Clinic Talk: Film Preview Florida State vs. NC State

The NC State Wolfpack defeated the Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee proving it can be done in 2017. That’s always some relief off of a road team entering Doak Campbell Stadium, one of the country’s best home field advantages. The war chant is loud and the Noles love playing at home. Florida State enters the game ranked 6th in the S&P+ per Bill C’s rankings and Miami is sitting at 11th.

Snag and Rub Concepts

I realize that the picture above looks like a Pollock painting- but trust me I can explain it.

On the bottom off your screen- FSU is going to run the “rub” concept they love so much where the inside WR runs a ‘sort of’ slant to draw his defender into the CB. Once he gets them to pick themselves, and blocks them down using his hands illegally, the outside WR runs a skinny post behind them with no safety to his side. This is an easy pitch and catch for the QB and WR.

On the top of the screen is the snag concept. The number 1 threat (outside WR) runs a slant to stop. He stops in open space if he can find it. The inside WR or number 2 threat for the DB’s runs a corner. This draws the safety and corner to him as he’s a deep threat that gets eyes on him. The RB runs a swing to draw the linebacker, who could help on the stop, into the backfield. This creates space for the “stop” route to sit down where the LB used to be.

This concept, if they have the pass pro for it, is a deadly +10 (10 yard line going in to score) combination to both sides. The QB will read the nickel covering the inside WR to the bottom and will read the CB up top.

NC State Shovel Option

Shovel option was a deadly weapon for Urban Meyer for some time. He ran it at Utah with Alex Smith, then with the Florida Gators first with running backs and wide receivers and then with Aaron Hernandez from an in line (hand down) tight end position. It was very effective with Hernandez in orange and blue. It grew out of favor when Bama was able to shut it down in 2009. Flash forward to 2016 where Meyer brought it to Columbus and Matt Canada used it to great success at Pitt.

Why bring it up? Because it was a weapon for the Wolfpack against FSU for a variety of reasons. It’s a play that takes advantage of unsound, aggressive defenses that don’t play their responsibilities well. Much like the RPO or run pass option, it’s an option play that involves a pitch type threat (here literally, in the RPO the slot receivers route is considered a pitch in theory). It’s a double option as the QB won’t keep. He’ll either pitch to the RB outside or, if that’s covered, flick the ball inside to the back running the shovel. His read is the outside linebacker and when the FSU LB is aggressive to the pitchman (running back) he flicks inside and NC State scores on the shovel pass.

Could Miami utilize this play? I think so. Rosier understands how to read a linebacker since he runs RPO’s and inside zone read. He also has a weapon to lure a linebacker outside in Mark Walton, and an athletic multi-purpose tight end in Christopher Herndon IV. I would love to see Mark Richt use this play against the Noles on Saturday afternoon.

I can’t wait to see this game at 3:30pm on Saturday afternoon.

Miami 24 - FSU 20.