How Ole Miss Tweaked Counter with a Direct Snap

A few weeks ago, we broke down a creative counter variation from Arizona State. Today, we’re looking at another one, this time from Ole Miss. Is it a game-breaker? No. But it’s a smart wrinkle worth adding to your offensive toolbox. In this article, we’ll break down how Ole Miss uses a direct snap to run counter in a way that stresses the defense without needing a handoff.

Here, Ole Miss runs their G/H counter with a direct snap to the running back. He does a great job selling the counter footwork before cutting back with the pullers to the left. That initial sell pulls both interior linebackers out of position, they flow over top the wrong direction, and suddenly the Rebels have leverage on the play-side edge. The play-side guard ends up with a clean angle to seal the backside linebacker, and the play-side backer is so far out of it that the tight end has no one to block. If he climbs to the safety, this could easily be six. Either way, it’s a clean first down off a well-executed wrinkle.

This time, Ole Miss runs the same counter variation against a 4-3 box from LSU. The blocking is textbook, the front handles the down linemen, and once again, the action creates a perfect angle on the backside linebacker. It’s a clean six-yard gain, with the safety having to step up and make the stop. Not a flashy play, but another efficient, well-schemed answer from the Rebels.

Ole Miss isn’t reinventing counter here, they’re refining it. The direct snap variation doesn’t require a new blocking scheme or formation overhaul, just smart design and disciplined execution. It’s a subtle tweak that messes with linebacker reads, cleans up angles, and gives the back a head start. In a game where inches matter, that’s the kind of detail that keeps the chains moving, and defenses guessing.