Play Of The (other) Day: Inverted Smash H-Cross vs. Notre Dame

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As heartbreaking as the season-ending interception was, hopefully we can provide enough context for the loyal FTB community to chew on until week 1 of next year.

As always, it’s impossible to point the finger at 1 individual flub on these kinds of plays — so we’ll give you all the context needed to draw your own conclusions.

First off, the concept – Inverted Smash H-Cross.

This has been a Kotelnicki dropback staple dating back (at least) to his first year at Kansas, 2021. Again, Inverted Smash H-Cross. PSU has ran it all year, more than 25 times according to our charting. Why? It’s a good play! It has got answers for juuuust about every coverage, suits our QB’s strength of pure progressions (right to left or vice versa), and when it’s completed those reception usually result in chunk yardafe. Here’s the play on paper:

Why is it “inverted” smash? Well, traditional smash would include a flat presence (hitch, whip, etc.) from the outermost WR with a corner route from the number two (inside) WR. The route responsibilities are flip-flopped in this variation…or inverted.

Aside from just presenting Smash a different way, the “Shake Route” (what the outside receiver runs), creates a natural rub with the Arrow Route from the TE – therefore, this play has a built-in man coverage beater (IN THEORY, obviously). Progression wise, the QB reads the inverted Smash as his 1A/1B read, before moving to the Cross…and then to the backside Dig.

Notre Dame plays a variation of Cover-1 as they typically do. This means there is man coverage all around with a single deep safety acting as a centerfielder. This variation, Cover-1 Robber, enables the other safety to read the QBs eyes and essentially patrol the intermediate middle of the field.

So, remember that man-beater portion of the concept I mentioned? It didn’t exactly work. No rub was created to free up 44-Tyler Warren. This is more “good defense” than “bad route execution,” but you’d love the Mackey Award winner to be more intentional about timing up his break to the flat to create a collision.

You would also love it if 6-Trey Wallace, the shake runner, was able to win at the top of his route. You see why this is one of the best secondaries in America. The cross is taken away by the Robber, and with the rush closing in, 15-Drew Allar throws ill-advised to the backside dig. With the leverage the CB plays with the entire way, it’s evident he has no fear of being beat to the far sideline (it would be a mile long throw) – he sits on the in-breaker the entire way and makes an incredible play on the football. You be the judge – if 5-Omari Evans is running relentlessly and explodes out of his route, does this fall incomplete? Maybe or maybe not. Regardless, 15 is gonna want this one back for the rest of time.