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Texas A&M Football: Aggies have pieces to install flexbone and triple option

By Grant Britton

ANNAPOLIS, MD - SEPTEMBER 09: The Navy Midshipmen offense lines up against the Tulane Green Wave defense at Navy-Marine Corp Memorial Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Annapolis, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
ANNAPOLIS, MD - SEPTEMBER 09: The Navy Midshipmen offense lines up against the Tulane Green Wave defense at Navy-Marine Corp Memorial Stadium on September 9, 2017 in Annapolis, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /

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There is more than one play in the flexbone. Another favorite, against teams that try to stop the dive by the fullback by selling out inside, is a speed toss, also called a “rocket” toss. The goal is to get the A back in space with blockers in front of him before the defense can react.

Here, the A back again runs motion. The goal of the offense is for the defense to try to stop the dive. Just one step by the defense in the wrong direction puts the fastest players in space. The right guard is pulling to try to commit bodily harm on the first person that appears, usually the outside linebacker. But if that linebacker commits to stopping the dive (think if this was called on third-and-one and the defense was expecting the dive), the guard gets to block someone roughly half his size. Speaking as an old high school lineman, that is tons of fun.

This is a great call on short yardage, as a form of home run play. The defense may be expecting the dive on short yardage, and when the ball is pitched outside, they won’t be prepared. The flexbone is all about getting yards when you can and setting up big plays, and this is no exception.