Thoughts on the "A" Formation?

Harry · October 8, 2013

I mentioned this formation in another post. It's when DT is lined up in shotgun and has two backs beside him and one about two yards behind him...sort of forms an "A"

I'm not a big fan of it because it allows defenses to tighten up versus spread out... It would seem to me going to 4 receiver sets and leaving a back would force the defense to spread out more and still give you a running option. When we ran it against Tulane we saw waves of defenders coming in and making plays behind the line of scrimmage.

I guess the positive is that it leaves a lot of backs to block against a pass rush...gives you more options to run the ball.

I'm not a football coach so feel free to educate me otherwise.

Got5onIt · October 8, 2013

I thought it was our pistol formation, but can't remember how far DT set behind the center.

BillySee58 · October 8, 2013

It is a pistol because there is a deep back behind DT. I agree with Harry. I didn't like it last year for that reason that you mentioned. They know we're running the ball and who it's going to (the deep back).

It seems like we haven't run much zone read since DT ran the ball into our bench and scared us half to death that he might've broken his throwing hand against Ball St. DT has had a semi-injury plagued career but nothing out of the ordinary for a qb who has played five years of D1 ball.

Our best rushing performances have been Ball St and Idaho where DT's zone read keeps were making the defense have to account for more options. We need to do more of that, whether it's DT doing it or Berglund and Mcnulty coming in for a few plays here and there to do it.

Except for teams that run the veer (triple-option) offense and pro-style teams with pro talent like Alabame, the best rushing attacks in the country are zone-read based offenses that at least attempt to use their qb to keep the defense guessing. We don't have Marcus Mariota at qb, but DT has been effective when called upon.

unt_rocket09 · October 9, 2013

The only positive to the formation is you can run the double lead with your 2 backs or lead with one and kick out the end with the other for a lead/power or what I would call F. I would rather go double tight but again I don't coach these kids day in and out so I can't speak as to why our O does it.

Edited October 9, 2013 by unt_rocket09

Andrew · October 9, 2013

Isn't pistol with wide outs and not 3 in the backfield though?

http://www.playbookexchange.net/playbooks/Offense/01040302-ConceptsThePistol.ppt

greenminer · October 9, 2013

DT seemed mobile enough against BSU. What's happened since then?

Two more things:

1) Skill positions: either speedy or we have depth, but no one can block?

2) Lineman: strong and consistent, but struggle with speed (like they did at Tulane)

What do we do with this kind of personnel?

greenminer · October 9, 2013

Pistol is the QB being 3 yards back instead of 5, regardless of where people are around him.

817Fan · October 9, 2013

I think the offense calls it the V set.

emmitt01 · October 9, 2013

DT seemed mobile enough against BSU. What's happened since then?

Two more things:

1) Skill positions: either speedy or we have depth, but no one can block?
2) Lineman: strong and consistent, but struggle with speed (like they did at Tulane)

What do we do with this kind of personnel?

Run straight forward. That actually worked against Tulane...so we abandoned it

FirefightnRick · October 9, 2013

I mentioned this formation in another post. It's when DT is lined up in shotgun and has two backs beside him and one about two yards behind him...sort of forms an "A"

I'm not a big fan of it because it allows defenses to tighten up versus spread out... It would seem to me going to 4 receiver sets and leaving a back would force the defense to spread out more and still give you a running option. When we ran it against Tulane we saw waves of defenders coming in and making plays behind the line of scrimmage.

I guess the positive is that it leaves a lot of backs to block against a pass rush...gives you more options to run the ball.

I'm not a football coach so feel free to educate me otherwise.

Couldn't agree any more. Watch the first series in the replay of the Tulane game.

Derek is 4 yards back,.. Byrd is 8. Everyone has a helmet covered except the free safety. Watch the second play of that series,..we are facing a 2nd and 8. The play is so freaking slow to develope that the safety has time to read "Run" and meet Byrd two yards deep for a loss,... that is,..he travels 10 yards before Byrd can travel 6.

That's pretty damn slow football right there and a mismatch for our blocking scheme every time.

Horrible frst half offensive game plan.

Rick

trussbussdad · October 9, 2013

I like the formation...there is so much you can do off of it. Counters, Traps, version of triple option...old school stuff, but so much more can be done other than straight dives or leads.