Western Kentucky had a great year offensively in 2021 and were 2nd in the country with 535 yards per game and scored 44 points per game so they were pretty good on the offensive side. They were led by a highly accurate QB Bailey Zappe and Zach Kittley did a great job with the offense. He is an excellent offensive coordinator who runs an air raid passing system. They do a great job with their play calling.
First, they are very good at reading defenses and taking what they give you. For example, if they go to a double stack formation, and you give them a 5 man box, they will run the ball. They run a little more than most air raid systems. If you give them a soft CB or perimeter # advantage they will throw the screen. Some times they come out in trips to the boundary. If you play the single wr to the field with a cover 3 or 1 look, they will often throw him the ball, so it forces teams to help over the top. Excellent base package from Western Kentucky.
5 things I took away from their offense:
1. Formation into the boundary package
2. Use of stack formations
3. Jet sweep play actio- HB Wheel route
4. Excellent cover 2 beaters-sneak route to the middle of the field
1. Formation into the Boundary
If they get single coverage or cover 3 they will throw the ball to #1 on the fade or if the CB is off they will throw the ball to #1 on an out cut.
Any cover 2/4 looks where there is help over #1, they will work the ball back to the boundary side which could be a twins or trips formation.
If the coverage is 3 they also can throw the ball into the boundary attacking the seem in a few ways which I will get into in this article.
There first 7 times agains Michigan State they were 7 for 7 for 176 yards, averaging 25 yards per play. That's pretty impressive. That's 100% completion rate.
1st and 10
11 personnel twins to the boundary and tight, flank to the field
coverage: They get cover 3 with a press CB and this gives them a favorable matchup on the outside to the field.
They run a fade on the outside to #1 on the tight end side. The #1 wr has plenty of room to operate.
Result: 51 yard gain
2nd and 10
twins to the boundary , TE and flanker to the field
They get cover 3 with a soft corner.
Route Concept: #1 now runs a deep out cut based on the coverage.
Result: 12 yard gain
For more on this! see my other article on how they used it vs Michigan State, They were 7/7 for 176 yards.
2. Stack Formations
Western Kentucky uses stack formations to get advantages and dictate their play calling. Depending on the defense they get to the stack look. they can do 3 things. They have different options. In the pass game, they have a screen, the old wr pop screen that becomes converted to a go route vs man coverage. Nice concept and read type play.
A. 5 man box vs 10 personnel or 6 man box vs 11 personnel, run the ball. Vs Old Dominion, they get a 6 man box when they go tight end to the boundary.
A few examples of the run play above
B. Soft perimeter match up throw the screen
Vs. Indiana, they used the screen as a run component, gaining good yardage against exrtemely soft coverage. CB at 8 yards, The WR just have to block the OLB or FS to the boundary to get easy yardage.
If you play off they have the ability to throw the quick now screen.
C. Run traditional routes based on the coverage they get.
Here they get a cover 2 look presnap and run the curl with the vertical. Nice cover 2 beater for a 12 yard gain.
D. Screen and go vs Man coverage
They have the man beater built into the play as their OLine never release downfield out of their stack formation.
Here they get man, fake the screen and run the screen and go. QB looks left to draw the free safety over and it's an easy touchdown.
They run the same concept vs UTSA in the championship game.
Great route and concept.
He beats him off the line for the nice touchdown.
3. Jet Sweep RB Seem Route(almost a 4 vert concept with the rb as the seam runner)
They fake Jet sweep and love to hit the RB in the seam. Excellent play vs cover 3 rotations. Teams love to roll cover 3 vs jet and they have a nice answer with the HB seem route off of the jet sweep fake. Puts teams in a bind that like to roll the safeties. They also love running this to boundary which I will show you later.
Here is the concept vs UTSA. He reads the alley player and throws it to the RB.
They will also run this route concept with the #3 wr/te in the seem without the jet motion. Nice concept.
4. Cover 2 beaters
They run excellent routes vs. Cover 2-Here's a great cover 2 beater which is also excellent vs special coverage where the safety is reading #3. His eyes never leave #3 and the LB is also walling #3. That delay and go by #2 is wide open!
Lastly, they use an air raid passing system:
These routes will include but aren't limited to:
1. Smash
2. Y Cross
3. Shallow
4. Mesh
5. 4 verticals
These are just a few pieces of the W Kentucky offense that I enjoy watching. Hope you enjoyed this article.
