Get Your Offense a +1 With the QB Run Game

“Don’t change the play. Change the presentation.”

It’s something that David Marsh heard often and built in to the philosophy and design of his offense. Marsh is the offensive coordinator at FCS Texas Southern after sebring as the OC at Campbell, and as an assistant at Texas A&M.

Marsh believes in being able to get an advantage for the offense by strategically utilizing the QB run game.  He has systematized that within his offense.

Why the QB Run Game?

- Numbers advantage - Gain a hat - extra blocker or combo

- Schemes can be what you use already

- Simple - snap it to our best player or someone dynamic

- Option - read a different player on every play if you want

- Situational - 3rd and 4th down or scoring zone

- Change-up - present something different - especially a team you see twice in a year 

To systematize the QB run attack, Marsh categorizes the Run Types:

- Direct QB Runs - snap it to him and go

- Bluff QB Runs - fake it to someone and run

- Read QB Runs - read any defender in the box

When game planning, for Marsh it all comes down to numbers, and the QB creates the advantage.

Numbers

Box Counts open sets (10P)

5 man box: run  (+1)

6 man box: read (even)

7 man box: throw (-1 move the pocket, get into something else)

QB runs add 1 for offense to all of the above!

Add one to the scenario: 

5 man: Take advantage of being balanced up with the run ex. Zone Leads, Isos, Counters with RB leading as extra hat.

6 man: 5 blocking, must read vs 6 (can be any of them). With QB - Direct runs for when you don't want QB reading. Ex. Power, Lead Draw

7 man: Covering down receivers with 4 defenders in secondary (cover 0 or Rat) must win on outside with sprint/boot movement to one side or quick and get the ball up and out

Schemes that can be used:

- Zone

- Stretch

- Draw

- Fold

- Gao (power/counter)

- Dart

- Pin-pull

With the list above, it should be apparent that the QB run game fits with what you already do. This makes it simple for the offensive line and allows continuity. Because it’s simple, these work good within a tempo offense as well.

The diagrams below show examples of the Direct and Bluff categories.

Having a system for QB runs like Coach Marsh has put together will allow you to have clarity in your game planning in how you want to attack a defense.  He has put this all together and shared it with game video examples in his FREE course “Quarterback Run Package: Creating a System.”

The best part is when you decide to add this, it only changes the presentation of the play!

FREE course “Quarterback Run Package: Creating a System.”