is the freshman start, the beginning of the learning curve and it does NOT mean it can't be effective. It's used more often when an offense is utilizing a wide split (larger gap) between the interior O-lineman. The disadvantage to the wide split is that a roving LB might find it easier to shoot the gap upon snap. Also, BYU tends to zone R and favors the strong side (TE) when running a zone scheme. Unfortunately, BYU spends a slight majority of time operating on or near the right hash mark and so the short side of the field. The short side of the field is more compact, less difficult to defend and adds the sideline as a more important 12th defender. The advantage and disadvantage to zone lean right so often is that a good D-Line does as stated before, allows the O-Line's tendency to lock up on the D-Lineman, and they in turn fill two gaps by going down and executing a concurrent take down. So unless a running back can hurdle a pile of bodies he gets little gain as the barrier folds up in front of him, he'll have no-place to go as the sideline comes up to great him, and the free Will LB from the dark side of the play has him trapped so there is no reversing course. Its a no gain or TFL. The good thing about these pays is that when the wide splits maintain, a back can spring for a 2nd or even third level gain. But I think those became more rare as the season wore on, and clearly the zone blocking worked much better on the end around to line fake (form of optional jet sweep) when BYU ran that throughout the year.

The thing you can do effectively off a zone push like that is fake the ball towards the line push but then immediately pull the ball and run backside to the week side of the field. There is usually one on one coverage over there and you can do a wide variety of things including naked bootlegs, a slot receiver pulling and moving into a wheel route under as the Y receiver takes the CB and safety deep across the middle. Alligeier BOTH had big receptions on that play this past season. Unfortunately we did not tun it very often. LaVell and Norm Chow used to run it at least two times a game. What I love about those plays is they are fast releases (youdon't get sacks), there is really misdirection going on as you have ost of the defense thinking run towards the short side of the field and you have a lot of undefended grass to the left.

The main point is, you cannot do a lot f these more complicated traps and pulling lineman plays with brand new alpha dogs just learning the collegiate game. But the fact that BYU's O-Line really developed its freshman quickly is a huge witness to the quality of the O-Line coaching right now and previously. We might call them the "big uglies," but the fact is, the skill levels needed to become really good at every aspect of line play is so very important and BYU is already really good at this with its young starters. The really young guys right behind are likely learning at an accelerated pace as well. Footwork, hip mobility and balance, strength, conditioning and absolute ability to cowboy u on every down is the key to success in the trenches. I am very impressed with this group of young blockers. They are far from perfect, but getting a lot closer to elite than not.