Getting Hooked On Marshall\'s Passing Game

The Thundering Herd rockets to the top of nation\'s offensive elite
by: Mark McHale
Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Line Marshall University
© More from this issue

          
Coach Bob Pruett has a .862 winning percentage in his six years as the head football coach at Marshall University. Of all the head coaches in Division I football, Coach Pruett has the best winning record percentage in the NCAA for the first four years. Check it out! I firmly believe that what has led to his success is his philosophy towards running a football program. Coach Pruett keeps his philosophy on offense, defense and special teams the same year in and year out.

He has lost an offensive coordinator just about every year due to the success of the offense. Instead of hiring an offensive coordinator to come in and change the offense, he has the new coordinator run the same offense since year one. The offense at Marshall is exciting to watch, sells tickets, scores points and produces a lot of yardage. It is a headache for defensive coordinators to defend. The offense forces you to defend the run and at the same time to defend the entire football field. You must be ready to adjust to multiple formations, personnel changes and the tempo of a huddle offense to a no-huddle offense.

This past season we were third in the nation in total offense. We rushed for 1,859 yards and threw for 4,201 yards. This does not include the GMAC Bowl where we threw for an additional 576 yards. We also had three receivers catch for more than 1,000 yards each.

With that being said, I will talk about one of our 5-step, drop-back passing routes that we threw most often in our offense last year. The basis of this route starts with all “hooks” or turn routes. We throw this route from multiple formations and we can add a changeup by receivers to the base route.

We consider this pass play in our offense as an all-purpose pass. We can run it with a five-man, six-man, or seven-man protection scheme. It also has the flexibility to send the running back in either direction of the formation.

We will first look at this route versus a 1-high safety, 2-high safeties and man coverage. We will also look at the route from different formations versus these coverages.

Diagram 1.

X receiver: assignment=10 yard turn
Coaching point=work back to the quarterback with your landmark being the numbers
Y receiver: assignment=10 yard turn
Coaching point=work back to the quarterback with your landmark being the hash
Z receiver: assignment=10 yard turn
Coaching point=work back to the quarterback with your landmark being the numbers
A receiver: assignment=10 yard turn
Coaching point=get open; read the next defender inside
B receiver: assignment=wide route
Coaching point=sprint for width to the top of the numbers
Quarterback: assignment=take a 5-step drop
Coaching point=throw the best look turn
Vs 1-high safety-key the flat defender to Z/Y/B

Diagram 2.

Diagram 3.

A look at the same route vs 2-high safeties
X,Y,Z,B: assignments and coaching points are the same
A: get open; take a release to get inside the WLB and find the hole based on the drop of the MLB. Get open!
Quarterback: key the MLB; your progression is A/X

Diagram 4.

Quarterback: vs man; look for the best match-up and look for the easiest throw

We can run this route from many formations using different personnel: 2x2, 3x1, 3x2 or 2x1.

Diagram 5.

Diagram 6.

Diagram 7.

Diagram 8.

Diagram 9.

Diagram 10.

Diagram 11.

Diagram 12.

Diagram 13.

Diagram 14.

Diagram 15.

Diagram 16.

As you study your opponent and work up your game plan, you can “tag” routes with the basic all turns. You can:

1. tag a post route to one of the outside receivers
2. tag a comeback route to one of the outside receivers
3. tag a corner route to an inside receiver
4. tag a go route to any receiver
5. use a 5-man protection and send your B receiver quick with no blocking responsibility

Diagram 17.

Diagram 19.

Diagram 20.

You can also “tag” under routes with a receiver.

Diagram 21.

You start out teaching the route from all formations running the “all turns.” You may change up the routes with a “tag” to attack coverages, reaction of coverages and blitzes as a play caller. Even better is to teach the quarterback how to attack the defense with his own changeups.

I hope this has given you some “food for thought” on teaching a simple route and having the flexibility to have fun with your game plan and play calling. Make it simple and multiple and I hope you have the same success with it that we have had at Marshall University. Get hooked!

Coach Mark McHale

Mark McHale has worked with a number of the top collegiate and professional coaches in the world, including Bobby Bowden, Mack Brown, Jim Carmody, Sparky Woods, Forrest Gregg, Ernie Stautner and Al Luginbill. Played for NAIA Hall of Famer Walter Barr at Shepherd College. The list of players recruited and coached by Mark McHale in his long career reads like a who’s who of football. The list includes three-time NFL MVP Brett Favre (Southern Miss).

With his Frankfurt Galaxy, the team led the World League in total offense and passing offense on the way to the World Bowl title. While with the Admirals, his team led the World League in passing offense and total offense

NEW BOOK!

Digital Download - 304 Pages of Football Forms for the Winning Coach