Play Action Passing--The Spread Option

The perfect complement to a spread option run game is play action, and Nathan Cochran shows how Blackburn College made it pay. The Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator starts with the tells that say a play action pass is the right call, moves into how the protection is built, then installs the four concepts Blackburn used to stress a defense already sold out on the option. Blackburn set 36 school records with this offense, including most total offense in a season (3,474 yards, nearly 350 a game).

What you'll learn

• Three play action situations: are the safeties too involved in the run game, is the defense playing mostly man coverage, and does the defense rotate to motion
• Blocking schemes and protection for the play action pass
• Single gap protection and exactly who is accountable for which gap
• The 'Go' or vertical concept
• The 'Wheel' concept
• The 'Hook' concept
• The 'Switch Route' concept

Who it's for

College and high school offensive coordinators and quarterback coaches running the spread option, the veer, or any run-heavy offense that needs a play action package tied to its own run action.

About the coach

Nathan Cochran was Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator at Blackburn College, where the spread option offense set 36 school records, among them the season total offense mark.

Part of Coach Cochran's spread option series, with extensive game film analysis. Runtime: about 26 minutes.