Sprint-Out Shovel Concept by UC Davis
UC Davis dialed up a unique twist in their rollout game during the 2024 season. By marrying a sprint-out concept with a power read shovel, they created a clean, QB-friendly read that solved two problems at once: simplify the throw side progression and eliminate the headache of blocking the play side defensive end. It's a clever blend of structure and option, a west coast vibe meeting triple option logic.
At its core, this is a power read shovel married to a sprint-out Snag-Corner-Flat concept. The quarterback opens with a read on the defensive end, if he squeezes, the QB keeps it and gets on the move. Against Cal, the DE squeezed hard, so the Aggie QB stuck with the rollout and transitioned into reading the Snag combo. With Cover 1 across the board, he liked the corner route and trusted his guy to win it. The receiver does a textbook job flattening the break, shielding the defender. Easy pitch, clean catch, first down.
Fast forward to the Southern Utah game, same look, same read. The defensive end squeezes again, so the quarterback rolls out and gets into the Snag progression. This time, he doesn’t force the corner. Instead, he takes the flat route, which is left uncovered. It's a quick, easy completion that turns into positive yards. Same concept, different answer, and great example of taking what the defense gives you.
This next rep doesn’t hit big, but it’s another wrinkle from UC Davis. This time, they push motion the running back out of the backfield and use the flexed tight end as the shovel option. It’s a creative adjustment that keeps the structure of the concept intact while changing the presentation. The read is there, the timing is right, but the offensive tackle doesn’t win, and the Cal defensive end blows it up. It’s a miss, but the design is still sound.
The final clip shows UC Davis running the concept to the two-receiver side, pairing it with an out-and-corner route combo. The defensive end gets upfield, and the quarterback makes the correct read, pitching the shovel underneath. But the running back presses too wide, he overruns the lane and has to cut it back, resulting in just a short gain. It’s not a big win on the stat sheet, but schematically, it’s still a hat-on-a-hat. The Aggies had the right numbers, but they didn’t finish the rep.
Conclusion
UC Davis's sprint-out shovel concept is a smart blend of option mechanics and rollout structure. It trims the quarterback's decision tree while offering flexible answers against a variety of looks. Whether they’re reading the defensive end or working through the snag concept, the Aggies consistently present problems for the edge defender. Even on the reps that didn’t hit, the concept held up on the white board. With some cleaner execution, this play has serious staying power in the rollout game toolbox.