It has been noted previously that Jimbo Fisher uses Air Raid concepts in his pro-option offense. The Air Raid concepts are adapted to fit into A&M’s use of run-pass option plays, too. Fisher is basically taking the useful trends in the spread offense and fusing them with option concepts. There are those who criticize Fisher’s offense as being ‘archaic’ and ‘too old school’, but others might term the practice of combining old school and new school concepts as ‘innovation’.
Y-Cross Concept
The Y-Cross concept isn’t a new one, it is a staple in Hal Mumme and Mike Leach’s Air Raid offense. If we look at a page from Leach’s 1999 Oklahoma playbook, we see Y-Cross run from under center with 21 personnel.
X was to go vertical and stay on the numbers. If there is one safety, they convert to a skinny post. The tight end Y runs a crossing route under the Sam linebacker and over the Mike linebacker. Against zone, sit in a hole after passing Mike. Against man coverage, Y goes vertical then breaks across and keep running. If Mike blitzes, flatten out the route and look for the ball. You’ll notice there are other tags like F Arrow (in the diagram) and Z post.
Over time, other coaches took Y-Cross and adapted it for their own use. Here is Y-Cross from shotgun split backs.
Here we’re still in 21 personnel, Y is running a crossing route and X runs a post route over Y. Z has a 15 yard dig route. This play is drawn up for man coverage against cover 2. The conflict here is on the free safety. If he drops to help corner on the post, QB hits Y on the cross. If he helps a LB cover Y on the cross, QB hits X on the post. On the other side of the field, if the strong safety drops to cover Y Cross so FS can help cover the post, then QB hits Z on the dig.
Executing The Split Zone
When A&M ran split zone/Y-Cross RPO against Auburn, the Tigers came out with their corners in off coverage and both safeties in the box, leaving the middle of the field open. When A&M runs split zone out of their shotgun split backs, the line zone blocks and the blocking back crosses in front of the ballcarrier to block the strongside defense end aligned on the tight end.
Against Auburn, A&M is in 21 personnel with Ainias Smith to Zach Calzada’s right and Isaiah Spiller aligned to the left. Jalen Wydermyer is on the line to the left, Demond Demas is split wide to the field and Jalen Preston is wide to the boundary.
Texas A&M running Split Zone/Y-Cross RPO
X runs post, Z runs crossing route pic.twitter.com/4oncBAcRkH
— James Taglienti (@iamthe12thman) July 6, 2022
Preston at Z runs the crossing route. He runs into traffic in the middle and is unable to complete his route. Demas runs the post route over the top. Wydermyer runs an arrow. Calzada’s read would be post-cross-arrow going from high to low. The line blocks inside zone, left tackle Jahmir Johnson comes dangerously close to receiving an illegal man downfield flag. Ainias Smith cross on the slice block and Isaiah Spiller crosses in front of Calzada for the mesh for inside zone.
Calzada sees the off coverage of the cornerbacks, sees MOFO (middle of field open), and makes a pre-snap decision to hit the corner route. If he had decided to do a post-snap read, his read man #13 safety Ladarius Tennison blitzes on the play, which is a pull read. Calzada would read post to arrow in that progression. Notice how Ainias Smith blocks both DE Eku Leata and Tennison on the play? That is why Jimbo smiles every time someone asks about Ainias as a blocker.
The result of the play is a 16 yard gain and a first down.
