Tackle Trap at Farmageddon
Farmageddon didn’t just give us a rivalry game, it gave us some interesting run concepts by both teams. The Kansas State Wildcats rolled out a handful of concepts that stood out, especially in 1st and 2nd and long situations. One in particular? The Tackle Trap.
This isn’t your standard inside trap. Kansas State used the Long Tackle Trap to keep defenses honest when they were expecting pass. Instead of settling into predictable drop backs, the Wildcats went back to a classic physical concept: let the defensive line get upfield, then punish them with a trap.
Here’s how it works:
Front Side: The play side down blocks hard, double teaming to LB level.
Pulling Tackle: The backside tackle becomes the key. He pulls across the formation and kicks out the first down lineman who shows.
Running Back: From the pistol, the back presses the line of scrimmage as if it’s zone, then cuts inside the trap block.
Let’s get into the film….
On the first clip, Kansas State lines up in a tight trips pistol look. The design of the play is all about manipulating the linebackers. Watch how the running back presses downhill to the weak side first. That little jab step forces the linebackers to step into the down blocks before he cuts back to the play side.
Up front, the rules stay simple: everyone else is down blocking. Against Iowa State’s 3-man front, this creates a wall. By the time the linebackers get their read steps, they’re already caught in the wash and it’s too late to scrape over the top.
The tight end does a great job coming off the double team to seal the middle linebacker. That frees the backside tackle to pull across and clean up the play-side linebacker. The result is a crease downhill, with the running back hitting the hole clean.
It’s a perfect 2nd-and-long call being physical, downhill, and designed to punish over-aggressive linebackers. Execution is key, though. If the back holds onto the football, this is a chain-mover.
Later in the game, Kansas State comes back to the same Long Trap concept out of the same tight trips pistol set, this time into the boundary. Iowa State adjusts.
On this snap, the defensive end loops outside of the tight end. The TE makes the right read and he comes off and takes the play-side linebacker instead. That leaves the backside tackle free to pull and kick out the looping DE.
Meanwhile, the A-gap nose tackle stunts out toward the strength, which changes the math for the offensive line. The down blocks don’t get the same angles, and instead of creating a clean wall, the line is fighting leverage.
The result? Iowa State contains the run for just a 3-yard gain. Same concept, same formation, but a great example of how one defensive stunt can disrupt the rhythm of the play.
Kansas State doesn’t shy away from the call and they line up in the same formation, same concept once again. This time, the Wildcats win the rep with movement up front.
Iowa State tries to get creative, blitzing the Mike linebacker into the backside A-gap. The center is right there, cutting him off and stopping penetration. At the same time, the nose tackle stunts all the way to the strong-side C-gap, exactly where the pulling backside tackle meets him.
The beauty here is that the offensive line never panics. They stick to their down-block and pull rules, and everything fits clean. The trap lane opens, the running back hits it, and Kansas State converts a first down on 2nd & Long to extend the drive.
It’s a textbook example of trusting your rules. Even when the defense slants and blitzes, if everyone stays disciplined, the Tackle Trap still finds daylight.
The result? Defenders who fly upfield get washed out, and the back has a clean alley with numbers in his favor.
Kansas State used this look multiple times against Iowa State, and each time it forced linebackers to hesitate. That hesitation opens up the Wildcats’ play-action game later on, a double win for Collin Klein’s offense.
For high school coaches, this is a great addition if you’re looking for a simple changeup that doesn’t require new blocking rules across the board. It hits downhill, punishes aggressive defensive tackles, and gives you a call you can lean on when behind the sticks.