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Virginia Cavaliers Defense (2004) — Al Golden

Football Playbooks — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 15:05:54 GMT

Virginia Cavaliers Defense (2004) — Al Golden

The 2004 Virginia Cavaliers football team, under the leadership of Coach Al Golden, embarked on a memorable journey that showcased resilience, determination, and a commitment to excellence.

Coach Al Golden, a former collegiate football player himself, brought a wealth of experience and a passion for the game to the University of Virginia. As the head coach of the Cavaliers, Golden was tasked with revitalizing the football program and guiding his team to success in the highly competitive Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

The 2004 season presented both challenges and opportunities for the Cavaliers. Under Coach Golden’s direction, the team worked tirelessly to prepare for the grueling schedule ahead, facing off against formidable opponents in pursuit of victory.

Throughout the season, the Cavaliers showcased their talent and determination, delivering impressive performances on the gridiron. Led by a balanced offense and a tenacious defense, they demonstrated their ability to compete at the highest level of college football.

Coach Golden’s leadership was instrumental in guiding the Cavaliers through the ups and downs of the season. His strategic acumen, attention to detail, and unwavering belief in his players instilled confidence and unity within the team, fostering a culture of excellence and accountability.

Although the 2004 season may not have culminated in a championship, its significance extends far beyond wins and losses. Coach Golden’s influence on the program laid the foundation for future success, instilling in his players the values of hard work, perseverance, and sportsmanship that would serve them well both on and off the field.

Following his tenure at Virginia, Coach Al Golden went on to achieve further success in the coaching ranks, including stints as head coach at Temple University and the University of Miami. His dedication to the game and his ability to develop young athletes into leaders have earned him widespread respect and admiration within the football community.

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How to Develop TEs with Elite Agility

Football Playbooks — Fri, 05 Apr 2024 17:16:41 GMT

Hey Coach,

The best athletes can move their feet rapidly across space which gives them the advantage against the opposition.

Being able to develop elite foot speed at the TE position with their already versatile size and athleticism allows you to utilize a matchup nightmare on gameday.

This is why today we’re going to talk about a progression of drills that teaches your TEs to move their feet faster and become better athletes in space!

We cover drills for every skill your TE needs in our latest release: The Complete Tight End Drill Book

Circular Agility Footwork Drills

This progression of footwork variations will increase the speed which your TEs can move their feet benefits every area of their game from the ground up!

Set this drill up by using a large circular cone that TEs can get their foot in and out. If you don’t have access to this unique type of cone, the drill can be easily replicated using a large towel that’s wrapped into a circle or athletic tape that’s placed on the ground to simulate the circle.

Below are three footwork variations/patterns that will quickly produce results for your TEs!

Variation 1: Start with the TE’s feet behind the circle and perform the following patterns: right foot in, left foot in, right foot out, left foot out. Repeat and increase speed as comfortable.

When the coach or QB says “GO” the TE will burst forward out of the pattern and catch a football. This step remains the same for each variation of the drill.

Variation 2: The TE starts with both of their feet outside of the circle on either side of it and performs the following pattern: Right foot in, left foot in, right foot out, left foot out. This is the same pattern as the first drill, but because the starting foot placement has moved, the feet move side-to-side instead of front-to-back to get in and out of the circle.

Variation 3: Start with both feet to either side of the circle and perform the pattern: Right foot in, right foot out (aligned to the right) OR left foot in left foot out (aligned to the left). Only the foot nearest the circle will go in the circle dependent on the side of the drill.

This is just one of over 100 drills designed to create THE PERFECT TE from our newest release The Complete TE Drill Book

For a Limited Time: 30% OFF

Use promo code “TEDRILLS” at checkout to save an EXTRA 30% off, OR click the button below to apply it automatically.

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The Complete Guide to the Long Snapper Position

Football Playbooks — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 18:26:01 GMT

While you may agree the barometer of perfection is unattainable, that is exactly what is expected, and essentially required from a long snapper especially at the highest levels of football.

In snapping the ball back to both holders and punters at extended distances, their job is essential to punts, extra points, and field goals, which are all critical in the special teams battle of every game.

The long snapper must embody a similar mindset to that of an offensive lineman. Their specialty is one that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet in any capacity, but one that must be executed at a high level in order to set up scoring opportunities on kicks, and flipping field position on punts. A job well done by the long snapper is one that isn’t mentioned whatsoever, and that is just the way that they like it.

What does a Long Snapper do?

The long snapper is far from a “pick and plug” position, as it requires a specialized individual in the case of almost every team at higher levels of the game. In the NFL, each team has a spot reserved for this position, even as they are forced to carry a limited 53-man roster on a weekly basis.

On extra points and field goals, their job is to snap it back to the holder in the blink of an eye with pinpoint accuracy — giving the kicker plenty of time as the onslaught of the defense looks to get a hand on the kick.

With this, it should be noted the perfection and minimal room for error associated with this job. Holders are on a knee, with little mobility to catch a wayward snap, which therefore demands a snap within the frame of their body that they can catch and get down in a hurry for the kicker. The best long snappers in the business are known for their consistent spin that allows holders ease in catching and placing the snap efficiently, without having to turn or adjust the football.

On punts, their job is arguably a bit more tricky, as their duty is to snap the ball to the punter standing around 15 yards away. An on target snap is crucial, as punters tend to take 3 steps to gather themselves before punting the football. A crisp snap simply leads to a better chance for solid protection, and quality punt.

Added with this, is their job to cover the punt, and pursue downfield after snapping the football. Due to this, a long snappers athleticism and toughness is evaluated as NFL teams look to fill the spot on their roster for the position. Long snappers must be able to snap with focus in the trenches, as well as having the ability to mix it up with more athletic players, and make the occasional tackle as they cover downfield.

Why is it called Long Snapper?

The typical snap in football is either an under-center snap, or a shotgun snap that is around 5 yards in distance.

Long snappers specialize in snaps on extra points and field goals that are about 7 yards, and on punts which are around 15 yards in distance.
What are some other names for the [Position Name]?

Abbreviations: LS
Deep-Snapper (Refers to Punts)
Short-Snapper (Refers to Extra Points and Field Goals)

What are the Skills and Body Type needed to play Long Snapper?

Skills
Accuracy
Consistency
Balance
Athleticism
Physicality

Body Type (General Estimate)
Height- 6’1–6’3
Weight- 230–250 Pounds
Build- Thick

The build of a long snapper is comparable to a linebacker. Their build allows them the versatility to handle big bodies around them as they snap field goals, as well as the athleticism they need to cover downfield on punts.

Who are some of the best Long Snappers ever?

As you might imagine, this list was tough to compile! Here are a few guys below who have pieced together lengthy, and respectable careers at the position.

Zak DeOssie (2007–2019) — A successful linebacker at the college level, DeOssie carried that success over to a lengthy career with the New York Giants. A member of 2 Super Bowl winning teams, DeOssie was also selected to 2 Pro Bowls in his career.

Don Mulbach (2004–2020) — Having just recently finished his NFL career, Mulbach’s long tenure with the Detroit Lions left him 2nd in franchise history record books for his number of games played. He was also selected to 2 Pro-Bowls.

Why is the Long Snapper so important?

Football enthusiasts will repeatedly tell you that football is a game of inches. This truly extends to every area of the game, as long snappers must dominate the details of their job snapping the football.

In their case, a couple inches is the difference between a holder or punter being able to safely catch the snap and execute their duties. Rain, snow or shine, the expectation of quick, well-located snaps remains the same for long snappers. With only one spot being reserved on NFL rosters for the long snapper, errors are unacceptable, and this adds a cutthroat element to playing the position.

A failure to execute an accurate snap can lead both to missed field goals and blocked punts, both being tide-turning plays in a football game. Interestingly enough, analytics show that a team that is able to block a punt wins about 90% of the time in football, an absolutely crazy margin. This one simple statistic goes to show the need, and competitiveness for NFL teams to find the best 32 long snappers in the world throwing back tight, accurate snaps at the blink of an eye on Sundays for years to come.

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Elite Special Teams In just 40 Minutes A Week

Football Playbooks — Mon, 01 Apr 2024 18:40:12 GMT

Hey Coach,

I want to tell you a quick story about one of the best programs of the past decade in Indiana — New Palestine High School, a public school just southeast of Indianapolis.

In 2018 they went 14–0 and won the 4A State title, so Indiana’s governing body moved them up a class to 5A as part of the state success factor rule.

Guess what happened in 2019?

They went 14–0 and won the 5A State Title, playing (and winning) against schools with much higher enrollments.

What makes them successful?

Let’s be real, there are lots of reasons why programs win year after year, but one of the biggest reasons is the unique and aggressive approach New Palestine brings to the kicking game.

Here are just some of the unusual things you’ll have to prepare for when you play against these guys:

An extremely unique PAT/FG formation that moves the wings off of the edge and closer to the backfield, and makes it next to impossible to get an angle off the edge to block a kick

A kickoff scheme that allows certain players to line up ANYWHERE — Without being told by the coach

A versatile punt block scheme that applies maximum pressure every single week no matter what you line up in.

“That’s great, but my head coach doesn’t give me enough practice time for special teams! I can’t do all that stuff”

That’s the best part — They get everything done with just 40 minutes of practice time each week!

“No way, how does that even work?”

I’ll tell you how — By knowing your numbers and being efficient with time.

Let me explain…

Coach Wes Anderson is the Special Teams Coordinator at New Palestine, and he’s obsessed with having all the data he can get his hands on.

Coach Anderson can tell you EXACTLY how many punts, kickoffs, PATs, etc his team has run the past few seasons, and he’s been able to zero in on exactly what they need to spend time on, and what they don’t.

In other words, if you’re not giving up five touchdowns a game, you don’t need to spend as much time on PAT/FG block or your kickoff return team. You’re better off using that time to practice something else.

Introducing “Special Teams A-Z: The Complete Series”

Coach Anderson has put together a tremendous seven-part series on EVERYTHING you need to build a complete plan on special teams.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

Overview & Philosophy
Building an Ironclad Kickoff Team
A Foolproof Kickoff Return Scheme for any Team
Building a Deadly & Precise Punt Block Team
Coaching Worry-Free PATs and Field Goals
Simple and Effective Punt Strategies
Scouting Your Special Teams Opponent

You NEED a plan on special teams.

If you’re brand new to the kicking game, or just need an edge, this is EXACTLY what you’ve been looking for.

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Nick Davis breaks down his Spread Defense

Football Playbooks — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 17:43:35 GMT

Hey Coach,

Here’s a fact: Whether or not you run a spread or RPO-heavy defense, you’re probably looking for ways to stop it (or slow it down).

Coach Davis spent many years at Rose Hulman University leading one of the top defensive units in Division 3, and college football as a whole.

Today we’re going to walk through the base coverage that Coach Davis and his defense made a living on for many years at Rose Hulman, how his scheme is set up, and a few of the techniques behind it.

If you want to skip all that and just stream the actual video yourself, CLICK HERE.

The Structure of the Defense

Coach Davis designed a 3–3–5 defense while at Rose Hulman that was consistently one of the nation’s best at the Division 3 level.

The secondary is arranged so that their best corner will play to the boundary in almost any situation.

The field corner, who they call a “dog” will match up against the offense’s best slot receiver. The “Rover” or 3rd safety will match up against whoever that second threat is, whether he’s a receiver, fullback, or tight end, depending on the formation.

You can see in the screenshot below how the defense aligns to a lot of the basic spread formations they see on a weekly basis.

This doesn’t mean that the defensive backs are only trained in a single position. As he states in the clinic, he wants them to view themselves as DBs, not just players at their specific position. Coach Davis makes sure to cross-train all of his DBs in all of the five different positions in the secondary, for depth reasons, and also so that they understand everyone’s responsibility.

Coach Davis can signal a one-high or two-high coverage by the number of hands he holds up on the sideline. They’re a 3–3–5, so they have some 3-high looks as well, and if he wants to get to that look, he’ll hold up both hands and raise a knee.

Because he coaches at a small college, he is usually able to literally yell in the front call, then signal in the movements and coverages he wants to tag on top of that.

The Coverage

One of their favorite coverages is a one-high concept they call “Akron” but is very similar to Rip/Liz match that has been popularized by Nick Saban.

They play outside leverage man, but have used different techniques the past several years as they have had different DB coaches who have taught it differently.

They way they taught it as of the date of this clinic was to play outside leverage man on #2, lined up 5–7 yards off the line of scrimmage.

Meanwhile at the linebacker position, they have a linebacker for the tailback against one-back teams, and then the other linebacker will play the low hole and read the QB’s eyes to help with the underneath routes. The third linebacker will usually be involved in some kind of pressure.

Against an H-Back look they will use the safeties to play the same way. If the H-Back goes backdoor and crosses the formation post-snap, either in a run or a pass concept, the near safety to the movement will take him in man coverage and the safety to the side of his original alignment will play the deep middle.

The safety in man coverage will take the H-back anywhere he goes deep, and he’ll pass off underneath routes to the linebackers.

This is illustrated in the diagram below:

The Wrap-Up

Coach Davis spends almost three hours going through his spread defensive scheme, including using LOTS and LOTS of film.

Click HERE to stream the full clinic INSTANTLY!

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Central Michigan’s Tricky Two Point Play

Football Playbooks — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 18:59:12 GMT

Hey Coach,

Today I want to show you one of my favorite plays from Central Michigan in a game against Western Michigan.

You can also find this in the book. CLICK HERE to get your copy now!

Central Michigan vs Western Michigan — 2:32 4Q

The Chippewas offense is looking to pull within a single possession here, so they pull a tricky shift off the call sheet to throw at the Bronco defense.

The tight end is going to start the play lined up as the left tackle, and the actual left tackle will shift out to the slot and stay covered by the X so he’s ineligible.

The tailback moves to the backfield, and then the H-Back comes in motion from left to right just before the snap to protect that right side edge and simulate a true sprint out option.

All this eye candy exists for the sole purpose of making the defense overcompensate to the right side, and totally forget about the tight end, who’s now the end man on the left and eligible. The left tackle will even run a little smoke screen route, running backward of course, to attract more attention.

The QB turns and throws the football back toward the left side where the tight end is waiting, and CMU has two points.

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You can find 100 other creative and dangerous plays clicking HERE: 101 Two Point Plays: Creative Play Calls from the 2020 Season

We’ve compiled some of the most interesting play designs from the 2020 season and put them into a book you’re going to love.

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Do You Need a 3rd and 1 Play Call?

Football Playbooks — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 18:25:21 GMT

Before we get started, if you’re looking for extra two point play ideas, I’ve got you covered:

Check out 101 Two Point Plays for a compilation of the most creative two point calls.

CLICK HERE to grab your copy now.

Here’s a play that I absolutely loved:

Illinois needed just one yard in the 3rd quarter, just on the edge of the red zone, to keep the drive alive.

A lot of teams will have the ability to run the QB sneak here, but Bret Bielema takes it one step further and makes the play even more dangerous by adding an extra threat.

The QB gets the offense lined up in an offset formation, shouting signals as if he’s making an audible, then rushes to the line to get under center.

At first, it looks like they’re about to run a standard QB sneak up the middle.

Then, as soon as he takes the snap, he reverses out and tosses the ball to the back.

The offensive line is actually still blocking for the sneak, stepping to their inside gap and creating a wedge, so that if the QB decides he just wants to sneak it like normal, he still has the option to.

However, with the defense packed in tight, and the slot receiver having pre-snap leverage on that alley defender across from him, it’s a good call by the QB to pitch it out there.

Nebraska’s defense is actually in a decent position here, but all the offense needs is just one yard, and they pick it up.

If you liked this post, you’ll love all the creative play calls we talked about in “101 Two Point Plays”.

You won’t find this collection anywhere else. Click HERE to learn more!

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How to Add Wing-T Concepts to your RPO Offense

Football Playbooks — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 18:07:59 GMT

Hey Coach,

Rich Hargitt is the head coach at Emmett HS (ID) and the creator of the Surface to Air System.

More than that, he’s one of the best clinic speakers and teachers of the game I’ve ever been around, and we’re going to talk about the way he installs his gap scheme and Wing-T run game into his already potent spread and RPO attack.

Adding the Belly Play to the RPO Spread

Emmett had started the season running a lot of traditional gap schemes like power and counter, then midway through they decided to add Belly and Buck to give them another way to attack what they were seeing.

In this article we’re going to talk about the Belly RPO scheme they’ve installed at Emmett high school, and all the little things they do to teach it and coach it up.

The rules they’ve taught their QB are as follows: If they call Belly with a wing or a fullback, it’s a tailback Belly. On the other hand, if there’s no wing or fullback to the play side, it’s a QB Belly, both with potential RPO wrinkles attached.

An important thing to note here is that Coach Hargitt does not have a different call for QB or TB Belly. He just calls Belly or Belly RPO, and based on the formation the players understand what’s coming.

The Original Belly Play

Coach Hargitt actually started as a Wing-T guy, so he’s got a lot of insight into the finer details of running the Belly play.

What he used to tell the fullback was to “step over” with his playside foot (or widen his stance horizontally), then crossover with the opposite foot, and then take your next step downhill with that playside foot and take the handoff.

The QB’s feet were pigeon-toed, and they taught him to completely open up and roll around, and take a step back off the midline and fit that ball in there to the back.

What he’s done with the QB Belly is to teach the QB to run the same footwork as the ball carrier in the traditional Wing-T.

The QB Belly RPO

In this example we’re going to take a look at the QB Belly play to the open side of a 2×2 formation.

Coach Hargitt tells his linemen to the playside to “read the B-gap.” They let the guards make the decision for the tackles, and they even allow them to create and use their own verbiage, so when Coach Hargitt says this is a good opportunity for a “GT block”, the guys up front may not even call it that. The verbiage part doesn’t matter to him as long as the blocks get there.

They usually want a “Down” and “Out” block to the front side of this play, but sometimes they can get away with a base block as well.

Moving to the backside of the play, this is something you have to spend a lot of time on.

What they tell the center is to create a double team that “lifts vertically”. They don’t want the double team to travel left to right, they want it to lift straight ahead north and south.

The center will snap the ball and step with his near foot and lift that shade right now. If the backer triggers and comes through the A-gap, the center comes off and you’ve basically created two down blocks toward the play.

The backside guard and tackle are stepping with their inside/playside foot, but still end up base blocking their man. The footwork is to make it tougher for those defenders to beat them across face, since they believe it’s next to impossible for this play to get beat on that side of the ball as long as the linemen aren’t immediately beaten across face.

As Coach Hargitt says, the goal on the backside of Belly is just “not to hold.”

The tight end can stay in and block or you can have him run some kind of RPO route to take guys with him, but Coach Hargitt usually doesn’t.

They feel like if they’re calling QB Belly, they’ve identified something where they want to run the football, so having an RPO option takes that away from the reason they called the play.

The tailback is taking a lateral “stretch step” and block the outside half of the B-gap player, aiming for his outside number.

At the same time, the QB’s footwork is:

Open
Crossover
Get downhill in the gap

The reason is because this makes it easy for the QB to read and throw an open side RPO on the run (if there’s something tagged there, which in the Surface to Air System, there almost always is).

Adding the RPO

In 2×2, they’re reading the invert player in the diagram.

If the invert player becomes a B-gap fall-in support player, replace him with the RPO. On the other hand if he truly is a 2-read guy, just run the ball.

The specific RPO concept doesn’t matter as much here. You can run fade-flat, double hitches, anything you like, just throw opposite of him.

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The MOST Important Play For Coastal Carolina’s Offense

Football Playbooks — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 15:31:04 GMT

First of all, I recommend the Coastal Carolina Offensive Scouting Report!

This two-part report goes through all the little details of the offense, full of stats, situational analysis and more! You won’t find a more thorough analysis of this offense ANYWHERE ELSE.

The Down Play

It all starts with the “Down” play.

This offense may get billed as an option attack, and there’s a lot of truth to that, but this scheme is what the run game relies on to get a consistent push when they need yards. Not only that, but this was actually the play they called more than any other in 2020.

I actually spoke to a coach who had to prepare to defend them last season, and he said “It’s not that stopping the play is hard, it’s that stopping the play without opening yourself up to everything else is hard.”

Once you try to take away the Down play, you leave yourself open to all the other crazy stuff this offense can do.

This particular example was taken from the Kansas game during the season opener, where Coastal initially had four men into the short side of the field, then shifts their two tight ends to the opposite side of the formation.

Kansas “plussed” their linebackers to the wing side of the formation to try to take away the threat, but with the great angles this play gives you, that’s harder than it looks.

Here’s another look at the “Down” play from a completely balanced formation.

One thing you’ll notice when you watch film of this offense, is that when both tight end #87 Michael Macfarlane and #4 Isaiah Likely are on the field, they will run this play behind Macfarlane almost exclusively.

Macfarlane is much more of a traditional tight end who can put his hand in the ground and get movement at the point of attack, and is less explosive in the pass game.

What this means is that when it’s a short yardage situation and both tight ends are on the field, the defense needs to know exactly where #87 is. If the back is lined up to his side, they know what the play is going to be.

That’s just a small sample of the kind of analysis you’ll find in the 2020 Coastal Carolina Offensive Scouting Report.

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One Coverage That Solves A TON Of Problems

Football Playbooks — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 14:56:05 GMT

Hey Coach,

If you could only play one coverage all game long, what would it be?

Do you even have a coverage like that in your playbook? Do you have the rules and adjustments built in to the plan to handle everything you’re gonna see from your opponent?

For Coach Tyler Manes, the answer is simple: 2 Read

In fact, because his kids are so good and so familiar with this coverage, he’s able to do so many other things in the secondary, and at the end of the day, he feels comfortable knowing he can always come back to 2 read.

Why does he love it so much? Strap in, we’re about to take a deep dive into how to run this coverage at the high school level.

Before we get started, this is just a small sample of everything that’s covered in the Tite 3–4 System. With almost SIX hours of chalk talk, Coach Manes gives you EVERYTHING you need to build a system around one of the most flexible schemes in the game today.

So don’t miss the opportunity and CLICK HERE to watch samples of all six videos in the series.

Now let’s get started…

Intro to 2 Read (Rambo) Coverage

This is the coverage that Coach Manes is going to hang his hat on. As much as possible, he wants to stay in this coverage. The reason is because it’s so flexible, and his kids practice it every single day, starting on the first day of spring ball all the way through the season.

You can play this coverage a lot of different ways, and they all have merit depending on the opponents you see and the players you have.

Dave Aranda calls it “Nail” and in his playbook he’s going to play it whenever there are two split receivers to one side. Other people refer to this as “Palms” coverage, and Nick Saban calls it “Clamp”.

Coach Manes just calls it “Rambo” and that’s what his players know it as.

I don’t care what you call it, but you’d better know how to teach it. Let’s go through the main coaching points for each player.

Corners:

Alignment: 6–8 yards of depth with outside leverage on #1

This is different than the way Aranda and other coaches teach the coverage. Coach Manes teaches that corner to start with outside leverage because of all the bubble screens and similar routes that they see on a regular basis. The corner has to keep his outside arm free to funnel that bubble receiver back inside as he’s trying to shed the #1 receiver’s block, so outside leverage puts him in a much better position to do that.

The reason someone would use inside leverage for the corner is because they’re more worried about taking away vertical routes, and playing in this position puts him in a better position to be over the top of #1’s vertical. The best move for you depends on your own players and opponents.

Hammer Technique

The simplest way to run 2 Read is where they start in the teaching progression, and that’s for the corner to “Hammer” #2 on any immediate out-breaking route, like a bubble or an arrow/flat route. Anything by #2 that breaks outside before the first vertical step will be “hammered” by the corner.

When they coach up the Hammer technique, they are talking about the corner slow-pedaling and reading #2. If he breaks out immediately, the corner will attack with outside leverage on him to take away the quick throw. The near safety will also have his eyes on #2 so when he sees this he’s going to immediately get over the top of #1 and any vertical routes.

Once they’ve progressed past the first 3–4 days in their installation, they’ll add a “four steps vertical” read to the teaching progression. In other words, the corner will eye that #2 receiver and if he breaks out within the first four steps of a vertical release, he’ll “Hammer” that technique the same as before.

Originally Coach Manes had taught his guys to read anything five yards or less breaking out, but he didn’t like that because there are too many routes that break off at five yards, and are different in nature than the bubble/arrow stuff that the hammer technique is designed to take away. The four step rule allows the corner’s eyes to stay trained on the receiver instead of trying to count yardage in his head and break on the ball.