***Without the videos...I know it doesn't do it justice. But nonetheless, here's a little nugget about a Mike Leach staple play. Hail State.
Ted’s Film Room: Mike Leach, Joe Moorhead and Josh Gattis install three plays
By Ted Nguyen 6h ago
21
Imagine you’re a wide-eyed freshman starting your first college football install meeting. During install meetings, concepts are introduced and the basics of the plays are taught. It could happen on the field, in meeting rooms, or, in this particular case, on The Athletic. For this install, you’ll have three coaches installing three plays for you. Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach, one of the forefathers of the air raid offense, is going to install an air raid staple: the “stick” concept. Oregon offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead, known for his diverse and creative run/pass option (RPO) package, is installing one of his best red zone RPOs, “gazelle bluff.” Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, who is rising fast in the coaching ranks, is installing one of his bread-and-butter pass concepts, “funnel.”
Pay attention, freshmen!
Leach: Stick
“If I don’t know what to call, there’s a pretty good chance I’d call (stick),” Leach said. “Everyone’s got an out pitch.” It’s a play that answers against anything and stretches the defenses horizontally. Almost every playbook has a version of stick in it, so it’s not a particularly unique play, but the air raid isn’t known for its complexity. It works because of the level of detail in how the concepts are taught and practiced.
Leach talked about stick from a two-by-two formation (two receivers on each side of the quarterback). The No. 1 receiver, the one closest to the sideline, runs a vertical route. He’s technically the quarterback’s first read. If the defense is in a two-safety look, that receiver wants to fade further to the sideline because there’s space there, and if the safety has closing speed, fading away creates more space between the receiver and the safety.
The No. 2 receiver, the second farthest from the sideline, runs a 5-yard option route. He runs to the inside shoulder of the near defender, usually the overhang defender, and as Leach said, “turns his *** to coverage and works to space.” The overhang defender is usually a moving target because he might react to the running back, who will usually free release without any protection responsibilities to the flat, before transitioning to cover the No. 2 receiver.
<video class="wp-video-shortcode" id="video-1810566-1" width="640" height="360" poster="https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2020/05/18013319/stick-2.jpg" preload="none" controls="controls" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; vertical-align: baseline;"></video>
“If you’re a linebacker, one guy is running at you and you can go through all the different coverages you want but regardless of what it is, one receiver is running right at you, the near back in the backfield is running to the flat,” Leach said. “Who are you going to cover? I know in this coverage, you got the flat. In that coverage, you got this guy, etc. We aren’t betting that you won’t know where to go. We’re betting that we can create enough problems in transition and we can react quicker than you can.”
Some coaches will have the back run a swing but Leach likes to have his back run a shoot, which means he runs at the line of scrimmage so he can threaten the flat more quickly. It’s important he gets outside of the numbers with speed to distribute the defenders.
“Sometimes we leave the back at home. That’s not for protection’s sake,” Leach said. “Depending on the nature of how they play it, you might want to do it because you don’t want to cloud it up. Like, if they are trying to jam the box in a goal-line situation, you already have great leverage on your stick route. You don’t want to send that back out there, pulling a linebacker out there, but when you already have a ‘give-me.'”
Before the snap, the quarterback looks at the No. 1 receiver. If he sees the corner is tight, he can “fade him up.” After the snap, he’s looking at the No. 1 and No. 2 receiver, who is running the stick route. If No. 2 is open, he’ll dump the ball to him. He gets the ball the most. If the stick is covered, it’s almost without exception that the running back will be open.
<video class="wp-video-shortcode" id="video-1810566-2" width="640" height="360" poster="https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2020/05/18013223/stick.jpg" preload="none" controls="controls" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; vertical-align: baseline;"></video>
On the back side of the play, Leach will usually have double slants or slant returns called. When does the quarterback look to the back side? “When they’re all covered on the play side,” Leach said, chuckling. Then he said the quarterback might make a pre-snap decision to look to the back side if the mike linebacker is aggressive and something tips him off that the mike will immediately fly to the strong side. That would leave the defense shorthanded on the back side with single coverage.
<video class="wp-video-shortcode" id="video-1810566-3" width="640" height="360" poster="https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2020/05/18013307/stick-3.jpg" preload="none" controls="controls" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; vertical-align: baseline;"></video>
Though the stick concept has been a lynchpin in the offense for most of Leach’s career, over the past couple of years he has run a variation of stick out of three-by-one formations more frequently, based on my film observations.
<video class="wp-video-shortcode" id="video-1810566-4" width="640" height="360" poster="https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2020/05/18013256/gordon-4.jpg" preload="none" controls="controls" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; vertical-align: baseline;"></video>
The No. 3 receiver runs the stick while the No. 1 and No. 2 receivers run a post/wheel combination. The quarterback will take the stick every time unless the defense takes it away. If the inside linebacker squeezes the stick, the quarterback will reset his feet and throw the post behind him. That adds a vertical stretch element to the play with a high/low on the inside linebacker. Against man-to-man, the post/wheel also creates a natural rub, which you could see in the clip above.
Ted’s Film Room: Mike Leach, Joe Moorhead and Josh Gattis install three plays
By Ted Nguyen 6h ago
Imagine you’re a wide-eyed freshman starting your first college football install meeting. During install meetings, concepts are introduced and the basics of the plays are taught. It could happen on the field, in meeting rooms, or, in this particular case, on The Athletic. For this install, you’ll have three coaches installing three plays for you. Mississippi State head coach Mike Leach, one of the forefathers of the air raid offense, is going to install an air raid staple: the “stick” concept. Oregon offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead, known for his diverse and creative run/pass option (RPO) package, is installing one of his best red zone RPOs, “gazelle bluff.” Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, who is rising fast in the coaching ranks, is installing one of his bread-and-butter pass concepts, “funnel.”
Pay attention, freshmen!
Leach: Stick
“If I don’t know what to call, there’s a pretty good chance I’d call (stick),” Leach said. “Everyone’s got an out pitch.” It’s a play that answers against anything and stretches the defenses horizontally. Almost every playbook has a version of stick in it, so it’s not a particularly unique play, but the air raid isn’t known for its complexity. It works because of the level of detail in how the concepts are taught and practiced.
Leach talked about stick from a two-by-two formation (two receivers on each side of the quarterback). The No. 1 receiver, the one closest to the sideline, runs a vertical route. He’s technically the quarterback’s first read. If the defense is in a two-safety look, that receiver wants to fade further to the sideline because there’s space there, and if the safety has closing speed, fading away creates more space between the receiver and the safety.
The No. 2 receiver, the second farthest from the sideline, runs a 5-yard option route. He runs to the inside shoulder of the near defender, usually the overhang defender, and as Leach said, “turns his *** to coverage and works to space.” The overhang defender is usually a moving target because he might react to the running back, who will usually free release without any protection responsibilities to the flat, before transitioning to cover the No. 2 receiver.
<video class="wp-video-shortcode" id="video-1810566-1" width="640" height="360" poster="https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2020/05/18013319/stick-2.jpg" preload="none" controls="controls" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; vertical-align: baseline;"></video>
“If you’re a linebacker, one guy is running at you and you can go through all the different coverages you want but regardless of what it is, one receiver is running right at you, the near back in the backfield is running to the flat,” Leach said. “Who are you going to cover? I know in this coverage, you got the flat. In that coverage, you got this guy, etc. We aren’t betting that you won’t know where to go. We’re betting that we can create enough problems in transition and we can react quicker than you can.”
Some coaches will have the back run a swing but Leach likes to have his back run a shoot, which means he runs at the line of scrimmage so he can threaten the flat more quickly. It’s important he gets outside of the numbers with speed to distribute the defenders.
“Sometimes we leave the back at home. That’s not for protection’s sake,” Leach said. “Depending on the nature of how they play it, you might want to do it because you don’t want to cloud it up. Like, if they are trying to jam the box in a goal-line situation, you already have great leverage on your stick route. You don’t want to send that back out there, pulling a linebacker out there, but when you already have a ‘give-me.'”
Before the snap, the quarterback looks at the No. 1 receiver. If he sees the corner is tight, he can “fade him up.” After the snap, he’s looking at the No. 1 and No. 2 receiver, who is running the stick route. If No. 2 is open, he’ll dump the ball to him. He gets the ball the most. If the stick is covered, it’s almost without exception that the running back will be open.
<video class="wp-video-shortcode" id="video-1810566-2" width="640" height="360" poster="https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2020/05/18013223/stick.jpg" preload="none" controls="controls" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; vertical-align: baseline;"></video>
On the back side of the play, Leach will usually have double slants or slant returns called. When does the quarterback look to the back side? “When they’re all covered on the play side,” Leach said, chuckling. Then he said the quarterback might make a pre-snap decision to look to the back side if the mike linebacker is aggressive and something tips him off that the mike will immediately fly to the strong side. That would leave the defense shorthanded on the back side with single coverage.
<video class="wp-video-shortcode" id="video-1810566-3" width="640" height="360" poster="https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2020/05/18013307/stick-3.jpg" preload="none" controls="controls" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; vertical-align: baseline;"></video>
Though the stick concept has been a lynchpin in the offense for most of Leach’s career, over the past couple of years he has run a variation of stick out of three-by-one formations more frequently, based on my film observations.
<video class="wp-video-shortcode" id="video-1810566-4" width="640" height="360" poster="https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2020/05/18013256/gordon-4.jpg" preload="none" controls="controls" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; vertical-align: baseline;"></video>
The No. 3 receiver runs the stick while the No. 1 and No. 2 receivers run a post/wheel combination. The quarterback will take the stick every time unless the defense takes it away. If the inside linebacker squeezes the stick, the quarterback will reset his feet and throw the post behind him. That adds a vertical stretch element to the play with a high/low on the inside linebacker. Against man-to-man, the post/wheel also creates a natural rub, which you could see in the clip above.
