#21 Coastal Carolina’s play that is a whole offense within itself

• By Keith Grabowski

Learning an offense is not necessarily an easy task for every player or even coach, so when a single scheme can take on multiple variations within an offense it certainly cuts down the learning and because of the repetition involved, allows for better understanding and execution, especially for the offensive line.

This is an approach used at Coastal Carolina.  The Chanticleers’ counter play is a traditional counter trey with adjustments made to block certain looks.  It’s a flexible scheme, and as offensive line coach Bill Durkin says, “It’s a whole offense within itself.”

The Chants are able to get a lot of mileage out of this play which is the backbone of their highly ranked offense.

For the Chanticleers it is a play that can:

Mess with the fits of the defense because of misdirection

Takes advantage of angles created by formations

Is good into blitzes

Can be a direct handoff, read, or RPO

Utilizes multiple backfield actions for window dressing

The more a play can create multiplicity the more value it has within a system. Coach Durkin explains what the play is to them here(click image for video):

For a scheme to be good against modern defenses, it better be sound against the odd front.  Coach Durkin begins his teaching of the play against odd. With an uncovered guard, he will make a “cargo” call which gives him the assignment of blocking down, and the center will come around. Both the C & BST will skip pull for second-level defenders. He explains here: (click image for video):

In the example, Coach Durkin points out the footwork of the running back and the quarterback.  This allows them to hand off, read, or run an RPO. Here are some examples of the Counter vs. the Odd Front (click image for video):

After the basics are covered, it becomes about creativity as the Coastal staff game plans and creates variations that work with multiple formations, motions, back field actions, and RPO attachments.

In this example, Coach Durkin explains how they utilize the concept of a power read which reads the end for a sweep, which in this case would be a toss to the running back, or if the end reacts to take away the sweep, the quarterback fakes a pitch and runs the counter away.  The read allows them to run the counter without a tight end taking the backside blocking assignment because of the read component of the play.

Whatever variations end up in the game plan for a particular week, the plan is to allow the Chanticleers to gain an advantage in numbers, leverage or angles, and space.  It’s about changing the presentation, not the play. The advantage they gain in learning and execution is that it becomes a scheme that they block over and over against every defense that is thrown at them.

Coach Durkin points out that the variations were so numerous that he couldn’t cover them all in one clinic talk. The way that they run it is a little unique, but that’s what has made it so valuable for them.