Alabama led Florida State 43-36 with a little over seven minutes remaining in the game. Florida State’s offense was keeping pace, so what the Tide needed was a definitive drive to seal the game. Alabama proceeded to go on a nine-play, ninety-yard scoring drive that took five minutes off the clock, effectively icing the game for the Tide. How did the Tide do this? Seven runs, eight if you count the scramble, and two called passes. They physically imposed their will on the Noles when it mattered most, and they did so through eleven and twelve personnel runs that FSU couldn’t stop.
1st & 10 | -10 | 7:17
FSU insisted on playing a modified bear front on most of the last drive, with a linebacker and a safety in the box, which isn’t a winning recipe. But here on first down, Alabama brings a tight end in motion and runs toss. FSU gets out-leveraged at the point of attack; the edge fills C gap; the linebacker and safety fill outside, leaving an interior gap for the running back to burst through. Then, for good measure, he hurdles the backside safety for a big gain to kick-start the drive.
1st & 10 | -28 | 6:42
On the following play, Alabama runs split zone, or what I’m going to call split zone, since they’re zoning away from the tight end, and the tight end is working inside, then trying to kick like on a normal split zone with a soldier. The issue for the defense? They run an edge stunt where the edge spikes inside and the 3 tech wraps. Again, gap integrity is the problem. The edge player becomes the C gap player, the looper becomes the edge, and the safety, at linebacker depth, fills, but needs to get inside the kick of the tight end, and doesn’t. If he did, you’d get a two-on-one at the point of attack. The Noles don’t, which usually isn’t an issue if you fill the gap, but the linebacker gets run through, so having two players folding to the ball would’ve been helpful. Instead, it’s a mistackle and a gain of nine. Alabama is winning the battle up front and running through tacklers.
2nd & 1 | -37 | 5:55
On play three, Alabama trades the tight end and wing, then runs outside zone to the field, away from them. With the trade, FSU brings their Jack over to match it, leaving only a safety and corner on the edge outside of the 4i. Typically when we have a soft edge like this we either sky the safety or trap the corner to help combat any run that bounces. However, FSU plays more of a quarters shell, and the receiver cracking the safety draws the corner inside as well, before recognizing it’s outside zone to the field. Even though FSU has two free runners on the opposite edge, it’s not enough to track down the running back without an edge to the field. This is great play design by Alabama, recognizing they could influence where FSU’s Jack would align on tight end plus wing trade.
1st & 10 | -44 | 5:06
On their next play, Alabama comes back with boot, one of their two pass calls on the drive. They show that same outside zone into the boundary and boot their athletic quarterback to the field. FSU brings pressure through the B gap, and their defensive end gets pinned by the tight end, allowing the quarterback a clean path outside, giving him room to work with. It’s hard to tell what the coverage is; my best guess is a fire zone, three under, three deep. Typically when a quarterback breaks the pocket, one linebacker will invert and attack him, but all three linebackers for FSU stay at depth, allowing the quarterback to get the first down. Another smart play call by Alabama here: show the previous run, boot off it, get your guy in space, and if a wide-open throw isn’t there, let him run it. Smart, simple, and safe for the Tide.
1st & 10 | 46 | 4:30
On their next play, the Tide run Counter. The right tackle here for Alabama could be teach tape as he solos a 4i all the way down to where the center was. The left tackle also overtakes the backside 4i, allowing the center to quickly combo from the block back to the backside linebacker, who’s a safety, leaving no one to climb back over top, which makes the math hard for the defense here. They get a nice kick from the guard, the tight end wraps beautifully on the play-side linebacker, leaving only the play-side safety who, for some reason, fits outside the linebacker, leaving a gap the size of the state of Alabama for the running back to sprint through. When you teach Counter versus the tight front, this might be a good clip to show your players.
1st & 10 | 33 | 3:46
Alabama comes back to toss into the boundary. This time FSU is in a four-down front and slants to the field, trapping the boundary corner. The trap by the corner proves to be fruitful, and the Noles get a tackle for loss. Alabama again schemed up a man for a man, but the receiver gets surprised by the trap coverage, and the cornerback gets through for the tackle.
2nd & 9 | 32 | 3:03
Alabama continues to trade the tight ends and mix up formations, this time creating a Trey set into the boundary and running a same-side zone look to the field. Alabama gets a man for a man in the box, but FSU brings a nickel pressure that prevents a larger gain on the play.
3rd & 7 | 30 | 2:58
Alabama will come out and run mesh here, but this throw is only meant for one player, and is basically a screen. Ryan Williams is going to run from the boundary to the field and actually work back behind the line of scrimmage. The other receivers running the “mesher” and the “big slot” actually look to block defenders downfield. FSU is in a Cover 0 with a rat concept, we used to call this thief; it’s basically man to man, with a rat in the middle of the field and a five-man pressure on. FSU brings a safety off the edge, and he’s untouched, but comes from a good amount of depth, and the Bama QB shows a lot of poise here, fading away to get just enough time to throw this ball. This is the most important play of the drive and the only third down Alabama has to convert. I fully think this is a called screen, and it’s a heck of a call. I doubt Ryan Grubb would ever read our articles, but if he does, I’d like to know if I’m correct.
1st & 10 | 20 | 2:21
On the final play of the drive, the Tide align in a 12 personnel nub set into the boundary. They’ll run my favorite play to a nub into the boundary, pin and pull. FSU aligns in a mugged look, which is almost a dream come true for pin and pull. Alabama down blocks the 5 tech and 2i tech, pulls the tackle and center, kicks the edge, wraps for the next interior defender at linebacker depth, and they’re off to the races. Listen, pin and pull is tough to defend against, and even harder into the boundary. FSU loads the field side and leaves a 2i and 5 tech backside along with two safeties, and that’s not going to cut it against this scheme into the boundary.
Final Thoughts
When it came down to a final drive to effectively win this game, Alabama went to the ground game, with only ten yards of the ninety yards they gained coming off one executed pass. The rest of the drive consisted of downhill runs out of twelve personnel, daring FSU to load the box and match them with heavier personnel, which they never did. Say what you want about Alabama allowing FSU to stay in this game, but I believe it’s drives like this that help define your team for the rest of the season. Because the next time they need a drive like this to win a game, they’ll feel supremely confident that they can impose their will on a defense, because they’ve done it before.
That's a great look at getting an extra blocker at the point of attack, but having the discipline to run weak to keep the defense honest. The Bama backs run hard!