Anatomy Of A&M's Power Play

The Power play is the basic bread-and-butter play of just about any team running the football from a pro-set or an off-set I formation. When we began last season, it was clear early on that we were going to make Power our bread-and-butter running play. Unfortunately, we didn't have the offensive line to overpower a lot of the defensive front-sevens we faced, so we switched to a one-back, zone running game for the most part. We continued to run Power throughout the year, however, and with improved OL play in 2009, I expect to see us run it more often next season.

I am going to take a look at how we ran Power in one game last season; the game in question is the second game of the season, on the road against the University of New Mexico.

As you can see from the formation, we are strong-right, with the a TE and H-back in a wingback position on the right side of the formation. Jorvorskie Lane is the fullback in the off-set I, with Mike Goodson the tailback. Stephen McGee is under center, Jamie McCoy is the H-back, and Danny Baker is the blocking TE.

Before the snap, McCoy will go in motion from right to left, ending up behind left tackle Michael Shumard.

McCoy goes in motion.

McCoy's job on this play is to kick of out End Man on the Line Of Scrimmage, or EMLOS. In this case, that is the weakside OLB.

McCoy is to kickout EMLOS.

More after the jump......

LT Michael Shumard is responsible for the weakside DE. C Kevin Matthews is responsible for the NT, covering the gap as LG Evan Eike pulls playside. Matthews, with help from RG Lee Grimes, tries to wall the NT inside, pinning the DE and NT together, blocking them off and creating the beginning of the funnel. This is a three-man game.

Matthews, Shumard, and Grimes work together to block out DE and NT.

Stephen McGee opens up to his left before turning around right to give the ball to Mike Goodson. When Mcgee vacates his spot under center, it gives RG Evan Eike the room he needs to pull strongside. After McGee executes the handoff, he bootlegs backside. Eike's rule is going to be first backer inside. He simply pulls around and looks for the first linebacker to show himself, and then blasts him out of the way.

Evan Eike pulls playside, while Stephen McGee hands-off and bootlegs.

RT Travis Schneider has a zone responsibility playside. He will help TE Danny Baker double the strongside DE, then go to the next level to block the MLB. He is helping open up the backside of the funnel.

Schneider and Baker double DE, then Schneider goes to next level.

FB Jorvorskie Lane has a simple assignment; he attacks the playside OLB and pins him outside; a stalemate keeps him out of the play.

Offset FB blocks playside OLB.

And last but not least, Mike Goodson meshes with Stephen McGee to take the hand-off, and follows the pulling guard, Evan Eike, into the funnel.

The TB meshes with the QB and goes through the funnel.

Ryan Tannehill is at the top of the formation, but he only fakes a route and then blocks. If the CB doesn't respect the fake, and sells out to pinch inside to help on run-support, that is where McGee's backside bootleg comes in. The next time you run it, you fake the hand-off, and hit Tannehill with the pass.

Put everything together, and the complete play looks like this:

Simple, but effective: A&M runs Power