Northwest Missouri State and the Art of Pin and Pull
How the Bearcats Dress Up a Classic Scheme
If you follow BoardDrill, you know we love wide zone, power read, and all the modern window dressing that fills up the college game. But sometimes a team reminds you that an old answer still works when it is coached with intention. Northwest Missouri State is that team.
The Bearcats use pin & pull like a craftsman uses a favorite tool. It is simple, it travels, and it becomes whatever they need based on formation and presentation. In this breakdown we look at three snaps that show how the staff uses motion, unbalanced sets, and RPO influence to create clean pictures in the run game.
Pin and Pull
Northwest Missouri State opens in a two by two wing set and motions the wing across the formation. That little adjustment gives them a numbers edge before the ball is even snapped.
Here are the core rules they follow:
Outside receiver cracks the alley defender
Slot receiver cracks the box linebacker
Wing reaches the end man on the line
Play side tackle pulls for the corner
Play side guard blocks down on the 2i Tackle
Center pulls and wraps
Backside guard works a deep cutoff
Backside tackle reaches the 3 technique
At the snap, the slot receiver aims for the first linebacker in the box, but the defender shoots the B gap. The receiver tries to redirect to the backside linebacker and misses. Even with that miss, the outside receiver and wing set a clean edge. The playside tackle does a strong job in space and fits on the corner.
The B gap movement holds the center, who engages the playside linebacker and keeps that block alive the entire play. Because the linebacker shot inside, the slot receiver never gets to crack him, which frees the safety to roll downhill without traffic.
If the guard reaches the perimeter, he has a clean angle on the safety or backside linebacker, but even without that piece, they open the game with a five yard gain on an outside run against a top ranked opponent. It is a tone setter.
Hold the Safety
Later in the game, Northwest Missouri State comes back to pin and pull with a small twist. They begin in an unbalanced wing set into the field and shift the tight end back into the boundary. The wing stays put. No motion this time.
The wrinkle comes from the RPO tag. The wing runs up the seam on a pop concept, which holds the free safety and pulls him toward the field. That tiny hesitation creates space to the run side.
The play side tight end reaches the defensive end. The tackle pins the 3 technique. The guard pulls and cleans up the corner. The center climbs to the playside linebacker. The backside linebacker freezes because he is reading the RPO.
There is no gray area on this one. The read holds the safety, the fit is clean, and the ball crosses the goal line for six.
Quarterback Pin and Pull
Northwest Missouri State shows off their flexibility later in the game. They begin in a flexed empty formation with the tight end aligned as the outside receiver. The tight end motions into the wing spot and now the Bearcats get into their quarterback pin & pull scheme.
The wing and tackle pin the play side defensive linemen. The guard and center pull to the edge. The outside receiver cracks the alley defender exactly like they did on the opener. The offensive linemen fit on the second level and the quarterback has a wide lane for an easy first down.
This is the same scheme dressed three different ways, and every version forces the second level to play honest.
Closing Thoughts
Northwest Missouri State does not try to reinvent the wheel. They take a dependable concept, dress it to fit the week, and let their players operate with confidence. Pin and pull is a great example of how simplicity becomes dangerous when it is packaged with motion, formation variety, and smart conflict tags.
If you want more deep dives like this, check out season 3 of the BoardDrill Podcast which launched this week, and visit boarddrill.com for weekly scheme breakdowns built for high school coaches.