Coach -

When Colgate needed a yard, they didn’t just lean on grit—they unleashed a system.

Brendan Walsh, now coaching in the CFL, pulled back the curtain on his short yardage philosophy during a presentation built around his final season at Colgate. What he shared wasn’t a grab-bag of go-to plays—it was a deliberate system grounded in situational mastery, personnel identity, and adaptability.

“Everybody talks about winning third down and scoring in the red zone,” Walsh said. “Those are two of the main keys to winning the game. This helped us get there.”

In 2023, Colgate finished #7 nationally in red zone efficiency, converting close to 90% of their opportunities—most of them for touchdowns. But what made their short yardage package exceptional was how it created more roles, more buy-in, and more options on critical downs.

More Than Just a Play—It’s a Package

The package wasn’t thrown together overnight. It was sparked by OC Brent Basham, who proposed a new approach during a personnel crisis. Walsh and the staff didn’t just plug in a new wrinkle—they redesigned short yardage to be a formation- and role-driven identity shift.

• Up to seven offensive linemen
• As many as four tight ends
• Multiple backs, each with a purpose
• Even a “tight end” who served as a de facto fullback—but don’t call him that

It worked because players believed in it. Walsh emphasized how the offensive linemen begged for third-and-one. It became a source of pride.

“This was their opportunity to shine,” he said. “We had guys who prided themselves on being in that package.”

Strategic Disruption

What separated this approach was its disruptive value. Defenses couldn’t treat it like base offense. As Walsh put it,

“It’s like playing an option team. You’re seeing formations and plays that don’t show up the other 90% of the week.”

It forced opponents to:

• Spend extra time in prep
• Burn practice reps on formations they may only see a few times
• Defend unfamiliar schemes under high-pressure conditions

If they didn’t? Colgate would dictate the terms.

Built for Survival and Success

This wasn’t just about converting downs. It was also a survival mechanism. When Colgate lost multiple quarterbacks to injury, the system had to change. No more relying on a 230-pound signal-caller to carry the load on QB Power. The team had to protect its depth—and its chance to win.

Instead of panicking, they leaned on this short yardage framework. Because of the system’s adaptability, they could:

• Sub in a downhill runner
• Lean into misdirection and motion
• Borrow concepts from earlier weeks and repurpose them seamlessly

It wasn’t fancy. It was intentional, physical, and smart football.

“We always wanted to be on the attack,” Walsh said. “And this was just another way to do it.”

How Unbalanced Formations Gave Colgate the Edge

In tight situations, Walsh’s offense didn’t just line up and run power—they manipulated structure to confuse, overwhelm, and out-leverage defenses. A major tool in that arsenal? Unbalanced formations.

By shifting alignment rules and relying on familiar, flexible tags like “L” and “R,” players didn’t need to memorize complex adjustments. Offensive linemen could step in without needing to know if they were a Y or a U—they just needed to know their side.

“If I’m on the right, I’m the R. On the left, I’m the L. That’s it,” Walsh explained.

Colgate’s staff also used receiver motion (especially “X off”) to hide unbalanced looks for as long as possible. Many defenses—especially those with younger or less experienced players—missed the cue entirely. That gave Colgate a pre-snap advantage they could exploit on down and distance or near the goal line.

In sets like “Bully,” “Abbey,” and “Pace,” the team stacked extra linemen, moved quarterbacks to unusual spots, and created angles that made defenders hesitate just long enough. It wasn’t trickery—it was calculated design built to bully the line of scrimmage.

Video: Short Yardage Formations

Short yardage often comes down to inches—but Walsh’s system proved it could also be about inches of advantage in preparation, toughness, and trust. At Colgate, those inches stacked up into wins.

Thank you to Coach Walsh for sharing this presentation at the 2025 Lauren’s First and Goal Clinic!

This presentation is part of our “Win the Inches” Bundle. The Win the Inches bundle delivers the insights and tactics you need to own those critical moments. Featuring three powerhouse presentations from Lauren's First and Goal, this collection gives you battle-tested strategies from coaches who specialize in getting tough yards when it matters most.

• Mike Bloomgren & Sanders Davis (now with the Cleveland Browns) share the 89% conversion formula that powered Rice’s goal line dominance—complete with stance tweaks, start mechanics, and physical trench tactics.
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• Brendan Walsh delivers a complete short-yardage blueprint built on role-specific personnel, formation manipulation, and relentless mindset.
• 
  
• TJ Weyl breaks down creative solutions that keep defenses off-balance, including Wildcat packages, tempo tweaks, and deceptive sequencing.
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Each presentation equips you with tools to finish drives, flip momentum, and dominate situational football. Just $27 (54% off)

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All proceeds benefit pediatric brain tumor research and cancer services.

-Thank you from the Lauren’s First and Goal Team

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