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MODERNIZING THE WING-T By emulating Auburn's modified Wing-T offense, you can have a dynamic, deceptive running attack.

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During last season’s SEC championship game, when Verne Lundquist pointed out that Gus Malzahn was a proponent of the Wing-T when he coached high school football in Arkansas, Wing-T coaches everywhere must have smiled. Lundquist even mentioned the legendary Tubby Raymond and his book, The Delaware Wing-T - An Order of Football. Not only was a former high school coach succeeding on college football’s biggest stage, he was doing it with a modified, modernized version of the Wing-T.

What Auburn has done puts the Wing-T, with unique modifications, back in the forefront of today’s offenses. Auburn has taken the basic concepts of Wing-T football (misdirection, deception and great blocking angles) and given it an extreme make-over, making it the “hot” offense in coaching circles. Here are a few of the concepts that will help you use what coaches are doing.
 
TEMPO
 
Today’s high octane offenses are predicated on tempo. Coaches who are using tempo as a means of attacking defenses understand that getting the play called and the ball snapped as quickly as possible puts great pressure on defenses. Auburn appears to have two or three different “speeds” that they use to get the ball snapped quickly. I’ll call these 1, Quick Huddle; 2, Green Light and 3, NASCAR.
 
Quick Huddle – The offense huddles one to two yards from the LOS. The play is called, the team breaks the huddle and the ball is snapped before the defense is set. Why? Because the huddle is so close to the line. The linemen merely turn around, step up and they are in place. The skill players rush out and get lined up as quickly as possible. The deception is that the defense sees the offense huddling up and feels they can catch their breath. Then, the offense breaks the huddle and snaps it almost as fast as if they were skipping the huddle altogether.
 
Green Light - This is where the offense goes no-huddle but without trying to speed everything up. Simply aligning on the LOS without a huddle creates personnel and matchup problems for the defense. So, it isn’t necessary to go at break-neck speed every play or every series.
 
NASCAR - This is when the offense really gets it cranked up. They sprint to the line, make the call and get the ball snapped as quickly as possible.
 
What is the key to creating a fast tempo? More than anything else, you have to have an effective communication system so the play can be relayed from the sideline to the field quickly and easily and there is no confusion in the minds of the players on the field. I’ve used the “wristband” system and given them to all 11 players. I think the big cards that you see on TV are effective but most high schools don’t have the means to get them printed up and laminated. Sending a runner in with the play or calling the QB over near the sideline simply slows things down too much. I prefer a signaling system similar to a baseball third base coach signaling a batter or base runner.

This requires either using a pure number system to call plays or “code words” to communicate a play. You need a means of disguising your play call so the defense cannot understand what play is going to be run. Some coaches designate animals that run on the ground for run plays and birds for pass plays. College or NFL nicknames work also. However you design your signaling system, the rule of thumb is to communicate quickly and efficiently so the ball can be snapped quickly.
 
ALIGNMENTS
 
What Auburn has done is taken the Wildcat formation and expanded it so that there are more formations and alignments than the one formation recognized as the basic Wildcat alignment. Auburn also now runs with a blocking back about 95% of the time. This is a big tight end or old fashioned fullback who can dominate when blocking but also can come out of the backfield and catch passes.

The War Eagle package is also a spread package. There are at least three wide outs every time with the possibility of showing four wides if desired. At left are two basic formations that can be easily adapted to high school offenses.
 
Wildcat Formation. This is the standard Wildcat used by numerous teams as a “change up” package. You insert an “athlete” at tailback/quarterback and move your QB out to flanker. The defense does not recognize this because you don’t have to substitute for your QB. You merely flank him wide. That doesn’t mean you can’t utilize his skills, but the QB gives way to a shotgun tailback who will run the offense while in the Wildcat. Many teams also use an unbalanced line with this formation (Diagrams 1A and 1B).


Diagram 1A: Base Alignment

Diagram 1B: Base Alignment   
 
Tiger Formation. In this formation, the line is balanced and the HB comes inside beside the TB/QB in the backfield. Several plays open up here that allows Auburn to run the ball so effectively (Diagrams 2A and 2B).


Diagram 2A: Base Alignment    


Diagram 2B: Base Alignment    
 
The BB can be set to the weak side or motioned across to create a different look for defenses. He can even be split out in the slot between the SE and OT to create 4 wides.
 
PLAYS: WILDCAT
 
Jet Sweep
 
From the Wildcat, the attack is set up with the threat of the jet sweep by the HB. The TB starts the HB in motion and times the snap so the HB is in position to receive the handoff as he flashes by the TB going full speed. Some teams are even “tipping” the ball forward to the motion back as he goes by instead of handing off. This creates a forward pass situation so if it’s dropped, it’s an incomplete pass (Diagram 3).


Diagram 3: Jet Sweep Right
 
TB Power
 
Once the jet sweep has been established, you can come off of it with 2-3 base plays. Now, the TB becomes the focus of the offense. The fake of the jet sweep starts every play. As the HB flashes by the TB, he pulls and can attack a number of points along the line.

The first point of attack is off tackle to the same side as the jet sweep fake. The line blocks down (Wing-T) and the BB kicks out. The backside guard pulls and walls off pursuit in the hole (Diagram 4).


Diagram 4: TB Power
 
Some teams are blocking this as an outside zone play. If that is your regular blocking scheme, then don’t change. Use what your players are most familiar with.
 
TB Dive/Inside Zone
 
The next point of attack is the middle of the defensive front. The TB fakes jet sweep to the HB and dives into the center of the line. Whether your team uses dive, inside zone or even trap, rules do not matter. You are giving the ball to your best running back and he is hitting the middle of the defense after faking a sweep play. It’s just one more example of the deception that this offense creates (Diagram 5).


Diagram 5: TB Dive/Inside Zone
 
TB Counter
 
This can be run from both the Wildcat and Tiger formations. It is simply faking jet sweep one way and coming back with a counter play off tackle to the weak side. You only need to pull one lineman because the blocking back is the trail blocker (Diagram 6).



Diagram 6: TB Counter Trap

 
Play-Action Passes
 
There are any number of play-action passes which can be run after faking jet sweep. The simplest and one of the most effective is what we call “Go!” The three receivers drive up the field deep. The fake of the jet sweep forces the secondary to start moving up to help on the run and the TB merely throws it over the heads of the defensive backs. The HB, after faking, swings wide to the flat. The TB can dump it to him and it becomes a bubble screen. Many different route combinations can be created off of the jet sweep action (Diagram 7).


Diagram 7: Jet Sweep Pass 

PLAYS: TIGER
 
By placing the HB in the backfield beside (and slightly behind the TB), you have a second running back who can attack along the defensive front. You can also motion the QB inside and give it to him on the jet sweep to the weak side. Putting the ball in your QB’s hands and getting him out on the flank sets up one of the best, yet least utilized plays in football – the option run/pass play.
 
Buck Sweep
 
This play can be run with the HB and/or the TB/QB. For the sake of adapting to high school and to keep things uncomplicated, I’d recommend running it with your HB. He comes downhill in front of your TB, receives the handoff and follows the pulling guards around the end. The line blocks down and the BB “pins” the flank. With both guards leading the HB, it is a devastating power play (Diagram 8).


Diagram 8: Buck Sweep Left

The off tackle power play can be substituted for the buck sweep. Now, the HB is running it instead of your TB. You may have realized that with this formation, you can re-insert your regular QB in the shotgun QB/TB position and use him to hand off and throw. I do not like to run our QB on designated runs. This formation allows you to use your HB as your prime ball carrier and the QB becomes a threat to attack the flanks.
 
Lead Iso
 
The HB can hit between the tackles if the defense expands to contain wide. Now your BB simply leads through the Iso/dive hole and blocks the LB. The TB gives to the HB on a tighter course and the HB follows the BB into the hole. Basic Iso blocking rules are used (Diagram 9).


Diagram 9: Lead Iso

 
Power Option Read
 
A popular concept that is being used more frequently at the college and high school level  is the backside power option read. The TB is going to open up and read the backside defensive end. If he comes upfield or stays at home, the TB merely hands off to the HB and you run power off tackle.
 
However, if the backside defensive end crashes hard and “chases” the HB running away from him, the TB/QB rides and pulls and runs the ball at the outside leg of the offensive tackle. Again, there are numerous variations of this play. Some prefer simply to stay with the power counter and block it like the counter play which can be emphasized in the Wildcat package. This provides a nice misdirection play in the package (Diagram 10).


Diagram 10: Power Option


 Play-Action Passes
 
With faking in the backfield to the HB, it opens up several different play-action passes. These allow you to get your “athlete” out on the flank where he can run or pass. We like bootleg action from this set because it creates more misdirection. We fake the HB to the strength side, pull the backside guard and roll the TB out to the weak side and away from the fake. Any number of route combinations can be used (Diagram 11).


Diagram 11: Bootleg Pass

This is a brief introduction to what you can do to adopt up-tempo, spread concepts into your high school Wing-T package. Tempo is a key element to keeping defenses off balance. Having an effective communication system so you can get plays called quickly is vital. Having a couple of different formations also helps in creating confusion on the defensive side. Finally, you must develop plays that attack along a wide front so you can take advantage of defenses that are over-pursuing your initial play.

We will still use our base Wing-T under center package. But, we will have the ability to go to other packages anytime we designate it. All of it is accomplished without changing our play-calling system or our blocking rules. It can be overwhelming to defenses to try to defend two entirely different packages from your Wing-T system.
 
About the Author: Lew Johnston is the head coach at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy (VA). He previously was the head coach at Western Branch High School (VA) for 22 years, having an overall record of 165-63-1. From 2001-2004 Western Branch had a 32 game winning streak.


Coach Johnston answers your questions on Facebook - just go to to https://www.facebook.com/AmericanFootballMonthly


Coach Johnston recently completed a four-set series of DVDs on his “Adapting the Up-Tempo Spread Offense to Today’s Wing-T”.






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