The Evolution of Montana State’s Outside Zone

Back in October, we broke down Montana State’s Outside Zone package and the layers they were building off that base concept. At the time, the story was all about window dressing: jet motion, slice action, bluff blocks, and sequencing that forced linebackers and ends to hesitate just long enough for the Bobcats to crease defenses. Fast forward to the heart of the FCS playoffs, and the production is still there but the structure of how they’re getting to it has subtly evolved.

Earlier in the season, Montana State leaned heavily on slicing and bluffing the wing across the formation, creating backside seams and conflict for the defensive end. That tool is still very much in the toolbox. What’s changed is how often the wing is now becoming a true part of the zone scheme rather than a pure conflict player. Instead of constantly crossing the formation, he’s increasingly aligned on the play side, fitting like another offensive lineman and helping generate displacement at the point of attack.

Montana State aligns in an unbalanced wide receiver set and brings the boundary receiver across in jet motion to the field, immediately stressing the defense horizontally. The real coaching point here is the wing. Earlier in the year, this was almost always a slice or bluff look. Now, he’s aligned on the same side as the back and fits directly into the Outside Zone blocking structure. This mirrors a trend we’ve seen grow across the FCS this season: using hybrid bodies to create heavier surfaces without sacrificing tempo or motion threats.

This is a great example of Montana State leaning into size and leverage. Out of another unbalanced squeeze formation, the wing again falls into the zone scheme while the receivers outside release vertically to occupy the secondary. It’s simple football, but it’s effective when big bodies create movement and clean angles up front with a back who can press the track with confidence.