Film Study: Look at What This Oklahoma State Offense Could Become

We looked at the J.W. Walsh package at the goal line on Friday. In the next play, we are going to look at one of OSU’s base running plays. I mainly want to take a look at it because of Raymond Taylor. There isn’t really anything special with this play, it’s a good play call that should have gone for more yardage. I want to take notice of Taylor’s effort.

As you can see, OSU is lined up with three wide, single back, and tight end. This formation spreads out the defense, because of the passing game, both safeties are having to help over top. This renders them a non-factor in the running game. KSU is lined up with four linemen, two backers in the box, one split out covering the WR, two corners and two deep safeties.

This appears to be a run/pass option, first off Rudolph makes the incorrect read. If the DE crashes down, he’s supposed to pull the ball out and throw or QB run. If Rudolph would have read the play correctly, he had Glidden open on an out at the 40 yard line.

Nevertheless, Rudolph misreads the play, causing an extra defender to throw off the blocking scheme. Had the DE shot up field, this play could have gone for a large chunk. No. 64 chips the DT and breaks away towards the linebacker. The DT blows past the RT which hurts the flow of the run, the TE could have been an extra blocker to help move that DT out of the hole. Had Taylor been able to get through the hole at full speed, he could have cut back towards the logo and wouldn’t have been touched until he was twelve yards deep.

If Rudolph had made the correct read, he could have kept it himself, he’d at least have gotten a first down before he was touched, possibly been in FG range.

This play should have been stopped for a minimal gain, but because Taylor never stops moving his feet he turns a potential second and long into a second and short. This is why getting four to five yards a run is so important, second and third and short are much easier to convert. It also allows a team to take a shot down field on second down.

Taylor is making the most of his opportunity and I’m sure the coaching staff loves to see a fourth stringer running like he’s never going to play again. I’d also like to point out Robinson at RG, he sure fires off the ball hard and with purpose. I hope to see more of him in the weeks to come.

About the importance of being able to gain four to five yards a play. What do you do when your offensive line isn’t performing up to par and you‘re down to third and fourth string at RB? You throw short passes to act as the run game.

On this play OSU is lined up with trips right, single WR left, single back. We’ve discussed how much I love when OSU spreads it out like this. If they wanted to run, look at KSU’s defense, they have four down linemen and one backer in the middle. Just look at all that space, I have a lone tear rolling down my face.

This is what it looks like to use the passing game as a rushing attack. Rudolph does play action, which cause the middle backer to step towards the LOS. Hays sits down right there in between both linebackers about four yards deep for an easy pitch and catch. Ideally you’d like him to get a little deeper, but then you run the risk of carrying the route into a defender’s lane.

OSU has had trouble running the ball, that’s no secret, the interior line hasn’t been great. What they have been good at doing is pass protection. So why not use the strengths of the team and throw quick short passes to act as the running game?

This gets the ball to athletes in space, ultimately as an offense, you want playmakers to have the ball out in the open field. The WRs get put in one on one situations, personally I’ll take OSU’s wide outs one on one over just about any corner in the Big 12.

Hays didn’t get a big play, but now it’s second and six instead of second and nine. This gives Yurcich more flexibility in his second down play call. He can line up some formation and actually run the ball, linebacker might not be as quick to the LOS because of the potential pass. He could call the exact play and make it third and two, this certainly helps the flow of the offense.

In my opinion, this was one of the better called games I’ve seen in a while. The flow of the offense was nice and even being one dimensional OSU was able to put up 36 points on a salty KSU defense.
The running game is going to start working, the o-line will start to gel. If this offense can start running the football, they will become dangerous. Remember this is still a young football team that knows it can win tight games. They are becoming a tough minded team. Hard-nosed SOBs. They know when the fourth quarter starts, they are going to win the game.

Now they aren’t Mike Tyson, they won’t KO anyone in the first round. However, they are the guy who can stand there and take everything the opposition throws at them and smile back and say “Is that all you got?” They might not go undefeated, but they aren’t going to walk into Morgantown or Lubbock and get rattled.

They aren’t going to care about how amazing Baylor is or what the history of Bedlam is. They won’t care if Boykin is a Heisman contender, no, they are going to walk in knowing they have what it takes to win. They won’t cower or scare, they most certainly won’t back down. This is a team that will require opposing teams to throw everything they have at them to win. This is a team that will make other coaches happy to not have to play them again.

I urge you not to look at what they are right now, but look at what they are becoming. I love my university and I love this team. As my three year old daughter loves to say “Go Pokes!”