Three Unique Mesh Patterns that Galvanized Mercyhurst’s Counter Scheme

By Mike Kuchar with Mike Waring
Offensive Line Coach
Mercyhurst University (PA)
@CoachWaring

 “We will do anything that buys us two false steps for linebackers and gives the offensive line a half second longer to handle combinations.”
- Michael Waring, offensive line coach, Mercyhurst University (PA) 

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For the past two seasons, Counter was the most efficient run concept in Mercyhurst’s offensive menu. “Somehow our kids just know how to run that play,” Coach Waring told me. Of course, opposing defenses in the NEC knew that as well. And with Mercyhurst making the jump from a Division 2 PSAC school to an FBS level entity, the staff had to find ways to get creative in protecting its best run concept. One of which was having its all-conference slot be the ball carrier on these counter concepts, regardless of where he lined up. And he did line up everywhere…in the slot, in the backfield and in the flank. It took the entire pre-season to get the counter communication dialed in but once it did, the play was revived. So much so that All-NEC slot Bryan Trobel finished with 983 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns. “He simply bought into what we are doing,” Coach Waring said. The good news was that Mercyhurst did have a running back that was in the ballpark of 200+ pounds as a fifth-year senior, so he became the additional puller for the slot counter concept.

Bucketing the Verbiage:

While the Counter play was termed the same, the offensive staff Mercyhurst built in both a motion tag and a formation tag into the play call in order to decipher each mesh. According to Coach Waring, the most important distinction that had to be made was whether the running back was getting the ball or the slot was getting the ball.

So, how did Mercyhurst find alternative meshes to protect Counter? The offensive staff built in three types of unique mesh patterns to “dirty the eyes” of second level defenders.

In this report, you’ll see:

• How to make linebackers take two false steps on every Counter snap — and why that half-second advantage is all your offensive line needs to win their combinations.
• The motion tag that turned an undersized slot into a 983-yard, 13-TD rusher — and how to install the same ball-carrier communication system without blowing up your existing Counter call.
• Three distinct mesh patterns that "dirty the eyes" of second-level defenders — each one built off concepts your offense already runs, requiring zero new vocabulary for your players.