Taking the No-Huddle Offense to the West Coast – Combining the West Coast offense with an up-tempo, no-huddle system can result in a powerful running and passing attack.

Football is a sport that runs in cycles. Offenses and defenses are constantly inventing and re-inventing themselves to match and overtake what the other side of the ball is doing. Systems and styles come and go and then are cycled back again. The constant on either side of the ball, no matter the generation or system, is the importance of a running game. Every defensive coordinator’s first job in preparing for a game is to figure out how to contain the running game. Every offensive coordinator’s first priority each week is to figure out how to successfully run the football. Toughness and attitude are the primary ingredients to getting these things accomplished.

Last fall we continued to run the same West Coast system that the players and coaches knew. We continued to believe in the principles that toughness, attitude, and a solid run game will win championships. What we changed as an offense was an increase in the tempo. We simply went from being a team that huddled to a team that quickened the pace of the game through a no-huddle attack. We changed nothing in our run game. We paired down our passing game and added a dimension that was missing – down the field play-action.

A couple of plays are at the foundation of our West Coast scheme. These are plays that became even more successful running at a high-tempo.

“Chase” is a run play that we install on day one of our fall camp. At its core, it is a zone scheme with the fullback leading up on the weakside linebacker. It is a play we will run vs. any front that we are shown. As with any inside zone scheme, we want to have 90% of our effort ensuring that we get movement on the line of scrimmage. Our offensive line understands they are zoning up to a linebacker but also understand the importance of movement.

Diagram 1: Right Queen Chase

As you see from Diagram 1, our split tackle is one-on-one with the defensive end. Our split guard and center are working together on the 1 technique up to the Mike linebacker. Our tight guard and tight tackle combo the 3 technique up to the Sam linebacker and our tight end bases the other defensive end. Our fullback leads up on the Will linebacker while our tailback aims for the B gap.

In an odd front, our split tackle and split guard work out to the end and Buck linebacker. Our center and tight guard will combo block the nose up to the Mike linebacker while the tight tackle and tight end work solo on the end and Sam linebacker. We still have the fullback up on the Will linebacker and the tailback is still aiming for the B gap. Probably as important as anything is the way our receivers block on this play. We ask them to block the MDM (most dangerous man) which usually in 21 personnel is a safety. They are taught to angle at 45-degrees from the snap to get themselves in position to make that block. Successful blocks are the difference between 5-yard gains and 25-yard gains.

We averaged 5.4 yards per carry on this play with a 70% efficiency rate. It is one of those plays where we don’t care if the defense knows it is coming, we know we are going to get our yards because of our toughness and attitude. We also have this play packaged into various “Check With Me’s” and “Alerts” in our offense where we ask the QB to get us in the right play.

Diagram 2: Right Queen “Sell Chase”

Outside of our no-huddle tempo, the number one thing we brought to the offense in 2013 was the ability to stretch the field vertically off play-action. “Sell Chase”, our protection off of our Chase play, was our best protection scheme.         As you see in Diagram 2, the blocking responsibilities for everyone involved remains the same whether we run “Chase” or “Sell Chase”. This allows everyone involved in the blocking scheme to be very familiar with their assignments because of the carryover. We work on the details of low hat and angles with everyone where the first two seconds of the play look the same from the center all the way outside to the receivers. We coach everyone to be very aggressive in their blocking techniques and to sell the run.

We run several routes off of this protection with the main priority of the QB being able to stretch the field vertically.  We averaged over 18 yards per play, not just per completion, out of this protection so it was very successful for us.

Diagram 3: Right Queen “Sell Chase” X Takeoff

Diagram 3 shows our number one route off of this protection – “X Takeoff”. Notice again how even the receivers angles are exactly the same between the run and pass. This makes it very difficult for a safety to recognize run or pass and creates split seconds of indecision which is what we are trying to take advantage of. Our QB understands he is in a progression where he checks X to Z to the fullback in the flat. My perfect world would be to have the ball checked down to the fullback 50% of the time.

Here’s each route beginning with the X. The X receiver needs to understand where the deep safety is at all times on this play. This is another reason to keep the blocking assignments the same as their pass route assignments because they should be looking at the same player. He will angle towards that deep safety to about 8 yards deep and then begin pushing vertical. He has until 18 yards to make a decision. He can either take off because he has beaten the deep safety or he can sit down at 18 because he hasn’t. His third option is for when there is press man coverage with a deep safety over the top. In this case, he will get his depth and use his outside arm as a “fly by” technique to work to the sideline.

Z’s route is very similar except he is locked, meaning he will always lock his route at 18. Our fullback needs to be aggressive and we want him to always get a piece of the Will linebacker whether he is pressuring or not. He has time for this before he leaks to the flat as the check down.

On their own, each of these plays can be very successful. Teaching them together where they match up and look the same increases that success. When you are able to call and run them at a high tempo in a no-huddle offense, they become nearly impossible to defend. Like anything you teach, you must be extremely detailed about every little aspect of the play. Teaching it in such a way will lead the players to buying into what you are selling them and your team to be successful.
 
About the Author: Daren Wilkinson enters his second season this fall as both offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at CSU-Pueblo. He previously was on the staff at Colorado State (2008-2012) and also served as recruiting coordinator. A quarterback at Colorado State, Wilkinson began his coaching career at his alma mater in 1997 as an offensive graduate assistant. He has also coached at Eastern Arizona College, Fayetteville State, and South Dakota State.

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Find more article on this subject:

Meshing the Option with the West Coast Offense – September, 2007
No-Huddle? More Chances – December, 2004
The West Coast Offense – November, 2004