More Shotgun Run Plays Are Needed

[ADW]

As many of you are well aware of many offenses on the collegiate level (1A, 1AA, Div II, III, NAIA, Juco,) will base a large percentage of their offense from the shotgun. This is especially the case with the running game. Currently in NCAA Football 2004 there are some decent running plays from the shotgun formations such as HB Draw, QB Draw, QB Option Choice, Speed Option etc, but I'd like to see a wider variety of running plays and run blocking schemes added to future versions of the game. The following run plays from the shotgun are just a few that I’d like to see added. These are basic plays but most have a "read element" built in for the quarterback.



This is a trap play that calls for the either the backside guard or tackle to pull and trap the playside defensive end. The quarterback reads the playside defensive end and based on what he does will give the ball to the halfback or keep it himself to run and/or look to pitch it to the slot receiver who will step off the line of scrimmage to get into pitch relationship with the quarterback.


This is your basic zone play that has a read element built in for the quarterback. The quarterback will read the backside defensive end's outside shoulder. If his outside shoulder turns inside the quarterback will pull the ball from the belly of the halfback and run to the outside edge. If the defensive end stays at home to play contain, the quarterback will give the ball to the halfback on the zone play. This play is currently in NCAA 2004 in the Shotgun Ace, Ace Twins, 2B Slot, Split formations. I'd like to see it in the other gun formations.


This play works pretty much the way as the zone read with one small wrinkle. The slot receiver aligned on the side of the field where the quarterback will read the defensive end instead of blocking will step off the line of scrimmage and work to get into pitch relationship with the quarterback. In essence what you have is a triple option from a gun formation with one back.


This play is known as a tackle wrap play. It's also known as the "Dart" play. Basically the quarterback will fake the zone play to the halfback while the backside offensive tackle will "wrap" around and lead block for the quarterback through the playside B gap. The halfback after he's carried out his zone fake will block any backside defender that may be chasing the play.


This play also uses the read element. The Power T allows the offense to get one more blocker to the playside to block. The offense prefers to pull the tackle instead of the guard simply because the linebackers are usually taught to key the guards for their reads. This helps in slowing down the linebacker flow to the playside where the power is going. Of course if the backside defensive end crashes inside, the quarterback will pull the ball from the belly of the halfback and dart around the end. The slot receiver will be working to get into pitch relationship with the quarterback.

There are also playaction passes, playaction screen passes, and bootleg passes that can be used off this series of plays. Teams like Utah, Bowling Green, Northwestern, Clemson, West Virginia, Middle Tenn State, Memphis, Texas, and Missouri use these types of schemes.

[thejake]

I agree. I love those schemes and wish it was implemented better on NCAA. Although this year was a lot better than last. Does anyone else have a problem with the QB choice plays? A lot of times I hit the button to hand off and my QB keeps it anyway. I hope they tweak that a little this year.

[ADW]

Yes I seem to have big problems trying to hand the ball off to the back on those plays. They really do need to be tweaked.

[cliburn]

It's not just shotgun run plays that need work; all of the runninggame needs help. There are no real traps, zones, counters, veers, leads, bucks, etc. Everything seems very random, even the counter trap. The OL AI needs a LOT of work in my opinion.