Film Study: Play Action, Pull Guard

Today we’ll look at MSU’s play action pass play. Specifically, when they pull the Right Guard (Ben Beckwith) to sell the run.

Pulling the guard is done to bait the defense into committing to the run even more than they would be with a standard fake hand-off. If you can get a safety to take a step or two up it could be all you need for a wide receiver to get open.

The following are two plays which utilize play-action and pull the guard. MSU is lined up in different formations, but the receiver’s routes Dak Prescott throws the ball to are the same in each play. Let’s take a look (click image to enlarge any shot)…

As you can see on this first shot, MSU is lined up with four wide. Robert Johnson is wide to the left with Malcolm Johnson in the slot. On the right side Bear Wilson is wide with Gabe Myles in the slot. While there are two WR on either side of the line, the ball is on the right hash leaving the Johnson’s with the biggest area to work.

Now you can see the play action. Dak Prescott fakes the hand-off to Josh Robinson, and Ben Beckwith pulls to the left side to block the defensive end who is crashing down. It’s good defense though – Auburn’s safety doesn’t bite (you can see him back-peddling).

As Prescott surveys the field he sees Bear Wilson in tight coverage on the bottom of the screen and and same for Robert Johnson at the top. The safety is still the key – will he pick up RoJo or MoJo? If he picks up MoJo then the option will likely be Gabe Myles on the underneath route, but he stays with RoJo, and why Malcolm makes his break he shakes the  defender out of his shoes to get open.

Also you can’t see it on this shot, but that crashing DE has a full head of steam and Ben Beckwith wasn’t able to hold it for long, but Josh Robinson helped him out to give Prescott enough time.

Dak hits Malcolm Johnson for the first down.

Here’s a second example from the LSU game of play action and pulling the guard. In this one, Malcolm Johnson is lined up as the H back. Robert Johnson is on the right side and Bear Wilson on the left with Jameon Lewis behind the line of scrimmage. Once again the Bulldogs on on the right hash.

Safeties are the key once again. LSU brings one safety up near the line of scrimmage to protect from Prescott or Robinson running to that side of the field. They leave only one safety back in coverage, so if the play-action isn’t utilized he can help out with Bear and Tubby, but since MSU does fake the hand-off it’s one-on-one on the wide side of the field.

Also notice that unlike the Auburn play, neither the DE nor the safety near the line crash the pocket. Pulling the guard sold the run enough for them not to rush and gave Prescott plenty of time.

Bear Wilson one-on-one with a safety? I’ll take that every day of the week!

Sure enough the safety can’t handle Bear Wilson and he’s wide open down the middle of the field. Prescott had all day to throw – JRob was looking for someone to block. Look at those LBs in the picture above, they are just waiting for Prescott to take off and hoping their secondary can cover – that is the great benefit of a running QB.

Both passes were big plays. Auburn played it well but MSU still beat the coverage for a first down. LSU didn’t play it so well and it turned into a huge gain down inside the five yard line.