Dart is a foundational play in the modern college football running game. In the late 1980s-early ’90s, many coaches were running pass-heavy offenses out of 10 personnel. The challenge of operating a one-back offense was developing a successful running attack. Rich Rodriguez at Glenville State revolutionized football when he came up with the zone read in 1992. Rodriguez augmented the zone read with Dart, which is simply a power play from a one-back set.
Play Design
Dart can be run from a variety of formations and personnel groups, although most common would be 10 personnel. It is possible to run Dart from 11 or 12 personnel if the tight ends/H-back arc block. At its core, Dart is a read option play with a power component. The backside defensive end is left unblocked because he is the read man; that is the option component. The backside tackle pulls playside to kick out the force player/apex defender; that is the power component.
This is 10 personnel facing a 4-3 defense. Notice the wide alignment of the receivers outside the numbers. The alignment serves two purposes: it forces the secondary out of the box against the run game and it opens the screen passing game. The WR alignment also forces the outside linebackers to widen so they can contain outside in. Since the LBs are on the edge, it opens up the interior running game.
X receiver goes vertical and stalk blocks, field slot runs a 3 yard stop route. On the boundary side, the Z shows vertical before blocking for a screen, boundary slot runs a smoke route. LT steps playside and seals DE inside. LG and C zone combo, double-team 1-tech to climb to MLB. RG has to seal 3-tech outside. RT pulls playside and kicks out force. QB reads backside DE (highlighted) for give/keep read. DE flattens, give to RB, DE crashes, keep outside. RB meshes with QB for read and runs inside RT’s kickout block and goes upfield.
Executing Dart
At the snap, field receiver Jeremy Tabuyo goes vertical and stalk blocks. Slot Christian Kirk runs a 3 yard stop. Boundary receiver Josh Reynolds comes off to block, and slot Ricky Seals-Jones runs a smoke route behind him. LT Avery Gennesy steps playside and seals the edge inside. LG Keaton Sutherland and C Erik McCoy zone-combo the 1-tech with Sutherland coming off to seal the MLB. RG Jermaine Eluemunor steps playside and seals the 3-tech outside. RT Koda Martin pulls frontside and kicks out OLB Elijah Lee. QB Trevor Knight takes the snap, reads the backside DE (flat), and gives to Keith Ford. Ford takes the ball, follows Martin, cuts inside his block, breaks a tackle and runs into the end zone. Play result is a 7 yard gain and a touchdown.
End Zone View
The wide splits of the offensive line and how it forces the defense to widen their alignment is much more obvious in the TITE view from the end zone.
