The Draw Run Game is Back: How Deception is Working

Given the talent Oklahoma State has at the skill positions, there is a lot of flexibility in the types of play calls you can make out of different formations. One thing I noticed about the first game against Tulsa is how often Mike Yurcich used the draw play. If you rewind to previous years the draw has existed for OSU, but it hasn’t really been a focal point of the offense.

From what I remember, they were more situation calls or third-and-long (aka don’t turn the ball over) play calls. Especially in 2016, when OSU had so much success running off the Cowboy Back and the guard/tackle combos.  

Anyone who read my RB depth chart preview might remember that I alluded that draws might be more prevalent in this year’s offense. However, pretty much everything else I was talking about ended up being wrong including the player I was emphasizing for the draw game (Jeff Carr transferred shortly after this article was published).  I may have not wrote this, but my thought process was pretty simple:  4-WR sets + feared passing game = more draw plays.  

There’s a problem with that theory, though. Out of the draw plays ran in the first three quarters, 75 percent of them were run in 11 or 12 personnel. Even with the different personnel groupings, the draw game was used often and was very effective.  

There are a lot of reasons why draw plays work, but the conditions have to be right.  The threat of a strong passing game is a must, generally mixed with some overaggressive pass rushers who are trying to get up field to pressure the QB.  

We knew coming into the game that the strength of the Tulsa defense was their DEs. Mix that with the fact that the defensive back seven are already thinking about dropping into their zones quickly to be able to cover an extremely talented WR core, and you have the perfect combination of a successful draw running game.

These are the types of advantages a good passing game can open up to generate a successful running game, even when the blocking is subpar (which it wasn’t).

This is something to keep an eye on moving forward in the season, as Justice Hill is an excellent RB in open space, and draw plays give you just that. Final stats for draw plays in the first three quarters were four rushes, 35 yards and 8.75 YPC. Not huge numbers given the rest of the stats from the game, but as you’ll see, with each play there are huge holes in the open field.  

It’s kind of an odd stat, and something that is counterproductive to my point, but these runs actually brought down the overall YPC average.  But most of that was due to 3-4 really long runs.

Below are the four examples of draws with yardage, down/distance and personnel groupings.  

12 yards, 1st and 10, 11 personnel 

13 yards, 2nd and 9, 10 personnel

2 yards, 1st and 10, 11 personnel – JD King missed the hole to the left. Eventually found the hole but defense had swarmed by then.   

8 Yards, 2nd and 5, 12 personnel

One note that I wanted to mention while watching the tape.  Mason Rudolph has improved his ball handling and play-action form tremendously. This is similar to a draw play, showing something post-snap and doing something completely different.    

Here is a good example. Watch how he sees the ball through the entire handoff, then snaps his hands back as if there was a chance it was play action. Guys like Brett Favre and Peyton Manning were masters at this in the NFL, maybe something Rudolph picked up at the Manning academy?

Now here is a pass play off the same action.  

Here is another example. Watch how he holds his form on the handoff throughout, and takes a small step outside like he is going to pull the ball. You’ll see it holds the DE long enough so he can’t crash down the line of scrimmage and make a play on the RB in case he needs to cut up field earlier than expected.  

It’s crucial that your routine is consistent regardless whether the play is a run or a play-action pass so you don’t tip off the defense. This is consistency I haven’t really seen up until this year and is certainly something that could lead to some big plays that may have not been there in the past.  

These are the little things that take good teams and make them into great ones.