O n behalf of the entire Carroll College
football staff, I would like to thank the
AFCA for the opportunity and privilege of
contributing this article for the 2002
Summer Manual . During the past two sea-
sons, Carroll College has advanced to the
national semifinals of the NAIA. One of
the reasons we feel we have been suc-
cessful is the ability to get the ball to our
runningbacks in our passing game. In our
o ffense, the runningback position is
invaluable. Our backs must be three
dimensional: they must have the ability to
block, run and catch the ball out of the
backfield. Over the last two seasons our
running backs have caught 115 passes,
accounting for nearly 1,200 receiving
yards and 10 touchdowns!
One of our favorite routes is what we
call “78 Read.” We feel that this route is
good versus the blitz, man, three deep, or
two deep schemes. This article will discuss
the adjustments for each defensive
scheme. We will run this route out of every
formation and personnel group that we
incorporate in our offensive system.
However, for this article we will stick to our
three wide receiver, one tight end set, or
our “doubles” set (Diagram 1).
Diagram 1: 78 Read
The outside receiver (X) is going to run
the post hook, breaking to the post at 12
yards, and settling in the hole at 16 yards.
The slot receiver’s landmark is the upfield
hip of the first inside linebacker, at a depth
of six to eight yards. The runningback is
going to release just outside the offensive
tackle, and break to the sideline between
three and five yards. As the quarterback
comes to the line and sees one safety in
the window (the area between the hashes
10 to 12 yards deep), his post snap read
becomes the playside/inside linebacker.
We feel that the inside linebacker will give
the quarterback an immediate post-snap
coverage read. If the linebacker is on a
stunt the quarterback must beat him with
the throw by simply dumping the ball to the
back (Diagram 2). In a man coverage
scheme, the slot receiver has the same
landmark as before, but now he tries to
“rub” the linebacker, forcing the linebacker
underneath, creating a poor angle for him
Utilizing the Back in the
One-Back Passing Game
to cover the back. When the rub takes
place, it enables us to throw the ball to the
back, producing the mismatch that we are
trying to establish, and allows us the oppor-
tunity for the big play. The slot receiver con-
tinues across the field in man coverage, as
this area should be cleared out by our
backside route combination. Our backside
receivers both run fades, or go routes
(Diagram 2A). This is very important when
facing teams that try to switch pass respon-
sibilities between the inside linebacker and
the safety. We feel that anytime we can get
our wide receiver matched up on the inside
linebacker we should win that battle. When
the quarterback sees the switch occur, he
will go to the slot receiver right away. If the
defense plays press-man with the corners
rolled up, the quarterback may check to the
backside fade if he likes the match-up. This
is usually a game plan call based on per-
sonnel. Remember, against man coverage
we want to take the high percentage throw
to the runningback and let him make a play.
Coaching Points: Get the ball to the
back as often as you can versus man cov- Nick Howlett
erage. Also, the back’s route must be crisp
and distinct. Work the receiver’s rub route Offensive Coordinator/
daily; make the commitment to get the ball Quarterbacks Coach
to the playmaker!
Diagram 2: 78 Read vs. Blitz Carroll College
Helena, Mont.
Diagram 2a: 78 Read vs. Man Free
with Switch
There are very few adjustments on the
Read route when attacking Cover 3. The wide
receivers’ landmarks will remain constant, but
the slot will look to settle in the zone, rather
than run across the field(Diagram 3). The X
receiver now becomes a more viable target,
• AFCA Summer Manual — 2002 •
because we now have the curl-flat combina-
tion, with the runningback and the X receiver.
At this point, we have put the flat defender in
a bind. We are trying to work him laterally. This
becomes a very simple curl flat read for the
quarterback.
Coaching Point: The runningback must
recognize and understand the coverage.
Against Cover 3 the back must expand the flat
defender as quickly as possible, thus creating
the coverage problem. It is imperative that the
back runs his route at full speed. If the flat
defender holds the curl too long we want to
throw to our back at full speed, outflanking the
defender. If the flat defender takes away the
back, and the inside linebacker gets under-
neath the post-hook, the slot receiver must
work back outside to replace the inside line-
backer (Diagram 3A). The read progression
for the quarterback is a simple one. Once the
quarterback understands coverage rules, this
route becomes virtually impossible to defend
in Cover 3. If the defense tries to run the back-
side linebacker to the middle and take away
the slot receiver, then the quarterback simply
throws the backside seam to the tight end.
Diagram 3: 78 Read vs. Cover 3
Diagram 3a: 78 Read vs. Cover 3 Jump
Two high schemes are something that we
see weekly. Our adjustments are again subtle,
but effective. Whenever we put a receiver or
runningback in the flat, we tell our outside
receivers that they must get an outside
release. We have stressed this to the point that
even if our receiver gets pressed completely
out of bounds, he has created the void neces-
sary to get the ball to the runningback.
Obviously, if the receiver can get a clean out-
side release the quarterback will fit the ball in
between the corner and the safety. Once
again, it is important that the runningback is
able to distinguish coverage and make the
necessary adjustments. If the back reads
Cover 2, with a squat corner, he will stop his
route and look for the ball. Remember, the
back wants to widen the flat defender in any
Cover 3 scheme. However, versus Cover 2 he
can look to hook up because he will usually not
pull the safety any wider to open the outside
receiver in Cover 2. The slot receiver will typi-
cally hold the middle linebacker creating a hole
in the zone for the back to catch the ball. Again,
the slot receiver’s landmark has not changed;
he will still work to the upfield hip of the first
inside linebacker. This landmark remains the
same because the receiver has not deter-
mined whether it is Cover 2, or two-man. If the
defense is playing a two-man scheme, the
routes will stay the same as the man-free
adjustments discussed earlier, with one excep-
tion. In a two-man scheme we will give the out-
side receiver the ability to run the skinny post if
the safety remains flat-footed (Diagram 4). We
will try to get the ball to the back as soon as
possible versus Cover 2, unless we have the
quick fade to the X receiver. We have found
that quickly throwing the ball to the back
makes the corner more aware of the running-
back and opens the door for the “home run”
ball to the outside receiver on the quick fade.
Anytime the inside linebacker drops at “zero,”
or straight back, the slot has the ability to sit
directly in front of the linebacker, or continue to
the next gap in the zone coverage. This is
extremely effective against defenses that are
using the outside linebacker to carry the No. 2
receiver, or tight end, on the vertical (Diagram
5). The backside routes do not change at all.
We want to run vertical and stretch the back-
side as much as we can. The tight end will take
the quickest release from the line, and once he
is into his route he wants to gain width, pulling
the safety off the hash. The quarterback will
look front side as much as possible, rarely
checking to the backside. The exception to this
occurs when the quarterback likes the match
up with the outside receiver and the corner,
knowing that the tight end should hold the
safety, creating a one on one.
The read route has been very good to us.
We feel that we can execute this scheme
against any look or coverage the defense pre-
sents us. We feel very strongly about the con-
tribution to our pass game that our running-
backs make. There are several reasons that
we feel this way. We have found that we can
throw to the backs with a higher percentage of
completion, and still have big play potential.
The big play arises not only from the mis-
matches created by throwing to the back, but
• AFCA Summer Manual — 2002 •
Diagram 4: 78 Read vs.
Flat-Footed Safety
Diagram 5: 78 Read vs. Cover 2
also in the defense’s attempt to control our
backs. We have been fortunate enough to hit
some “home run” balls to the outside receivers
because our runningbacks demand so much
attention. The runningback routes are built in
“hots,” and are great at defeating blitz schemes
that defenses utilize. When playing defenses
that are based on multiple blitzes and bring a
tremendous amount of pressure we simply go
to our “stay” protection and keep the tight end
in. Runningbacks have become so versatile
that defenses are loading the box to stop the
run, and therefore, stop your playmaker. We
feel that this is another way to get our play-
makers the ball on the perimeter, and put pres-
sure on the defense. Most of our backs’ routes
are not difficult to teach. The route combina-
tions are not complicated, but consist of easy
to learn reads for the quarterbacks, and simple
adjustments for the receivers. The majority of
our route adjustments can be determined pre-
snap, by both the receiver and by the quarter-
back. Our runningbacks have become a cen-
tral part of our offense, particularly in the red
zone. We see defenses trying to bring so much
pressure, and wanting to play man-to-man
defense, that the runningback is, often times,
unaccounted for and left alone in the end zone!
These are a few of the reasons that we will
continue to utilize the back in the one-back
passing game. Hopefully, some of the informa-
tion presented here will be useful to you and
directly impact the success of your teams!
Again, I would like to thank the AFCA for this
opportunity to share some ideas with you, and
wish you the best of luck this fall. If there are
any questions about the Read route, or any-
thing else that we do, please, do not hesitate to
contact us. Go Saints!