Michigan Flea Flicker

Josh Gattis was just given the Broyles Award as College Football’s top Assistant Coach. Michigan has had a great year and I have been impressed with the sequencing of offensive play calls and the creativity of their trick plays. Their Flea Flicker series has led to some big plays in crucial situations. The ability to execute these plays has given them important swings in momentum.

• Formation Unbalanced

• TE/Wing Trey

• Jet Motion from the Boundary WR

• Flea Flicker Max Protection

• Post/Wheel the Field

• Bunch into the Boundary

• Jet Motion

• Flea Flicker (Center Pull 6-Man Protection)

• Post/Wheel + Crosser

Flea Flickers are obviously categorized as trick plays, but if repped properly they can become an intensification of your Play Action Passing Game. If you see Flea Flicker as Play Action, it allows you to layer in Passing Concepts like “Yankee” and not just use it to take a deep shot. Purdue coach Jeff Brohm uses Flea Flicker so consistently that he throws Screens off of it. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Michigan add in another wrinkle off Flea Flicker in the playoffs.

Pulling the TE on Counter

GT Counter can be difficult to execute consistently once the defense begins to pick up on your “tells.” They may be able to key on the alignment of your RB or force a QB keep by bending. G/H Counter can also run into issues if the defense rotates their safeties to the H-Back. One way to combat these difficulties is to run G/Y Counter and pull and in line TE. G/Y Counter offers you all the benefits of G/H Counter with the Backside Protection of a hinging tackles. In addition, it’s very difficult for the defense to key on an attached TE.

• 2x2 Deuce (Attached TE + WR)

• Counter with QB Reading the D-Gap after TE Pull

• Playside Tackle Pins the 4i

• Guard & Center Double Nose & Climb Backside

Running G/Y Counter requires mobility from your TE. It is an extremely difficult block to make if you ask your TE to pull down the line and read the Guard if you run G/Y Counter you have to be clear on your Playside Plan. Because the attached TE is not coming from depth like the H-Back, adjusting on the fly to Wrap/Run will not lead to a successful play. The gameplan should help you dictate the Playside Plan - if you’re playing a Tite Front you should be able to Kick the Overhang and Wrap to the Will LB.

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Here’s another look from 2021 Princeton running it with “Same-Side” RB Flow against an Even Front.

Snag & Go

One trend I’ve been seeing a lot the past couple years is teams running Snag & Go or Smash & Go off their base pass concepts. Instead of the WR running the Hitch or Snag and settling, they spike into the void upfield. These concepts have been extremely difficult for defenses to match in Zone Coverage. The late break ends up being a rule breaker for a lot of defenses.

Here is an example of Mississippi State running Double Smash with the Boundary Hitch spiking to the middle of the field after the initial break.

Here is an example of Oregon State running a 3-man Snag Concept with the Snag Route spiking to the middle of the field. Both throws require some touch from the QB, but these concepts can add a layer of nuance to your spacing or high/low read concepts.

This is a great wrinkle to add that is relatively to cheap to install. If you have a WR that can sell the initial route you have a chance to take advantage of the soft spots left in Zone Coverage.

Pass Protecting against a dominant Defensive Tackle

Play Action Pass Protection can easily be disrupted by a dominant interior defensive lineman. Particularly with 4-Down fronts, a 3 Technique can cause massive issues if isolated on a Guard. A lot of coaches are looking for ways to manage a 3 Technique in Pass Protection, but aside from a true double team this can be difficult to do. The Seahawks came up with a creative way to “chip” the 3 Technique to create a clean pocket.

• Wing/TE Alignment

• Play Action Shot Concept. Some coaches call it “Yankee” (Deep Posts + Climb/Over) some call it “DOVER” (Double Post + Over)

• Half-Slide Protection to the Play Action Side

• Right Guard Sets on the 3 Technique

• Right Tackle Sets on the 5 Technique

• Wing/H-Back Inserts into the Weak A-Gap to pick up Blitz or Chip the 3 Tech on an Inside Move

The H-Back Insert allows the Right Guard to take a more aggressive set to the 3 Technique knowing he has some inside help. The chip by the H-Back keeps the pocket clean and doesn’t allow any penetration. After the chip the H-back releases to the Flat. If you’re going to take a shot and release 3 Receivers on deep or vertical routes, you have to solve the protection issues. This is a creative way to get a late chip on a talented 3 Technique.

Formation into the Boundary - Screen & Go

For most Offensive Coordinators, fast screens are an extension of the run game - so the equivalent of Play Action is Screen & Go. We’ve seen the effectiveness of Now Screens into the Boundary. The short distance of the throw allows the receiver to press the point before the support defenders are able to flow to the football. But, if Boundary Screens become part of your offensive identity, the defense will adjust and fit them faster. This can be countered with Screen & Go. 

• Tempo/Fastball

  • This play was normally called in the 2nd or 3rd quarter after several Tempo FIB Now Screens. Call it quickly after a run play to catch the defense with vertical routes as they adjust.

On the snap, the QB pumps the Now Screen and resets in the pocket. Think of the pump fake as a play action fake. The Slot Receivers will Switch before 5 yards - it will look like Now Screen cross blocking. While #2 inside releases the Overhang for a Read Seam, #3 attacks the CB for a Stalk & Go Wheel. The primary read is the Seam which bends if the Safety stays on top. The Wheel can come open vs. an aggressive screen support CB or if you get man coverage. 

Isolating the TE in Four Verts

No one executed Four Verts better than Peyton Manning and few TE’s had a better feel for the Bender Route than Dallas Clark. Obviously, these two players formed a great connection, but OC Tom Moore and QB Coach Jim Caldwell did some things with play design that made this play incredibly difficult to defend, especially if the defense was going to play Tampa 2.

• Deuce Formation into the Boundary (TE on the Ball + WR Off the Ball)

  • Play Action Power (TE Releases & Guard Pulls for Boundary Pass Pro)

• Tampa 2 Coverage - Middle of the Field Open

  • Four Verts with WR’s taking inside Releases and Fading to the Sidelines

  • Slot works outside the Nickel and Bends to the Hash

  • TE Stacks on top of Will LB and Bends Inside the Boundary Numbers

Play Action (especially with a Pulling Guard) is able to hold the Will and Mike LB’s just long enough for the TE to stack on top and bend into the Window behind the Will LB and in front of the FS. It also helps when the Mike LB in Tampa 2 opens up to the Field - leaving more room in the Boundary. When the ball is released the TE looks covered, but this play is perfectly designed to open late. Throw it to grass and trust your TE to Bend into the opening.

Tampa 2 is coming back in a big way with Iowa State style 3 Safety Alignments. This relatively simple play design (even from the Gun) could have the same influence on LB’s and Safeties in a modern Spread Offense.