Scheme Work Makes The Dream Work
As Penn State enters 2024 toting a sack full of question marks at WR, the lion’s share of optimism related to the passing game rests inside Andy Kotelnicki’s big, beautiful brain.
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In early July, I received this less-than-concise email from my editor:
It feels like 100 percent of the optimism around the Penn State passing game entering 2024 isn’t that the WRs improve, or Drew Allar takes the next step, BUT RATHER that Andy Kotelnicki can “scheme guys open.” I’ve heard this mentioned multiple times on various outlets.
So here’s the article: 1. Intro: Is “scheming guys open” real, or it is just some bulls**t talking point pundits use when you’re stuck with mediocre skill guys? Then 2. The Beef: If that’s the case, just how does Andy Kotelnicki scheme guys open?
Thankfully, the answer to Question 1 is an emphatic YES…or else, this would have been a real Shetland Pony of a blog post.
Any hairdo on TV will tell you that success in football is typically determined by a player’s ability to outperform the player across from them: Left Tackle vs. Edge Rusher, Linebacker vs. Running Back in the B-gap, WR vs. DB. But when coaches go into a game knowing they’re outmatched at any or every position, well, that’s where the coaching part comes in. You have to be able to “outscheme” a talent deficiency – specifically in the passing game, you have to be able to scheme receivers open.
At Kansas, Andy Kotelnicki did that better than most.
In 2023, despite having no pass catchers earn All-Big XII honors, Kotelnicki’s offense ranked 17th in FBS Passing Efficiency (158.6), 8th in FBS in Explosive Pass Play Ratio (24.4% of completions netted 15+ yards), and 7th in FBS in Yards per Completion (14.76 yards). Backup Kansas QB Jason Bean – an erratic thrower who is currently auditioning as an undrafted “Slash” QB/WR at Indianapolis Colts training camp – finished 4th in the country last year in Yards per Completion (16.01 yards) and Passing Efficiency (162.5).
We could bore you with more impressive numbers, but hopefully by now you get the point – at Kansas, Kotelnicki transformed Jayhawk excrement into Jayhawk salad. And, schematically, he largely pulled off that aerial magic trick in 3 ways: Eye Candy & Distortion, Play Action, and Route Concepts tailored to pre-snap coverage expectations.
Eye Candy & Distortion
Shifts. Motions. Formations.
Of all the wild things Kotelnicki does, his pre-snap ballet is my personal favorite.
For context, here are a couple screenshots of formation gems Kotelnicki showcased in the past. Put yourself in a defender’s shoes…how are you supposed to execute your assignment when the offense lines up like a spoiled toddler’s unsorted toy chest?
Image 1 (notice QB alignment in this ultimate unbalanced look):
Image 2:
Here’s another prime example showcasing the pre-snap mess defenses deal with vs. Kotelnicki. This is the Polecat Formation, the brainchild of Run & Shoot pioneer Glenn “Tiger” Ellison who settled on this shortened phrasing after his line coach suggested calling it “The Lonesome Polecat,” because it’s filthy.
Yes, this is technically a pass…albeit one with a nonexistent degree of difficulty. This formation aligns the OL near the sideline, leaves the center, and aligns the rest of the eligibles strategically to confuse the defense as much as possible. In the above clip, Kotelnicki knows if he aligns 6 players out wide the defense has to match with at least 5. Watch again as the defense struggles to do the math with all the moving parts.
Do they put a safety overtop? No, because there are no vertical threats.
Do they place an apex defender splitting the difference between the center and the OL? What good does that do?
By the time Illinois decides on how to align, Kotelnicki changes the math yet again and jet-motions the only eligible on the left across. This now essentially wastes 5-6 defenders. If there’s no eligible receivers out wide then there is no sense in having defenders out there, either. The offensive players on the right side of the ball all have leverage on the box defenders, making it easy to capture the edge in the form of jet-sweep pop pass.
Of course, it’s not mandatory that pre-snap eye candy and distortion lead to an explosive play – sometimes you have to scheme up cheap yardage to get to a 2nd or 3rd down & manageable. Take this for an example:
This may look like a simple formation at first glance, but it is FAR from that. It falls in the quads family — 4 eligible receivers on one side (not factoring in RBs). Most defenses have specific coverage checks for quads — it could be cover-0 man, some form of match quarter zone, etc.
What makes this formation diabolical is that there is a bunch (the 3 clustered WRs) aspect in addition to the lone wide-out in no man’s land. Defenses also have specific bunch checks! These audibles vary but they never include any sort of man coverage. Playing man-to-man against a bunch is like pouring water on a grease fire.
To sum things up on this play, Kotelnicki schemes up a formation that falls under two specific different audible categories. So, what do defenses resort to? I can’t speak for all, but it appears Missouri State decides to play their base defense against it. Not smart. Kotelnicki calls a RPO with a counter concept going right and an access bubble back the other way. Don’t get distracted/caught up by the result: This thing was Chef’s Kiss-good if the Kansas receivers could combo block up to the safety correctly (more on this later).
Another quick one: Kotelnicki uses a “halo” motion (get it?) to obtain in-line Y leverage on the nickel defender. Bring the defender to the LOS, and beat him back to his original alignment. Easy 5 yards via swing screen.
Play Action
Kotelnicki leans heavily on play action to scheme up explosives. In fact, more than 40% of Kansas’ total pass attempts last season featured some aspect of a play action run fake.
Fun, huh? Kansas uses 13 personnel to get as many big guys on the field (and therefore, as many coverage guys off the field) as possible. The lone wide out orbit motions across, which forces the CB on that side to match to the new #1 receiver — the in-line TE in this case. This TE takes the middle of the field on some sort of post or crosser and the CB runs with him…vacating the entire right side of the field. Additionally, the QB boots away after faking wide-zone action. Everything about this play screams typical bootleg keeper to a flood concept…except the RB leaks out on a wheel to the vacated space. 6 points.
Here’s another masterpiece in play action:
This is made to look like a carbon copy of a power-read… except the verticals concept is designed to torch the run-fitting defenders who come flying up to stop the perimeter run portion of the power read. Schemed up TD.
While we’re here, let’s glance at a rep that I can assure you led to some verbal lashings in Sunday morning film and leads to a narrative that got zero play this off-season: Yes, Kotelnicki should help Penn State’s offense, BUUUUT Penn State’s superior personnel compared to Kansas should also allow Kotelnicki to cash in more frequently on his brilliantly designed concepts.
Case in point:
This is a double-post + over concept. Essentially, the 2 posts are supposed to vacate 1 side of the field for the over-route. It’s schemed up perfectly here. Play action helps get the TE a free release. Here’s hoping Drew Allar can complete this absolute layup TD.
Route Concepts
Lastly, let’s discuss route combinations/concepts.
Kotelnicki LOVES a dagger concept. The bones of dagger include a clear out from the inside, a deep IN route, and a flat presence. The clear out and flat are performed in efforts to create an opening for the Dig route.
Kotelnicki puts a quick-game stick concept on the front side, creating a full-field right to left read for the QB. The clearout and flat presence do their jobs, and the stick concept (along with the QB’s eyes) prevent any boundary zone defender from getting in the Dig window.
Here’s a beautifully schemed up pick play on 3rd and short. Kotelnicki loves to loiter in the gray between “legal rubs” and OPI. Kotelnicki likely knew coverage tendencies and dialed up a man beater — this is how you overcome talent deficiencies!
Last one:
To be transparent, I can’t picture a Big 10 defense having this bad of a mental lapse…but, hey, using switch & swap releases can create this type of stress on a secondary! The design is just, essentially, a curl/flat concept with a swap flat/slant from the 2 inside receivers. 2 defenders run to the flat and leave the curl socially distanced in open space.
