5 Plays from Appalachian State's Bowl Game

Appalachian State won an exciting bowl game against Toledo, and a lot of people got to see their exciting and unusual offense for the first time ever. The number one question this offense wants to know the answer to is how to run the football. The scheme is based on the run game, with a lot of play action passing and misdirection.

Today we'll go over five interesting plays from their multiple formation option offense.

Zone Read Load Keeper

A lot of times this play can turn into a footrace between the QB and the unblocked alley defender to the edge. Other times that defender can be completely sucked in by the play fake in the backfield.

Against teams who like to bring pressure from the wide side of the field, this can break wide open in a hurry, with the pair of blockers wrapping around the edge to seal the defense inside.

This isn't a read, but the play fake to the tailback gives the blockers enough time to get around the edge can plow the road for the QB.

This is a play that's been featured in Auburn's offense several times, and the Mountaineers have added it to their playbook as well.

Boot Throwback Y Wheel

The play design looks at the beginning like a way to get a hi-lo the safety in the deep middle of the field, but as the play develops the TE starts to get vertical once he reaches the numbers.

The QB carries out a fake and the play is designed to look like a boot to the right side of the field.

The fake holds the underneath coverage while the X receivers route carries the corner deep.

The QB actually overthrows the TE here, but it's still a well-designed play.

Inside Zone Wham Keeper vs Edge Pressure

This play is similar to the full house backfield keeper we talked about earlier, only this time the QB has a couple of options depending on how the defense reacts.

He can always just hand it off if he likes what he sees from the defense up front, but in this case the defense is bringing pressure off the edge, and he decides to keep the ball around the end and take off a big gain.

You'll also notice the receivers to either side are running hitch routes as an extra way to beat pressure vs take advantage of individual match ups.

Influence Trap

One thing that's really tough to deal with as an offense is a tough nose tackle who knows how to cause problems. There aren't a lot of blocking schemes to deal with guys like that, but this is one of them.

The idea with the influence trap is that the once the nose tackle sees the guard lined up across from him pull, he'll think the play is headed to the outside, and then the puller coming from the opposite side will earhole him and open up a big running lane where he used to be.

The right tackle climbs to the second level and seal off the will linebacker, and now the ball carrier has a nice alley to run through up the middle.

This play can actually backfire against undisciplined nose tackles, and in that case you never sure what they're gonna do, but here the offense picks up a big gain.

Inside Zone Wham Speed Option

This ones a good change up to the receiver motion gong one way or another. A lot of defenses key in on that, and can cheat to the side of the motion to get a jump on anything coming their way. 

Here, the receiver in motion comes all the way to the backfield, then pivots and reverses course to become the pitch man in the option play.

This is designed to look like an inside zone play, and the motion brings the Sam linebackers in tighter to the box. The off-TE wraps around and seals the unblocked end, and all of a sudden the QB is on the edge reading the safety in the alley.

Anytime you rely on motion like this offense does, you need a way to counter defenses who try to cheat one way or another, and this play is a great way to do that.