Nebraska /Outside zone on option

The dive option was blocked straight outside zone. Whereas the FB dive was blocked more man up giving the illusion of outside zone.

Here is Nebraska's outside zone technique:

The offensive line blocks Outside Zone Rules. These are similar to Inside Zone Rules in that they use the covered/uncovered read and playside direction. The blocking techniques, though, are different, as the plays are designed to get the defense moving laterally across the field and create seams in their coverage.

The covered lineman executes a "rip-reach" technique. He takes an angle step at the playside shoulder of the defensive lineman and rips with his backside arm. His job is to turn the DLs shoulders and get him off-balance and prepared for his partner.

The uncovered lineman executes a "pull and overtake" technique. He takes a shallow pull step toward playside (sometimes called a bucket step) and works to take over the block of his partner.

The covered lineman wants to rip through his d-lineman to get to the linebacker, while his uncovered partner takes over his original block. If the covered lineman is unable to rip through because the DL fights to the outside, then the covered lineman stays with that block and the pull and overtake lineman pulls around that block and finds the linebacker.


Under Osborne the option was called in the huddle. If they wanted the FB to get the ball on the dive they would call FB dive. Backfield motion was exactly the same on both plays. Osborne never ran the triple it was always called, under Solich that changed.