How Oregon’s “Squeeze-n-Pop” Strategy Stifled the Zone Read

Zach Pierson Analysis

Welcome to a special edition of X’s vs. O’s! Whether you are a die-hard Oregon Duck fan or a casual observer, I don’t think anyone expected Oregon to keep pace with Arizona in their November 18th showdown. To come away with such an emphatic victory is even more impressive. The defensive game-plan deserves much of the credit, and is worth studying. Today, …

X’s vs. O’s: Two Age-old Concepts Combine To Create Something “New”

Zach Pierson Analysis

Welcome to this week’s edition of X’s vs. O’s. Today we return to the “picture book” format! The concept we are discussing today is another new idea that has spread like wildfire throughout the collegiate ranks in recent years. However, like most “new” things in the world, it is simply a combination of two very old ideas. In this case, …

X’s vs. O’s: It’s Blitz! Blitzing vs. Full Slide Pass Protection

Zach Pierson Analysis

Welcome to the sixth installment of X’s vs. O’s. In this series, we will analyze ways in which Oregon utilizes different schemes and techniques to both attack and defend the opposition. Today, we are looking at a play-action pass scheme against a zone blitz. We’ll briefly review the passing concept, the QB’s play fake, and the pass protection scheme before …

X’s vs. O’s: Using Formation and Motion to Create Explosive Plays

Zach Pierson Analysis

Welcome to the fifth installment of X’s vs. O’s. In this series, we will analyze how Oregon utilizes different schemes and techniques to attack and defend the opposition. Today we will be looking at a classic example of a coverage bust from last week’s encounter between the Ducks and the Washington State Cougars (WSU). This play is a fantastic example …

X’s vs. O’s: Oregon’s Y Pop RPO vs. Arizona State’s Solo Coverage

Zach Pierson Analysis

Welcome to this week’s edition of X’s vs. O’s! Today, we will be discussing one of the ways the Ducks exploit defenders’ simultaneous run/pass responsibilities. The example today is an RPO concept Oregon used in their game against Arizona State. “RPO” stands for Run-Pass Option. On an RPO, the play is set up as a run, but the Quarterback (QB) …

X’s vs. O’s: Oregon’s 4 Verticals vs. Nebraska’s Cover 5

Zach Pierson Analysis

Welcome to the third installment of X’s vs. O’s. In this series, we will analyze how Oregon utilizes different schemes and techniques to attack and defend the opposition. Today, we will discuss how the Cover 5 defense matches up against the 4 Verticals (so called because it involves four vertical receivers) passing concept. These common enemies clashed in a third-and-long …