gun midline option

I would be very interested to see and hear how you guys run the midline from the gun!! I think the midline play is a great play and to bring it into the gun offense would be awesome.
Look forward to hearing more!!!

JD

I just recently attended a clinic that Coach Campbell spoke at and we discussed running the midline out of the gun. It seems like it can be done similar to running it from under center. The impression I get is that the best way to run it is from the gun with both split backs lined up approx. 1/2 yard deeper than your QB. On the snap, have the FB take a drop step toeward QB, square his shoulder quickly, and then run through the mesh point as usual. The RB on the opposite side would then run the pitch track. We have never done this yet, but we're looking at going mostly gun next year, and run some midline out of it. I would like to hear some opinions on this as well and see what's been successful or not for teams currently running this.

We played with it some this year. We try and keep the same packages together whether we're under center or in gun so we tried it out of the gun. I don't think it works against a 3 tech from the gun. When under center the ball is closer to the LOS during the mesh and puts the 3 tech in a position to either come toward the ball (inside) or sit/stay outside. As ksquare said, the 3 tech can attack the mesh and play both when in the gun. The veer worked well for us out of the gun because of the angle the hand-off key had to play the mesh - the handoff key could attack the mesh, but it would be a distinct keep read for the QB.

If there's a way to do it, I'd like to find out how. I'd rather not change the rules from under center though.

Topcat, check your email.

We saw WVU doing something similar with the QB in the spring. The QB took two steps forward and then they snapped the ball. It looked like it would be an illegal procedure call though because the QB is moving forward and doesn't get set prior to the snap. I never saw WVU do it this fall either, but only saw a few of their games. On veer we do step to meet the snap with the playside foot, step forward and into the mesh with the backside foot, then shuffle downhill with the mesh.

FWIW, I've been watching Demeo's video on Shotgun Triple. His base play is a fullback hitting one of the A gaps, getting zone double teams wherever there is an uncovered lineman. QB reads the back side DE as normal, DE follows the FB pull QB keep or pitch off the next man outside. FB makes it almost look like midline but the play blocks everbody on the front except the DE.

In general, our rules on who our handoff key is: for midline is the first man outside A, inside veer is first man outside B. Technically, the handoff key for both midline and inside veer is the same person in an odd front. The blocking for us on the two plays have very similar rules except that the ps tackle blocks out on midline to create the running seam for the QB. We don't want to change rules, blocking schemes, etc. when we're in the gun. So, we got away from playing with the midline out of gun and just worked on the inside veer.

I guess you could say we run the triple two different ways - one with a zone blocking scheme up front (like Demeo and others) and one with inside veer blocking (maybe that's what others would be seeing as the midline??). For the inside veer, we like to run it to a one tech like everyone does and we often get the one tech to the side our back lines up on (three technique away). We also like to run the veer to a 4 tech. in an odd front (the ps tackle may make a loop call and release outside on a pinching 4 tech or 4i tech.).

We're going to adjust our backfield alignment and steps this year because of the stuff we're seeing from Utah. They align the back a yard deeper than the QB. The back lines up to the playside and does a "split jump" (jumps his feet - inside foot forward, outside foot back) then heads downhill to his aiming point of outside cheek (some say the crack) of the ps guard's butt (same as under center). The QB steps forward with his playside foot to meet the snap, steps forward and to the mesh with the backside foot and shuffle once through the mesh. We tell our QB not to finish the mesh if there's already a deliberate keep read. The only thing I don't like in running the veer from the gun is that the QB cannot train his eyes exclusively on the handoff key just prior to the snap as we have him do when under center. We want him to secure the snap first out of the gun.

With the pitchman, we do a number of different things. We can go from two backs, orbit motion to two backs, or use the slot who backpeddles to pitch relationship and stay in a one back set.

Try contacting North Alabama. I just got back from listening to Wofford College O coordinator and he said that NA runs the midline gun as well as anyone in the country.

We haven't run it, but we are looking at a zone dive option that would be similar

Let's say you have the back on the right of the QB. The right DT would be the read. Probably better to be a 1 tech. QB probably would want to be a little tighter than normal in the gun. The key would be to have the back take a flat path as though he is running outside zone. You wouldn't want a downhill look, you would want the DT to be running flat to catch the running back. The QB would replace the DT heading down hill. I think you could also do it reading the left tackle, but I have never tried it. I think that you wouldn't get as much out of this as you might the zone read play reading the DE, but you could possibly get some big plays. The R LB would also likely run out of there if you have a defense really running.

Did anyone ever get any good information from North Alabama?

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Originally posted by: SW
I'm fairly new to the shotgun running game, so you have to excuse me if I don't sound well-versed.

The one team we lost to out of league runs zone option, inside/outside veer, and midline, and they run it very well. I had never seen this before, but they ran midline out of the shotgun. They ran what we call "Spread" formation (TE/Flanker to one side, SE/Slot to the other), and this gets us into an Odd 4-3, 2 Deep alignment. Our NG and DT slant weak toward the guards, so they had their TE inside release and wall off our PSOLB to the outside, their ST blocked out on our PSDE, their SG blocked down on our MLB, their C and WG zone blocked our NG and BSOLB, and their BST man blocked our BSDE. Like I said, they were in the gun, and they put their RB to the TE side. Since they left our DT, who was slanting weak, unblocked, the RB ran across the front of the QB to the weak side, and the QB read our DT -- if he went to the RB, the QB kept it right outside the DT; if he went to the QB, he handed it off. More often than not, our DT chose the RB, since he was slanting that way, and the QB ran all over us.

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That is about how we do it. One of the key things that I have found is that you have to manipulate the D into a 3 tech, we couldn't run it against a 2 tech.