Chalk Talk: How the Cowboys Utilize the Quick Snap

The Oklahoma State offense came alive in the second half in their 38-31 victory over Iowa State last Saturday. That was partly due to their success on first downs, and more specifically, their quick-snap first downs immediately following a conversion. The Cowboys have found success on said downs not only on the ground but also on downfield chunk plays. Today, we’re going to take a closer look at why this quick snap works and how the Cowboys run it so well.

Watch the process here. In this example, the offense converts a third down on a run to the left:

Rudolph immediately looks to the sideline for the next play and then signals it to his players:

And they quickly align in their new formation and run the play:

Here’s another example of their quick snap success, but this time in the red zone. The Cowboys convert a third down and get inside the five for a first-and-goal:

Rudolph, who gets the signal from the sideline, quickly communicates with his players and gets in his stance:

And he gets the ball snapped as quickly as possible:

The Cowboys’ success on quick-snap first downs is, on average, much higher than that on their drive-opening first downs. This is because they can fully maximize the effect of their tempo on their quick-snap first downs. In these situations, Rudolph can get the signal while the chains are moving and the ball can be snapped immediately after it is set.

The difference is jarring, but it’s not only because of the tempo. One thing that offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich has done well since he’s been here is utilize the quick snap. Initially, he just used it alongside his trick plays, where he would have the offense run a base play and then quickly align after it ended to run the gadget. But as the Cowboy offense has regained its reputation as a “tempo offense,” Yurcich has put together a package of weekly plays that he uses on first down to catch the defense off-guard.

He likes to call RPOs (run-pass options) off the quick snap to give Rudolph the option to hand the ball off or take a shot deep. This week, they used a base handoff with route attachments on both the twin and single-receiver side.

Last week, they used RPOs to take shots downfield, like this example to Jalen McCleskey:

Oftentimes, the defense is not in position, and that makes Rudolph’s read much clearer, leading to plays like that.

They also have “shot” plays that they’ll use off the quick snap, like this verticals concept that they used a handful of times on Saturday:

Finally, they will often use their new plays off the quick snap, like this touchdown pass to James Washington on an out-n-up route. The actual play concept was a mesh/inside cross with the inside receivers, but the corner (who was out of position in the first place) bit on the route and Rudolph made the right decision to throw to Washington for an easy touchdown.

The quick snap has now become an integral part of the Cowboy offense, and it serves as an outlet for both their base plays and their newer, more creative ones. Keep an eye out for what they do off their bye week at Kansas with the aid of extra preparation.

What’s your favorite/least favorite thing about OSU’s offense? Leave your message below in the comments!