10 Coaches from Small College Playoff Teams Share Tips For Your Offense
Nov 14, 2023 6:51 pm
Coach,
Small college football wrapped up the regular season this past weekend and this Saturday will begin the road to the national championship for NCAA D2 & D3 and the NAIA.
We’ve had a number of coaches present on the offensive side of the ball who represent playoff teams. Let’s take a look at coaching points, schemes and philosophies from the coaches who are striving to help win their team a national championship.
Division II Playoff Qualifiers
1 Count and 2 Count Screens - Cris Reisert, HC, Tiffin
Tiffin University completed an historics season at 11-0, the first undefeated season in school history. The Dragons do a great job of integrating screens into their run and pass action, getting the ball to their dynamic players in space with blockers in front of them.
Coach Resiert explains illustrates examples of their 1 count and 2 count screens in the next two videos.
The Dragons earned a first round by and play the winner of Slippery Rock vs. East Stroudsburg
Inside Zone as the Starting Point - Brad Wilson, OC, U. Indy
The zone running game is the starting point for the attack. Inside zone provides the Greyhounds with a run that has answers like the example he explains how they use the run vs. field zone blitz teams and nose twist stunts.
The University of Indianapolis Greyhounds face the Pittsburg State Gorillas in D2 round 1.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12pImvHpOehXqvpryhF3pfmP8XddV_4aMUtLxpMBvlF0/edit
Protect the Passer - Ernie McCook, HC - Shepherd
Shepherd came into the NFL spotlight recently as Tyson Bagent filled in for an injured Justin Fields.
Beyond Tyson’s work ethic and extreme workouts that Coach McCook shared on Good Morning Football, the coaches at Shepherd did a great job of protecting him. He was sacked just 1.6 times per game his senior year, and 1.0 times per game in 2021 in which he won the Harlon Hill. This allowed him to have huge stats in his junior and senior years:
2022: 400 of 572 for 4580, 70%, 305.33/game with 41 TD/8INT
2021: 391 of 579 for 5000 yards, 68%, 333.33 per game with 53 TD/13INT
He led the Rams to back to back semi-finalist finishes in ‘21-22.
For any good QB to excel like Bagent did, it starts with providing him a clean pocket. Head Coach Ernie McCook explains their Mike protection in following video. It is a protection that puts the Mike in the sort of the offensive line and allows them to use the RB to help on Sam and Will. In their protection, the center would make the call but Coach McCook allowed QB Tyson Bagent to overrule that and adjust the call where he would see fit.
Shepherd faces Lenoir Rhyne in round 1.
QB Run Game & RPO - Marcel Quarterman, OC Kutztown
Coach Marcel Quarterman discusses the QB run game at Kutztown University along with incorporated RPO's. Coach Quarterman discusses their three primary QB runs being Inside Zone Bash, Pin & Pull, and QB Draw. He shows a variety of film clips that cover multiple defensive looks and offensive variations.
Here is an example of the Inside Zone Bash play from Coach Quarterman (click on image for video):
Kutztown matches up with Virginia Union in Round 1
Gap Scheme RPO - Sam Parker, OL Coach - Ferris State
The 2021 National Champion Ferris State is at the top of NCAA D2 offensive rankings every year. Their offense features a strong QB running game.
In general, the QB run game balances up numbers, but why not provide the QB with safe options and numbers advantages by putting that run into an RPO.
That’s exactly what Ferris State likes to do and OL Coach/Run Game Coordinator Sam Parker explains it here (click on image for video):
Video: QB Run Game RPO
Ferris State takes on Grand Valley State in the first round.
Division III Playoff Qualifiers
Taking Shots - Brett Dietz, HC, Depauw
Coach Dietz spoke at the 1st Virtual Summit in the country held during the pandemic sharing the Tigers play action passing game.
The offense starts with being a spread offense with a “hard ball mentality” and being balanced. Coach Dietz explains the philosophy here:
In a balanced offense, play action always plays a big role in moving the chains and scoring points.
One of his favorite concepts which he utilizes is off of the inside zone. He likes the play as a playaction drop back that allows them to take a shot down the field. He’s a big believer in faking to the same side the shot is going. He illustrates it with a diagram and game film here:
Depauw plays Alma in round 1.
Three Verticals Passing - Curt Fitzpatrick, HC, Cortland
Three verticals is a call in which they lock the outside receivers in a go rout and the H(slot) runs the middle read and the Y runs a shallow cross. The RB is told to protect and release away from the cross. The route builds a triangle for the QB to read. Head Coach Curt Fitzpatrick explains it here:
NAIA Playoff Qualifiers
QB Recognition - Doug Socha, HC, Keiser
Keiser Head Coach Doug Keiser has definitely become known as a detailed teach of the game. In a resource he put together for quarterback - “QB School” - he teaches what angle and flat contour means to the QB in helping to identify a coverage.
Video: Angle Contour - Flat Contour
K.I.S.S. Teaching - Tony Nemeyier, OC, St. Thomas
I had the privilege of coaching with St. Thomas OC/OL Coach Tony Nemeyier when he was our line coach at Baldwin Wallace University.
He is a gret teacher of the game and does an outstanding job relating to his players. It’s part of what’s enabled St. Thomas to go from a start-up program to a nationally ranked playoff team in a short time span. Coach Neymeier explains the philosophy he employs to get his players performing at a high level quickly.
St. Thomas takes on Reinhardt in round 1.
The reward for putting together a talented group of people and coaching them up to be successful over the course of the year culminates in gaining a playoff berth. These coaches we highlighted today have done an excellent job in getting their teams to this point!
Best of luck to everyone at every level in your playoff run!
Always be growing!
Coach Grabowski