Present: Virginia Tech's Usage of Split Zone Layers in the 2024 Season

Previously, we have seen how Tyler Bowen and staff started to add layers to the Split Zone "Onion" in the 2023 season. How have they adjusted and added to their base approach in 2024?

Preface: If you need a refresher or explanation of Split Zone and how Bowen uses Split Zone Action as the bread and butter of the offense, feel free to take a look here - Split Zone, What is it?

The beginning of the 2024 VT Football Season was met with a landslide of disappointment. Specifically, the offense all Hokie fans were foaming at the mouth to see in 2024 did not seem to match the output and creativity we saw in the back half of the 2023 season. Why?

Modern Offenses today are not as simple as a playbook binder full of plays and formations with every player memorizing each and every call. In order to keep up, offenses today need to find the middle ground between simplifying their scheme so players can execute at a high level without thinking, while also being creative enough to keep defenses in conflict.

We have all heard it, insert whatever your favorite football program is that is going through an offensive play calling change. In the opening press conference, the newly hired play caller will always mention something along the lines of keeping their scheme “simple”. They all say it, but what does it mean?

Keeping an offensive scheme “simple” can mean numerous different things. However, at the core it usually means having the ability to take a singular base play (Split Zone in our case here) and adding additional tags to the play to present it in a different way for the opposing defense. An added play tag for example can be a motion tag, an RPO tag, or a simple blocking change for 1-2 players on a certain play to obtain a more favorable look or simply “dress up” the play to force the defense’s hand.

From an offensive standpoint, adding a tag to a base play will change the approach for 1-2 players. For example, if an “Arc” tag is added to a base Split Zone play call, this tells the HB he is now “Arcing” around the unblocked DE for the next level defender rather than kicking him out as he would if the play call was simply base Split Zone (we will get into these details further below). The “Arc” Tag also tells the QB that the unblocked DE is not going to be kicked out by the HB anymore. The QB now understands he has to read this DE as he would a Zone Read and choose whether or not to keep the ball behind the Arc block of the HB.

From the defensive standpoint, you are game planning during the week on how to stop the most frequent bread and butter play (Split Zone) of VT. If you see a similar Split Zone-esque formation and action at the beginning of the play, naturally the defenders will fall back on their week of game planning to defend the base Split Zone play VT has shown numerous times. However, if a tag is added that now changes the details within the play the defense is now at risk to being exposed elsewhere if they are going all in to defend the base level of the play.

In summary, play callers can keep their scheme “simple” by changing small details within a base play for 1-2 players by adding various tags. Most of the offense is still running the simple base play they have known since Day 1 install, however the 1-2 players that have an assignment change due to the tag changes the picture for the defense and keeps them in conflict.

In order to start layering plays effectively, the base core has to be sound. The lingering question during the Miami game was “Why have we not seen this offense all year?”. The answer can only be left to speculation, however a large portion can certainly be tied to executing the base offense better. If you cannot block and run the base Split Zone play correctly, how will layering the plays further return a better product? The answer to the early season offensive disappointment, regardless of speculation, can surely be found in execution. If you cannot execute the bread and butter, you will be hard pressed to get things going at all. However, if the base offense is executing at a high level, layering on top allows offensive play callers like Tyler Bowen to install nearly a brand new play from the defensive perspective while only changing the offensive rules for a couple of players; in theory….keeping it simple.

Virginia Tech’s Split Zone in 2024 vs BC

Here we have the base form of Split Zone representing the core layer of the Split Zone “onion” with a small amount of window dressing for Defensive eye candy. 

Since VT often throws to motion receivers in the flat or uses motion as a part of their short yardage boot slide package, the orbit motion here gives the defense an extra item to address.  Boston College slightly shifts the box, with a 5-man rush seemingly triggered by the motion.  While the motion is not what makes the play, it simply adds another element for the defense to account for. 

The OL Is blocking Split Zone (inside zone footwork) to the left with the HB (#12 Gosnell) coming across the formation to kick out the unblocked backside DE or end man on the LOS.  Boston College rushes with 5, and also brings (2) defenders outside the tackle from the backside. Normally, this would leave an unblocked defender since the HB accounts for only (1) defender outside the tackle backside. The RT (#70 Clemmons) does a great job recognizing he is uncovered in his playside footwork and works back to the squeezing DE, leaving the new blitzing end man on the line of scrimmage. Gosnell has no work shown, so he does his best to find some. Drones reads the blitz as he would a backside DE in a base zone read play.  The blitz goes to the QB, so Drones makes the correct “give” read.  Since this is Split Zone (not a zone read with a QB read on the backside), the “read” Drones gives here is more to keep the edge defender honest by accounting for the QB keep and staying out of the run fit.  Tuten makes a beautiful cut of the fantastic road paving by the OL and finds paydirt. 

Here Come the Tags: Split Zone “Arc”

Previously, we saw the base form of Split Zone with the HB looking to kickout the unblocked backside DE or end man on the LOS.  Here VT uses the same formation (flipped) and presnap motion (Y in Orbit Motion) that shows a familiar picture to the BC Defense.  While this play was earlier in the game to the previous base Split Zone look, defenses have become accustomed to defending Bowen’s Split Zone action offense, especially in the redzone.

If the backside End (backside of Split Zone who the HB is kicking out) feels he is unblocked, he is coached how to approach the situation depending what the defense is doing behind him.  Here, the unblocked end is using a “surf” technique.  He is keeping his shoulders square once he knows he is unblocked and reading what is coming to him.  If the HB comes to him for a kickout block, he is coached squeeze the kickout block by the HB using his inside shoulder the squeeze the cutback lane down.  If the unblocked DE sees it is a zone read instead of Split Zone as previously described, he is coached to slow play it in his surf technique by forcing Drones to make a quick decision.  In theory, it allows the DE to play both the QB and RB in zone read or at the very least, force the QB to pull the ball around him leaving time for the ILBs to scrape over. 

Knowing the Defense has been coaching their DE’s to make these quick decisions, a layer to the Split Zone “onion” is adding an “Arc” tag to the run.  (Note: this is probably not Bowens exact tag by name, but it is a common tag used by offenses for the same HB style of block)  Instead of kicking out the DE as he would in base Split Zone, Gosnell (#82) “Arcs” around the DE to the next level defender.  This holds the backside DE and “blocks” him without having to give up a physical blocking body number in the box.  While almost being the same play as base Split Zone, Bowen is able to add another blocking number due to the defense's tendencies trying to defend the base level of the run. 

Split Zone RPO Tags: The “Bluff” or “Slip” Tag

Another Layer to the Split Zone “Onion” that Bowen and his staff have used numerous times is the “Bluff” tag to their Split Zone Action plays. (Note: Again, this is probably not Bowens exact tag by name, but it is a common tag used by offense for the same style of RPO Flat Release)

Here, Bowen is not using a typical HB in 11 Personnel as he normally would with Split Zone, however he often uses WR’s in motion to do the same things the HB/TE in 11 Personnel do in our offense.  This not only adds a creative wrinkle to the playbook by getting to the same base plays via motion, but it also forces the defense to think about their personnel as well.  For example, if we have a true TE/HB in the game (11 Personnel // 1 RB, 1 TE), it is sometimes smart defensively to match heavier personnel with your own.  In theory, if the offense has 11P on the field, the defense often will choose to match this with another heavier LB/DL defender rather than leave their smaller nickel/hybrid defender on the field. Vice Versa with 10P (1 RB, 4 WRs), the defense often will keep their smaller bodied nickel/hybrid defenders in the game to match the faster personnel of the offense. 

The “Bluff” Tag can be used similar to the previously mentioned “Arc” Tag.  The OL and RB are all running Split Zone Left up front.  The QB and receiver in motion however have a “Bluff” tag on the play.  The “Bluff” tag tells Felton (#9) that he will motion across and release to the flat for a possible RPO pass read from Drones.  We have seen this used with our HB in running the same Split Zone action in 11P, however he will simply release to the flat from his normal wing position coming across for base Split Zone. 

The RPO progression for Drones is simple.  If the flat defender covers Felton’s release, give the ball to Tuten on base Split Zone.  If there is no Flat defender seen covering for Felton, Drones would throw to the flat quickly.  BC runs Cover 3 Buzz, showing the safety rolling down hard to the field with a flat defender in space, Drones reads correctly and gives the ball to Tuten.  These small details and layers to Bowen’s Split Zone Action Scheme require defenses to account for every player and inch of space on the field making the offensive attack all the more difficult to defend. \

Changing the Path: Zone “Insert”

Going back to the Stanford Game, the in-game adjustments and added layers to the run game by this offensive staff cannot be overshadowed.  Here we have Zone “Insert”, commonly mistaken with the Iso run play however the details are what makes the cake and give me confidence this staff is mastering their own run scheme.  With base Iso, the HB/FB are leading up for the Isolated ILB.  The OL is blocking playside towards the Iso ILB, however they will leave him for the HB/FB to pickup playside.  With Zone Insert however, the OL is blocking playside using base inside zone footwork.  The HB coming across is instead going to fill/block for the BACKSIDE ILB instead of the playside as seen in standard Iso runs.  Inside Linebackers are coached to read their keys, most of the time being offensive guards.  Depending on the Run Fit, the ILB’s will then play the force/leverage/spill rolls within the Run Fit depending on what they see in their keys.  Thus, presenting a similar run action (Split Zone Action here) but slightly adjusting the blocking path and run path of play can manipulate defenders that are reading and reacting to their keys to ultimately become out of position in the run fit.

Stanford was known for their ability to stop the run this season coming into their matchup with VT.  Bowen and the VT offense have shown Split Zone action as their bread and butter.  A great way to defend base Split Zone and win early downs is exactly what Stanford uses on this play, however while they have a great blitz call and run fit to defend Split Zone itself, Bowen and his staff's small adjustment using Zone “Insert” was the key that paid off. 

Stanford keys Split Zone Action coming at them by seeing Gosnell (#87) coming across the formation.  Normally, Gosnell will kickout the backside DE off the motion and Base Spit Zone is executed.  In anticipation for that same Split Zone scenario and blocking scheme, Stanford blitzes off the edge and keeps their backside DE Tight.  The DE is tight to eventually “spill” the Split Zone kickout block if he got it by going inside the block using a “wrong arm” technique.  The edge blitz would then hypothetically be right there for the RB bounce outside due to the DE spill. The Field side ILB also keys Split Zone Action as well by playing fast downhill to the natural cutback lane of Split Zone for the RB.  Here however, the LT Base Blocks the backside DE instead of leaving him unblocked for the kickout. Gosnell turns up early on his blocking path, inside of the LT’s base block and takes the fast downhill ILB head on (The ILB is expecting to be unblocked in the cutback lane as he would be on base Split Zone).  Drones carries out his fake to hold the edge blitzing defender away from the box and the remaining OL and Tuten took care of the rest.

This adjustment might seem small, but it those small tweaks that make all the difference in your layered offense.