Film Room: Inside Notre Dame’s RPO System — Part III

New coordinator Chip Long will add some unique wrinkles to the Notre Dame offense, with the Run Pass Option (RPO) being a notable one. In this third installment of the RPO breakdown, we dive into some uncovered topics from Part I and Part II.

The first thing to understand about the RPO is that it is not a full-fledged offensive approach like the West Coast, Air Raid and triple option systems. It is more like a scheme or play within a system, like an Inside Zone or Outside Zone concept. Neither really describes what RPO is, but pointing out that it isn’t a broader offensive system is necessary.

Teams that run RPO systems do not have to call or tag that in every play. Long, for example, has many plays where a pure run or a pure pass are called without the option of the other being run on the play. In fact, when breaking down Memphis film from last season — where Long was the offensive coordinator — there were games when the RPO was rarely called.

The RPO — like any other play — is a part of the overall game plan. Coaches will look for matchup, formational and schematic advantages like they do with any other play concept. Some weeks Long would employ the RPO predominantly out of 2-by-2 formations, other weeks they came mostly from 3-by-1 formations.

The routes employed vary from week to week as well and are dependent primarily on the coverages they are facing that particular week.

Three primary goals of RPO concepts are to either attack uncovered areas with easy throws, to gain numbers advantages for screen plays or to put the force player in a bind.

Memphis did not incorporate the RPO much against Temple, and this concept of all hitches was used to attack the varied coverages Temple threw at the offense.

If Temple went with a single high look the read would likely take the quarterback outside, but if Temple goes with a two-high look — which it did on this particular clip — the use of the tight end and the hitch to the slot would serve as the control, making it harder for Temple to effectively add numbers to the box.

In this clip, the force player/read key blitzes off the edge, which leaves the slot receiver wide open.

This call can accomplish getting a receiver the ball in space in a quality matchup, and it also puts the force player in a bind.

Here is another example of that:

This is a similar concept to the previous clip, with the offense running an outside hitch/inside seam concept. The quarterback will read the play inside out for the proper read.

Running this concept allows the offense to get the ball outside against soft perimeter coverage, and it can serve to freeze the force player — or in this case, the tucked linebacker.

But the primary reason to run these two route concepts is to quickly get the ball to a receiver in space. Should the offense face press coverage, it would put the outside receivers in one-on-one matchups on vertical routes, which again puts the defense in a tough spot.

Now let’s move onto specific looks designed to isolate the force player and put him in a tough spot.

Memphis is running this fade-snap/fade-out concept to run off the outside coverage and to isolate the force defender. To the field it would be the rover/nickel defender to the right side of the offense, over the slot receiver. To the boundary — which this clip is — it’s the tucked in linebacker.

If the linebacker tries to play the run it’s an easy throw and catch, and the defense’s only option is to either drop the linebacker out — which opens up the run — or to bring the safety hard downhill. Doing the latter gives the offense options to run slants or deep route concepts that then put the safety in a really tough spot.

Here is another example:

Memphis used the double slant concept on multiple occasions against Navy in hopes of putting the force defender in a bind, and to create catch-and-run opportunities.

In the first Navy clip, the force player comes on a run blitz and the safety tries to come from distance, but not before the quarterback can pull the ball and get it out to the inside slant for an easy nine- to 10-yard gain.

If the receiver is able to break this tackle, there is only the deep free safety standing between the ball carrier and the end zone, which is one of the many benefits of the system.

The quarterback could have read and hit the inside slant again on this call, but with the force player trying to play both the run and pass the quarterback sees a window to the outside slant.

Although the throw works, the window isn't exactly ideal for this throw, but the quarterback makes a quick decision and puts the ball on the back shoulder of the wideout. If he leads the receiver it’s likely batted down by the force player or it results in an interception.

This clip against Houston shows even better the outside open window for the slant concept.

At the snap the force player steps down to try to play the run, which opens up the outside window. Success on this play requires the quarterback to make a fast decision. Any hesitation and this is an interception that likely results in points for the defense.

In the first part of the series, two of the main benefits of the RPO system were discussed.

“The primary benefit is an effective RPO system makes it much harder for defenses to insert extra defenders into the box against the run. If that happens, the quarterback has the opportunity to pull the ball and get it to a receiver that is either uncovered or in space with a chance to make a play.

Make no mistake, the primary reason that Long designs the RPO will be to make it easier to run the football, and the punish a defense for overcommitting to the run.

Another benefit for the offense is it increases the odds that on each play it can make the defense wrong. What this means is if a run is called the defensive coordinator could make a call that puts his unit in position to defend the run call. Same with a pass call. It makes football very much a chess match.”

Those are big picture benefits, but they are not the only positives to running this system. An effective and well-designed RPO system makes non-RPO calls more effective as well.

Play-action calls can really benefit from success with the RPO system.

Memphis had a lot of success running against Houston, and its RPO system was very effective. That success helped open up play-action passes, especially those that got the quarterback out of the pocket.

Look at how much Houston overreacts to the run action in this play. The linebackers flow to the ball, which allows the tight end drag route to come wide open.

An effective RPO system can also hold defenders in place against pure run calls.

Long calls a pure designed run on this particular play. All of the receivers are stalk blocking. There is no RPO evolved in the call.

Despite the lack of an RPO, it has the same benefit. The quarterback does a great job getting his eyes right on the outside linebacker as if he is reading the play out. That pause from the linebacker gives the running back a softer run lane, and the result in a relatively easy eight- to nine-yard gain.

If the linebacker isn’t held he can squeeze down faster on the run, which would have likely shortened the run.

It can also be an effective blitz beater, which is important for Notre Dame. During the past three seasons, when teams struggled to slow down the Irish offense they would bring extra pressure, and Notre Dame often struggled to handle pressures from good defensive opponents.

Zone fires like this are especially risky against a well-designed RPO system.

There are some wrinkles that Long can and will use outside of just varying the run concepts and pass routes used in the RPO system.

Here’s a look at a few examples, beginning with the quarterback finding open windows to one-receiver sides.

The play call is designed for the quarterback to read an inside zone run to the left, and if he pulls the ball he would throw the screen concept to the left.

Prior to the snap the quarterback identifies an open window to the right. What this means is there is no defender between the end of the line of scrimmage out to the wide receiver. With the cornerback off the ball, the quarterback knows the window is open, so instead of reading the play out, he pulls the ball and throws it outside.

Here is another example:

It is an easy read and throw for the quarterback, and it gives the receiver an opportunity to make a one-on-one play in space. Long calls a run play, but the ability to pull and throw the ball into space results in a nine-yard run in the first clip and a gain of more than 20 yards in the second clip.

It’s a low-risk/high-reward play design/call.

Long also uses formations to get numbers advantages, and the backs can be a great weapon for that. In this instance, Memphis lines up with a two-back look, although the second back is a wide receiver.

The running back motion allows the offense to get a numbers advantage outside on the first level. It also gives the running back a head start on the linebacker, who would have to be the guy to get outside to make this play if the blocking goes well.

If the linebacker flies out it would give the offense numbers advantages in the run game.

There are also some trick play wrinkles that Long can go to.

Obviously, Long and the Memphis coaches saw something on film regarding how Houston would over-play the RPO system. Instead of blocking on the perimeter, which is what the outside receiver is supposed to do on a bubble screen call, he simply runs a go route.

Houston overplays the triple-option action and the perimeter screen, so the safety comes flying downhill to stop the screen. The quarterback pulls the ball, gets outside and when the safety steps up he gets it deep for a 67-yard touchdown on the opening possession of the game.

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