Play of the (other) Day: Unbalanced Arrow RPO vs. Bowling Green

Andy Kotelnicki’s most-interesting plat design might have occurred on the Nittany Lions first play from scrimmage, launching Penn State TE Tyler Warren toward a school record.

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There were a multitude of plays worth writing about from Saturday, partially due to the fact that Bowling Green’s offense kept Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki from shutting off his brain in an unexpectedly competitive start-to-finish contest. Several of those clever concepts concluded with the ball in the sure hands of 44-Tyler Warren…including the Nittany Lions first play from scrimmage – an Unbalanced Arrow RPO.

First, the formation (the most diabolical part). PSU aligns 4×0, meaning there is not a single eligible receiver on the right side of the formation. To make sure this formation is legal, 6-Harrison Wallace covers up 5-Omari Evans, meaning Evans is ineligible. So why is anyone guarding him, you may ask? Well, it’s likely one of two reason: either this formation was too mind-boggling for Bowling Green to sort out who could run downfield and who couldn’t, or, the more likely scenario…follow closely.

When 85-Luke Reynolds goes in motion across, BGSU doesn’t know whether 15-Drew Allar is gonna snap it while he’s on the run, or if he’s going to let Reynolds motion across and get set on the line of scrimmage. If he did the latter, Evans would be able to literally take one six-inch step backward and become eligible again. This Bowling Green’s defenders to stay honest and waste a defender head-up & apexing Evans. BGSU adjusts by rotating a safety back to the middle of the field.

Now, the play.  Watch again.

Reynolds takes care of the CB by continuing his motion into a clearout. The bones of the play is a simple first-level RPO discussed a ton here on FTB. Allar reads the DE — if he is able to tackle the back, Allar pulls it and “pitches” off the alley defender (unless it’s so wide open that you get it to him ASAP). The offensive line blocks a simple interior-zone scheme and Allar gets a pull read. Due to Warren being aligned to the 4-man strong side, the across motion changes the defender’s responsibilities. Long story short, BGSU defense can’t sort out proper run fits and coverage responsibilities, which leaves Warren with the easiest 12-yard gain of his career.