asked a while back. Can you make the zone read into a triple option, where the QB either hands off to a RB, QB runs it, or pitches it to another back (in the slot) trailing the QB?

Absolutely. I forget who I saw doing this last year, but there were a ton of variations of this kind of triple option. Someone ran this play in the NFL playoffs on a two-point conversion and the option man was a WR swinging around behind the formation.

Oregon does this quite a bit. We did this against Idaho last year HTH.

You are correct! I remember that! I believe Niles was the trailing pitch option, correct?

I believe we ran it at least once with niles as a trailing pitch man and another time with both Rex and Roy.

 

[corncraze]

West Virginia under rich rod did this a lot. Ii use this all the time in ncaa haha

 

[iowahusker09]

I saw one element perhaps we might see in future ... after the fake to the RB, the QB throws a quick pass to a receiver in the flat. Forces the D to spread out more if executed well.

But here's a question I asked a while back. Can you make the zone read into a triple option, where the QB either hands off to a RB, QB runs it, or pitches it to another back (in the slot) trailing the QB?

The jet sweep is probably the most effective way to do this. Motion a slot receiver across the middle and hike it just before he gets to the qb and make the first read right away then you have the qb/rb option or you could do the qb/rb option first and have the wr trail. It has become the staple of georgia techs option. Florida used to do it with harvin and tebow but they normally didnt use the rb as a third option so essentially it was just a zone read

 

[Hujan]

West Virginia under rich rod did this a lot. Ii use this all the time in ncaa haha

Where do you find that play? Are you using the NU playbook?

As for the original question, yes you can do a triple option as others have said. However, I think an even better play would be to do a zone-read off fly motion from a slot receiver. Have the receiver begin running toward the QB before the ball is snapped. If the timing is right, he will cross the QB right after the ball is snapped. The QB can either hand it off to the fly guy, or pull it and take it himself in the other direction depending on whether the DE stays home. This eliminates one of the downsides of the zone-read play, which is that both potential ball carriers---QB or RB---must basically accelerate from a standstill once they receive/decide to keep the ball.

So you've got:

1) The "traditional zone-read" with RB lined up next to QB with the handoff/fake hand off

2) A "fly motion zone-read" with a RB or WR streaking toward the QB at the snap.

3) A "loaded, option zone-read" where there is a pitch man in addition to the QB and RB.

4) And play-action zone-reads where the QB throws to a receiver after faking the handoff.

I am sure there are other variations, but that is a lot for a simple play when you have the RB lined up next to the QB in the shotgun.

Edit: Iowahusker09 posted while I was writing my post. Great minds think alike.

 

[iowahusker09]

Heyo!

 

[Nexus]

 

[Enhance]

But here's a question I asked a while back. Can you make the zone read into a triple option, where the QB either hands off to a RB, QB runs it, or pitches it to another back (in the slot) trailing the QB?

Absolutely. I forget who I saw doing this last year, but there were a ton of variations of this kind of triple option. Someone ran this play in the NFL playoffs on a two-point conversion and the option man was a WR swinging around behind the formation.

If I'm not mistaken, we ran this against Idaho. If you look up the highlights from that game (the 10 minute long one), it should be in there.

Either way, I'm sad the option wasn't a more focal point of the offense last year. As far as I can remember we ran that play once the entire year. Even if it was against Idaho, Burkhead still took the pitch for a 10+ yard gain.

As far as your point about the WR in the flat catching the ball play OP, I'm not a fan of them especially at Nebraska. The reason being is I very rarely remember seeing that play work because we don't have the speed on the outside necessary to turn that play into a gain. And I know some other people are still bitter about the pick 6 against Oklahoma in 2008 when we ran a similar play.

 

[iowahusker09]

i personally do not like oregons offense at all. If they didnt have the ridiculous speed that they did in the backfield i just feel like it wouldnt work. I really hope for our sake we dont try this.

 

[Hercules]

But here's a question I asked a while back. Can you make the zone read into a triple option, where the QB either hands off to a RB, QB runs it, or pitches it to another back (in the slot) trailing the QB?

Absolutely. I forget who I saw doing this last year, but there were a ton of variations of this kind of triple option. Someone ran this play in the NFL playoffs on a two-point conversion and the option man was a WR swinging around behind the formation.

If I'm not mistaken, we ran this against Idaho. If you look up the highlights from that game (the 10 minute long one), it should be in there.

Either way, I'm sad the option wasn't a more focal point of the offense last year. As far as I can remember we ran that play once the entire year. Even if it was against Idaho, Burkhead still took the pitch for a 10+ yard gain.

As far as your point about the WR in the flat catching the ball play OP, I'm not a fan of them especially at Nebraska. The reason being is I very rarely remember seeing that play work because we don't have the speed on the outside necessary to turn that play into a gain. And I know some other people are still bitter about the pick 6 against Oklahoma in 2008 when we ran a similar play.

Throwing the ball into the "flat" is different than a WR screen. The "flat" is basically 10 yards into the defensive backfield, between the hashmark and the sideline. We used to show option and throw to a receiver in the flat all the time (Turner Gill was a master of this, Frazier was pretty good too). It will work great at Nebraska if we are running the spread option, because it compliments that running game.