K-State was without its best running back and the 2nd best back played 2 snaps. Left with former walkon Harry Trotter and true freshman Joe Ervin as the main options, K-State went into Lawrence and ran for over 300 yards. Messingham showed some more wrinkles in the offense, this week focusing on various forms of the option, 2 back power, QB scrambles, and a mix play action and drop back passing. With the offense featured so often, many of these clips will feature the read defender with a circle early in the GIF. It wasn't perfect and 3 drives that pushed into KU territory were stopped by penalties, but this was a solid effort that took advantage of KU's sloppy and often unsound defense.
1st Quarter
K-State's first play was similar to an old option concept called the midline read. K-State leaves the KU DE unblocked and has the FB lead the HB just inside the offensive line as it caves the KU defensive front to the left. The K-State OT arcs outside to the KU leverage defender, leaving the DE on an island and Thompson gives to the back as the KU defender commits to the QB. A KU safety makes the play, but not until Trotter opens the game with a 5 yard gain.
As they did last week, K-State ran A gap counter early in the game vs KU to keep the defense guessing. The play doesn't break for big yards, but still puts K-State in 3rd and short.
K-State didn't use motion or jet a lot Saturday, but just enough to keep the eyes busy for KU's defense. There is the inference of a read here by Thompson, but it looks like an inside zone give all the way; Trotter makes one KU defender miss and gets vertical for the first down.
Play action has been good for K-State, especially getting Thompson moving to the right with the boot. Here Lenners sells the run fake well on A gap power and is wide open in the flat for Thompson.
K-State then went to another option concept we saw last week next with the RB stretch off of QB power. Trotter is able to get the edge while Dineen gets a big cut block for another nice gain.
And now speed option. K-State is helped by the fact KU's ILB is on a blitz, but using an unbalanced trips formation with the TE over K-State is able to pick off the backside LB. KU's only option defender is left on an island and takes pitch leaving a crease for Thompson. K-State's WRs also do a nice job blocking in space.
Near the endzone Messingham likes to get Thompson in space with the option to run. While many are called QB runs or option, often against KU a pass was called, but Thompson was clearly given the green light to run if it was available. Here is another boot to the right off of 3 back power, this time KU's only edge defender gets caught up trying to keep the TE from releasing on his route allowing Thompson an easy path to the endzone.
Here is another A gap power wrinkle. This time the FB starts right, but bends back behind the FB to the left. Again while not a huge gain, the play is effective and this is another adjustment to keep defenses guessing based on their keys.
Without Gilbert and Brown, another variation that Messingham added was motioning a WR to the backfield to run RB stretch. Here Brooks motions to the split back spot and runs stretch behind a nice cut block by Trotter.
K-State has had success with 3 receiver combo routes and this one is solid. However, this is simply a great play by Thompson who avoids the sack, again gets on the move to the right, and finally finds Thompson after his defender leaves to defend the QB scramble.
Here is another 3 WR concept with an out, a vertical, and an in route stemming out of tight trips. Weber is wide open on the out route.
2nd Quarter
Here is another speed option where K-State is able to isolate a single defender to decide for QB or pitch. One thing I like is WRs recognizing man and running their defenders off to the endzone. It makes more sense to run man coverage off than try to block as long as those defenders keep their eyes out of the backfield. Here is some great blocking on the edge and note the subtle move by Mitchell to just ride the hip of the KU defender allowing Trotter the lane to the endzone.
Here is a good example of last week's pair play concept with the quick bubble. Again, K-State is running the same midline concept to top of the formation, but Thompson makes the throw to Gill. This is likely a call or presnap read.
This was one of the drives stopped by a penalty on this play, but I really like the speed option out of unbalanced trips and how bad KU looked defending it.
Here is a bit different version of RB stretch from one back. Here K-State uses the outside puller to gain an extra blocker and a missed bloc inside allows a KU DL (2nd circle) to help run it down from the backside.
Here is the QB keep off of RB stretch. Thompson makes a great read here as K-State releases the edge defender for the read allowing numbers inside. KU's defense over pursues the stretch allowing for a big gain.
Another keep off stretch, this time from unbalanced Diamond formation. Granted, this is 3rd and long.
One final play from the first half, but we haven't seen a RB inside screen for a while at K-State. KU defends it well and the throw to Trotter is high, but its nice to see that Messingham does have this in his arsenal.
2nd half coming in the next post.
1st Quarter
K-State's first play was similar to an old option concept called the midline read. K-State leaves the KU DE unblocked and has the FB lead the HB just inside the offensive line as it caves the KU defensive front to the left. The K-State OT arcs outside to the KU leverage defender, leaving the DE on an island and Thompson gives to the back as the KU defender commits to the QB. A KU safety makes the play, but not until Trotter opens the game with a 5 yard gain.
As they did last week, K-State ran A gap counter early in the game vs KU to keep the defense guessing. The play doesn't break for big yards, but still puts K-State in 3rd and short.
K-State didn't use motion or jet a lot Saturday, but just enough to keep the eyes busy for KU's defense. There is the inference of a read here by Thompson, but it looks like an inside zone give all the way; Trotter makes one KU defender miss and gets vertical for the first down.
Play action has been good for K-State, especially getting Thompson moving to the right with the boot. Here Lenners sells the run fake well on A gap power and is wide open in the flat for Thompson.
K-State then went to another option concept we saw last week next with the RB stretch off of QB power. Trotter is able to get the edge while Dineen gets a big cut block for another nice gain.
And now speed option. K-State is helped by the fact KU's ILB is on a blitz, but using an unbalanced trips formation with the TE over K-State is able to pick off the backside LB. KU's only option defender is left on an island and takes pitch leaving a crease for Thompson. K-State's WRs also do a nice job blocking in space.
Near the endzone Messingham likes to get Thompson in space with the option to run. While many are called QB runs or option, often against KU a pass was called, but Thompson was clearly given the green light to run if it was available. Here is another boot to the right off of 3 back power, this time KU's only edge defender gets caught up trying to keep the TE from releasing on his route allowing Thompson an easy path to the endzone.
Here is another A gap power wrinkle. This time the FB starts right, but bends back behind the FB to the left. Again while not a huge gain, the play is effective and this is another adjustment to keep defenses guessing based on their keys.
Without Gilbert and Brown, another variation that Messingham added was motioning a WR to the backfield to run RB stretch. Here Brooks motions to the split back spot and runs stretch behind a nice cut block by Trotter.
K-State has had success with 3 receiver combo routes and this one is solid. However, this is simply a great play by Thompson who avoids the sack, again gets on the move to the right, and finally finds Thompson after his defender leaves to defend the QB scramble.
Here is another 3 WR concept with an out, a vertical, and an in route stemming out of tight trips. Weber is wide open on the out route.
2nd Quarter
Here is another speed option where K-State is able to isolate a single defender to decide for QB or pitch. One thing I like is WRs recognizing man and running their defenders off to the endzone. It makes more sense to run man coverage off than try to block as long as those defenders keep their eyes out of the backfield. Here is some great blocking on the edge and note the subtle move by Mitchell to just ride the hip of the KU defender allowing Trotter the lane to the endzone.
Here is a good example of last week's pair play concept with the quick bubble. Again, K-State is running the same midline concept to top of the formation, but Thompson makes the throw to Gill. This is likely a call or presnap read.
This was one of the drives stopped by a penalty on this play, but I really like the speed option out of unbalanced trips and how bad KU looked defending it.
Here is a bit different version of RB stretch from one back. Here K-State uses the outside puller to gain an extra blocker and a missed bloc inside allows a KU DL (2nd circle) to help run it down from the backside.
Here is the QB keep off of RB stretch. Thompson makes a great read here as K-State releases the edge defender for the read allowing numbers inside. KU's defense over pursues the stretch allowing for a big gain.
Another keep off stretch, this time from unbalanced Diamond formation. Granted, this is 3rd and long.
One final play from the first half, but we haven't seen a RB inside screen for a while at K-State. KU defends it well and the throw to Trotter is high, but its nice to see that Messingham does have this in his arsenal.
2nd half coming in the next post.
