We began discussing the Pistol formation back in the Spring in anticipation of its use here in Tigertown this season.  Now we go back for more, searching for some core rushing plays and strategies to be successful moving the football out of this relatively new look.  To recap its advantages, the Pistol is an abreviated Shotgun look with the back lined up directly behind the QB.  The QB can then utilize the positives that the Shotgun gives him without a back shading to one side or another.  Unlike the Shotgun, the QB gets the ball about a yard closer to the LOS, allowing him to make a quicker decision/play on the defense.  This setup also allows the running back to take a hand-off as he is running towards the LOS.

Chris Ault's initial basic running plays revolved around an inside zone, outside zone, and a misdirection play.  We are going to discuss Nevada's original basic rushing plays to start with because they are extremely straight forward and should give you a pretty good realization that this formation really simply gets the ball to the back faster so that he can make better (quicker) decisions.  As you read this, please keep in mind that the "Pistol" gives you the versatility to run pretty much any play you want and block in any fashion that you want.

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Clemson's first major opponent in the 2010 season will be the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium. As a preview of what you'll see from Auburn this go-around, we'll take a look at Gus Malzahn's offensive system. In writing this I've gone over film of Auburn and used Malzahn's book Hurry-Up No Huddle - An Offensive Philosophy and taken certain excerpts from the book.

Malzahn was a high school coach whose breakneck-paced offensive system set records every season in Arkansas. He did play major college football for two years in the 80s under Arkansas Coach Ken Hatfield before transferring away to a smaller school. He moved from the 5A level to the University of Arkansas under the crackpot Houston Nutt and together they brought back the single wing in the form of the Wildcat, and its gone rampant from there. You all remember that night watching Arkansas and Darren McFadden running all over Carolina in 2006? That was Malzahn. Still one of the most fun games to watch I can ever remember.

But Malzahn prefers a more spread-oriented run and pass attack, and Nutt wanted to run the ball more often, so they parted ways after just one season. Malzahn went to work for Todd Graham at Tulsa instead, working with Co-OC Herb Hand, a Rich Rodriguez disciple. While he was there they set numerous school records in passing and rushing statistics, leading the nation in 2007 in total yardage (even ahead of Texas Tech and Hawaii), and led the nation in 2008 in passing yardage. Last year, Gene Chizik went out and plucked him away for Auburn.

In terms of X's and O's I don't know that I would call it an innovative passing game, Rich Rodriguez or Urban Meyer do many of the same things, but the number of run-pass options (plays where the QB can hand it off, throw it, or run it himself) and the types of zone read-style plays we'll see from Auburn are different from every other opponent on the schedule. Its not an offense that spreads you out to run the ball quite like Rich Rodriguez or Urban Meyer, but its not one that is pass-only like the Air Raid of Mike Leach either. Auburn will run mostly 3 and 4 wide sets, but like Meyer they use a TE/H-back and FB in the formation as an extra blocker instead of pulling a lineman. It is also a system that relies heavily on motion, a la Rob Spence. They prefer to run and use that to setup play-action passes. Still, its very balanced in the number of plays called as rush vs. pass, almost 50-50.  Its core set of plays is quite simple schematically, but they can execute it well.

What Malzhan does that really upsets a defense is the speed at which he runs his offense. Clemson fans are not going to be alien to this pace. The "Indy 500" offense we ran here which went no-huddle at high pace for parts of a game is very similar to Malzahn's system. That offense led to the substitution rules that are in place in college football today, and those rules are what will help us matchup with Auburn. If this were with HS substitution rules, we'd be in trouble. The only difference is that we ran it for a drive or two per game and Malzahn runs it the entire game. If Auburn takes half the play-clock off, they are going slow. Last year they had not reached this pace because it was a new system and he was still teaching it, but this year I fully expect Auburn to set some offensive records.

And Malzahn will not be at Auburn long, he'll get offered a job at a major program soon.

I have highlighted the reasons for going No-Huddle like this before, but to reiterate from Malzahn's own book:

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Blocking, like running a pass route, begins with the stance and take off. It is imperative that a receiver get off the line fast to give the defender the impression that he is running a fade route and will not cheat to stop the run. If you have not reviewed our discussion on lining up, getting in a proper stance, and exploding off the line of scrimmage, it is recommended reading for all facets of the receiver position.

When throwing a block, remember the defender’s run support keys. If the defender is on the edge, he has to keep his outside shoulder free to eliminate getting sealed from the sideline. For our purposes here, you will need to remember three basic concepts for the defender (assume cornerback) in a run support role: Force the offensive player towards the middle of the field, go through the receiver to get to the ball carrier, and don’t miss a tackle.

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We have already discussed the techniques needed to become a good pass catcher. While these are important tools to being a good receiver, the ability of a receiver to block and block well is just as important for team success. Preparing to be a good blocker is similar to being a good route runner; preparation and repetition are critical for success here, and nearly anyone who wants to can be a proficient blocker IF they are willing to put in the effort.

As with most things in life, technique is the most critical aspect for this skill and anyone can learn this skill through proper coaching and repetitive practice. Receivers for the most part absolutely hate blocking drills, so if you can find a guy who is really gets into the drills he is an extremely valuable part of a football team. Today we will set the table for a future technique-only segment by highlighting the general objectives and situations common to the wide receiver position.

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You all probably remember the addition of a new formation to Clemson's offensive attack in the Music City Bowl against Kentucky.  This new wrinkle, known as the "Pistol" formation, allowed the Tigers to successfully run the football against the Kentucky Wildcats while not having the quarterback under center. We both like the concept used in this formation, namely that the RB has momentum when he takes the ball and that it forces a defense to play more "honest" in their alignment. Here we will attempt to describe this formation, its history, and the progression that led to the formation's popularity.

(Thanks to www.sectalk.com for the image.)

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Now that we know the basic fundamentals involved in lining up and running routes, we can discuss some basic routes and the terminology used with these routes.  We will also introduce a simple playcalling tool known as the passing tree.  These items are a bit sexier than previous topics, and will be used in passing game strategy to create passing plays.  At all times, please remember that we need to run good routes.  In order to run good routes we need to maintain fundamental items like lining up properly and running crisp routes.   

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The next subject that we will need to discuss is the actual route running. As we mentioned in a previous installment, getting off the ball is the first big task for the receiver. And as referenced before, the stance and initial step dictate how well the receiver will get into the route and how quickly he will push the defensive back’s cushion. Once off the ball, the receiver will need to practice repetition in getting off the ball and into the route. It is extremely important that all routes initially look the same so that the defense will not be able to immediately jump a route. The easiest way to for a receiver to do this is to push as though he were running a fade or fly route no matter what he is really doing. By attempting to push the defender in the same fashion each play and particularly with the fade route, the receiver will mentally try to get off to a fast start off the LOS and accelerate into the DB’s cushion.

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We will move forward to understand how the receivers operate in the passing game. The first items that we will need to discuss are the basic fundamentals involved in playing the WR position. The most basic concept of the WR position is the stance that a receiver takes. The stance that a receiver takes has evolved over the years. Up until about 25-30 years ago, receivers generally lined up in a three point stance and exploded off of the football. With the evolution of the short passing game, receivers began utilizing a two point stance (what we all see today) to get off the ball and utilize more dynamic sets. Thus, we will begin with a stationary starting position.

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