Opposite Side Mesh Mechanics in Boundary Glance RPO’s

By Mike Kuchar with Ryan Maiuri
Offensive Coordinator
Central College (IA)
Twitter: @coachmaiuri

In 2021, Central College lived off the boundary Glance route in the RPO game. It helped produce 54 points a game and over 394 passing yards per game leaving one opposing defensive coordinator to say “we didn’t have an answer for it.” In most cases, the quarterback will signal the hitch, out, slant, go or stop route based on the leverage he is seeing. “We’re working off corner leverage,” said Coach Maiuri. “Our base rules is to read the triangle, which is corner, overhang safety to the high safety.  We will be able to see pre-snap how they are aligned  and how they will play coverage but they only get a quick second to look. We will see them play coverage a couple ways- trap coverage, bracket coverage, thirds coverage.”

In most cases, the Glance worked best because it best took advantage of the overhang defender and high safety fit in quarters coverage.

Run Action:

The complementary run action is a mid-zone concept and when the run action is produced directly to second level defenders it gets them to fit a little harder, opening up windows in the RPO game. Defenses are used to expecting same side mesh in the RPO game.

In most cases, the overhang needs to see the quarterback’s back to him to trigger in the run game. “We want linebackers to stay in middle ground and not commit if run is away from him,” said Coach Maiuri. “With the linebackers seeing run away from them, they can hold on the RPO element.”