2025 Gap Scheme Research and Development – Case 4: Wrong Way Run Concepts

“We try to make this like a kick return to the field hash”- Jeff Gallo, offensive coordinator, Monmouth University (NJ)

By Mike Kuchar Senior Researcher/Co-Founder X&O Labs @MikeKKuchar

If you grew up in New Jersey for most of your life, like I did, you already know the reputation that Monmouth University football has carried throughout the state. At 33 years, head coach Kevin Callahan is the longest tenured head coach at the FCS level, and his 188 wins currently rank first nationally. He’s been there so long that he was staring back across the sidelines when a young Mike Kuchar lined up at defensive end for Sacred Heart University in the mid-1990s. And yes, he and his program dominated us as well.

So, when the offensive staff at Monmouth talks, football coaches around the state listen. And when I was evaluating their offensive tape this season, the Hawks' Wrong-Way Run Concept jumped off the reel. Using a mix of counter and fast flow run principles, Monmouth produced uncanny numbers in generating explosives with them. Offensive coordinator Jeff Gallo terms them “Exits,” which essentially told the slot he was the ball carrier on the fly sweep element of the play while the offensive line blocked G/T counter, except for the Center, which I’ll explain later.

Run game coordinator Brian Gabriel built the Hawks' run game on downhill principles like tight zone and gaps, so this build-in was a no-brainer in providing false keys to second-level defenders. “It gave us a great way to mess with linebacker run fits,” coach Gallo told me. “They would fly so high over the top, triggering pulls that this slows them down. We figured since the linebackers were gone with puller,s let’s eliminate the Will and Mike and let’s circle the boundary.”

And that they did this season. So much so that Coach Gallo often refers to the concept as a kick return, allowing his top slot receiver (who happens to be their kick returner) to get the ball in space with blockers in front of him. While some teams package the jet sweep with a quarterback counter away, it’s important to note that this was built as a “call it, run it” concept with no read element. Monmouth has traditionally had a pocket-style quarterback under Center, so Coach Gallo and his staff used the back to add onto the blocking scheme on the sweep element.

Why it Works:

At Monmouth, the concept is built upon giving the slot as much green grass as possible. This is done with FIB (formation into boundary) structure, which against four-down defenses, forces the Nickel into the boundary. Coach Gallo also prefers the concept with the ball off the hash so there is more space to operate.

“Slip to Seal” Block:

And because the quarterback is not a runner, there is no need for the offensive line to block a true G/T counter. Instead, the Center begins to block back- as it would in a true gap scheme- but then works to seal the box.

Coach Gallo calls it a “Slip to Seal” technique. “The goal is to have the Center block through the 3-technique to seal the box,” said Coach Gallo. But the main coaching point is for him not to get too much width into the alley. “We don’t want more bodies out there. If you can’t seal that linebacker, then he needs to stay vertical. We want fewer guys in space to block for the slot.” The play has been a great answer against Mint front defenses that play with 4i techniques. It allows the Center to work to seal the backside 4i.

Editor’s Note: In this report, Mike reveals the details of how this works, and best practices, and he identifies who else is using it. And, as always, Mike includes a lot of video and diagrams—as well as shares where to find more game film in X&O Labs’ Film Room. Log in below to unlock the full report (and if you’re not a member, click the ‘Join’ button in the upper right-hand corner of this page).