South Dakota State opened the 2025 season with a workmanlike 20 to 3 win over Sacramento State, leaning on a physical ground game and a defense that never flinched. The Jackrabbits pounded out 240 yards rushing and added another 190 through the air. Not flashy, but efficient. What stood out on film was SDSU’s commitment to compressed formations. Of their 47 offensive snaps, nearly half (23) came from condensed or bunch sets. In this two-part breakdown, we’ll take a look at how the Jacks used these tight formations to stress Sacramento State in both the run and pass game. Part one will focus on the run game.
Heavy Bunch Squeeze
South Dakota State showed an unorthodox twist on Bunch Squeeze by inserting a sixth offensive lineman into the formation. He lined up with an eligible number, but there was no disguise. He was there to block. While this look later became important in their max protection packages, the Jackrabbits also leaned on it in the run game. On this play, they ran split zone with the heavy wing acting as the kick-out player. SDSU is built big up front, so operating in a phone booth plays to their strengths. This formation shrinks space, tightens angles, and allows their offensive line to take over the line of scrimmage.
Trey Wing
The Jackrabbits consistently played in tight quarters, often snapping the ball with 10 players inside the tackle box. This formation was no different. SDSU used jet motion away from the tight end and wing set, then ran Pin and Pull to the tight ends. If you follow our work, you already know I’m a big fan of Pin and Pull toward the tight end. It’s a hard run concept to defend, especially to the nub side.
Creating a 5 Man Surface
The Jackrabbits created a five-man surface by short motioning a receiver to join the tight end and wing. Once the defense adjusted to the overloaded look, SDSU ran Duo weak for a solid gain. This is smart football. Create a compressed set, suggest you're running strong, then hit the defense where they're light. Simple design with clean execution.
Trio Bunch Squeeze
This time, South Dakota State lined up in normal personnel out of a Trio Bunch look. They ran Pin and Pull Toss to the bunch side and pulled what felt like half the offense. It was a thing of beauty. SDSU continues to show they can dress up the same core run concepts in multiple ways.
Here’s a strong example of SDSU running outside zone from their Bunch Squeeze set, pairing it with a “shoot” RPO. They added motion to window-dress the look and hold the second level. The run concept stays physical up front, but the added RPO element forces the defense to cover the entire width of the field.
Double Tight Flexbone
This was a great goal line look from the Jackrabbits. In 13 personnel with a double wing set, they motioned their lone receiver and handed off on a jet sweep. Nothing exotic, just another condensed wrinkle that forces the defense to stay honest. SDSU keeps everything tight and physical, but still finds ways to hit the perimeter.
Ace Flex
Late in the game, SDSU lined up in a variation of a 12 personnel Ace set. It was unbalanced, with the boundary receiver covering the boundary tight end. The field receiver came in jet motion, and they ran what looked like Outside Zone Wham off that sweep action. The backside tackle and tight end both released outside, which helped widen the 3-tech and set up a clean angle for the wham block. A creative mix of motion and formation to open a lane inside.
A few plays later, the Jackrabbits came back to the same formation and motion. This time, they handed off the jet sweep. It’s a great example of SDSU building plays off one another and setting the defense up for a wrinkle later in the series. The look is the same, but the outcome changes. That’s how you create hesitation.
South Dakota State’s run game against Sacramento State was a clinic in how to weaponize condensed sets. Whether it was six offensive linemen, unbalanced formations, or tight bunch looks, the Jackrabbits used structure and motion to manipulate the defense pre-snap and win angles post-snap. These formations took full advantage of SDSU’s size and physicality while also setting up shot plays and RPOs later in the game. In an era where spread concepts dominate, SDSU is blending that philosophy with heavy personnel and tight formations to create a unique brand of football.