Surviving the Storm with Smart Run Game Design
2025 was anything but smooth for the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State. An early-season injury to their starting quarterback forced SDSU to play left-handed the rest of the way. But true to their DNA, the Jacks found a way. A gritty overtime win over North Dakota in the back half of the year punched their ticket to the postseason and proved that this was still a team that could throw punches.
Losing a trigger man is tough on any offense, but it’s especially brutal when your identity is built on physicality and precision. SDSU didn’t flinch. Instead, they leaned into the run game and got creative with their sequencing. In this article, we’re diving into a few Outside Zone variations that helped steady the ship and gave the Jackrabbits some much-needed answers in 2025.
The Setup
The Jackrabbits leaned on a slick Outside Zone variation that’s been popping up more across the FCS. It wasn’t just about the frontside read. With subtle shifts and backfield motion, they forced defenders to slow their reads and give the offense angles.
SDSU blocks Outside Zone with the play side offensive line and the backside guard. The wrinkle comes from the backside tackle and tight end, who arc opposite like a jet sweep. It’s not a read play, but it mimics midline. In the clip above, they tag a wham block by the flexed tight end on the play side. The split flow holds the backside linebacker and causes the safeties to over-rotate, opening up a huge crease for the back.
The Counter Punch
You probably saw it coming. After showing the jet motion enough, SDSU pulls the trigger and hands it off. Once the defense starts squeezing that zone look, the ball goes to the jet sweep. It’s quick, it’s clean, and it runs right past the unblocked end for free yards.
Against NDSU, the 5-tech squeezes hard. The backside linebacker freezes on the zone action. That’s all the jet needs. He hits the edge fast and rips off 11 before the linebacker finally rallies to make the tackle.
Same picture against Drake. This time the defensive end and overhang both get caught with eyes in the backfield. SDSU hits the jet again off the Outside Zone look and beats them to the edge.
The Trickery
This one doesn’t directly build off the last scheme, but it still fits in the Outside Zone with split flow family. It looks like more of the same until it isn’t.
Once again it starts with Outside Zone front side. But this time, the backside linemen slip out to seal defenders on a shovel reverse. It’s a tough concept to hit, but it gave SDSU another smart wrinkle off their zone look.
Even better in the driving snow, where every cut feels like a gamble for defenders. When footing gets shaky, eye discipline and change of direction fall apart. That shovel hits against the grain, and the defense is left grasping at air.
Final Thoughts
South Dakota State could have folded after losing their quarterback early in the season. Instead, they leaned harder into their identity and got creative in the run game. These Outside Zone wrinkles did more than just keep the offense on schedule. They created explosives, manipulated second-level defenders, and gave the Jackrabbits a clear plan each week.
When your best option is to find answers on the ground, the details matter. Formation variety, motion, and sequencing become your explosives. SDSU didn’t just survive. They found a way to keep swinging, and in the process, showed what good coaching looks like when things get tough.
Great film breakdown. The split flow concept is genius for manipulating second level reads, espically against aggressive linebackers. Had a similar situation coaching HS ball where we lost our QB mid-season. The jet sweep action off zone became our bread and butter cause it forced the defense to respect two directions. That NDSU clip where the 5-tech pinches is textbook.