When I first watched South Dakota State run this play, I thought I was looking at a familiar wham concept. Similar to the 2019 Patriots teams, who would leave a defensive lineman for the fullback, get an offensive lineman up to the second level, and hit it inside. But this play is much more unique.
The more I watched, the more I liked what the Jackrabbits were doing. They were running midzone toward an unbalanced formation and bringing a tight end across to wham a defender on the weak side. That block helps open the cutback when the defense flows toward the strength.
I’m calling this Midzone Wham. The formation caught my attention, but the way the wham fits the running back’s read is what makes the play worth a closer look.
Start with the unbalanced formation
South Dakota State lines up in a four-strong unbalanced set. The attached tight end is on the line of scrimmage, with a receiver outside him also on the line. That covers the tight end and makes him ineligible. Another receiver is off the line, and the player coming across in motion is a tight end body aligned in the slot.
That alignment gives the defense something to sort out before the snap. The corner and safety have receivers to account for, and the defense has to decide how it will handle the extra strength. It can shift the front, cause the defense to slant toward it, or bring a safety into the box to the unbalanced side. Each response affects where the cutback might open.
In these examples, the midzone action goes toward the unbalanced side. The slot motions weak to “wham” the second defensive lineman a 3 tech, 4, or 4i technique usually. The only change I would make from what South Dakota State is doing, is I would flip my TE to the shortside and align him up as the backside tackle, it’s an easy base block for him and it would keep a safety over top of him if the defense is in man coverage as respecting the eligible WR lined up at tackle. This would make it a true tackle over set, which is O.K. because the TE was ineligible anyway. Having the tackle to the unbalanced side would also add some beef to the midzone side of the play.
Keep the midzone track
The running back’s aiming point is the outside foot of the playside tackle. He presses that track and reads the lane. If C gap closes, he can work back to B gap. If B gap closes, the cut can come farther inside through A gap, including the backside A gap when it opens.
That track matters because it gets the defensive line and linebackers flowing toward the strength which they will have to over play naturally due to the unbalanced formation. The wham player is coming across to help secure the backside cutback lane. The play still has an opportunity to hit on its original track, and South Dakota State does that on the film.
I would be careful about teaching the back to assume this is a cutback every time. He needs to press his aiming point and let the blocks happen. If the lane is there, get downhill. If the defense takes it away, trust the cutback. Selling off tackle is crucial to setting the cutback up.
Identify the wham defender
The backside tackle and the wham player have to be clear on who they are blocking. In the looks shown here, the backside tackle blocks out on the widest defender. The wham player takes the next defender inside him, the second man from the weak-side edge of the defensive front.
That target can look like a three- or five-technique depending on the front. The tackle secures the edge, and the motion player comes across to kick the defender inside it.
Leaving that defender for the wham allows an offensive lineman to work toward the second level. This allows your backside guard to help on one 1 technique allowing your center to climb to the second level. Anytime you can get another O-lineman up to the second level it’s a good run play. Schematically, it’s trap, except we’re using a slot WR in a TE body to do the trapping and we’re starting off showing midzone and trap blocking the backside. Like I said, “A unique running play.”
Across the rest of the line, the starting point is the playside gap. A lineman with a defender in that gap works to reach and take him over. If his gap is clear, he can help the adjacent lineman to his backside before climbing. The attached tight end always accounts for the D gap. When there is no D-gap defender, he can help the tackle with his reach.
Against some of these fronts, that produces two combination blocks with the tight end basing outside, which turns it into Duo blocking.
Give the combination time to work
Like any zone scheme, getting movement on the defensive lineman is key. The offensive lineman can’t get stalemated at the point of attack on their reach blocks, and the defensive lineman locks out, holds his ground, and eventually fights across the face.
Midzone wham creates double teams which should allow the oline to dominate the defensive front. The times this play doesn’t work is when lineman are too quick to get up field and the defensive lineman are able to lock out and fight across the face.
This is where I would spend time with the offensive line. Help the backside reach blocker get control of the defender before leaving him for the second level. A hand on the defender only helps if it gives the next lineman a chance to take over. Work that hip, get movement when you can, and let the combination develop before climbing.
The Purpose of the Wham Block
The wham helps open the cutback, but the combination blocks are what give the back a chance to get through it. The linemen have to give each other enough help to secure the down defenders before climbing, especially when the defense slants and changes the picture. The back still needs to press the outside foot of the playside tackle and trust his read, taking the frontside lane when it’s there or cutting back inside when the defense overplays the action.
What I like most is how the formation and the blocking fit the back’s read. The unbalanced set gives the defense a reason to overplay the strength. Midzone gets it moving that way, and the wham helps create room for the ball to come back inside.
If midzone is already part of your offense, I hope this article helps your studies. There is a lot to like about the cutback South Dakota State creates and the uniqueness of this offensive play.
Adam MaCauley is the face behind Simple Football Systems. If you’d like to read and watch more of Adam’s content subscribe to his YouTube page by clicking here.