The counter play is a general term for a misdirection running play where everything appears geared to having the ball carrier go in one direction, but he ends up running the other direction. In other words, the runner goes counter to the expected direction.
It is a play that Percy Harvin is absolutely lethal on. Both his first quarter and third quarter touchdown runs against South Carolina came on the brand of counter play that Urban Meyer likes to use.
I will diagram the latter since it was longer, but the other would have been a touchdown from any distance away from the end zone as well.
The Third Quarter Run
Here is the formation:
Florida begins in a three-wide set with Kestahn Moore as a running back next to Tim Tebow and Aaron Hernandez lined up as an H-back behind RT Jason Watkins. Louis Murphy is wide to the right, Riley Cooper is wide to the left, and Harvin is in the slot.
Here you can see Tebow signaling to Harvin to go in motion. Harvin will come in close on the other side of Tebow to create a symmetrical two-back set.
The South Carolina defense begins in a nickel set, named as such because there are five defensive backs. The defense recognizes that this will probably be a running play with Harvin moving to the backfield, so the corner that was on Harvin slides behind the linebackers to add another layer of run protection. One of the safeties moves up by the linebackers to create a de facto 3-4 set.
comments (20) write a comment »
write a new comment
about 1 month ago
Good job. David.
Check out some video from his freshman year. He absolutely burned FSU with the counter (from the direct snap when he lined as QB) in 2006 (when he was just a freshman).
He has the advantage of an extra blocker when he lines up as QB.
about 1 month ago
Great write-up. I love this X's and O's stuff, you should do more of it.
from about 1 month ago
These things are fun to do, although pretty time consuming. I plan on doing more.
about 1 month ago
your write-ups are consistently entertaining. Thanks for this thorough breakdown!
about 1 month ago
When I saw the first counter, all I could think of was the 06 SEC Championship game.
A friend that I watched the game with was amazed at how well the TE/WRs block. I told him Riley Cooper might just be the best blocking WR in all of college football.
from about 1 month ago
It has floored me how much Aaron Hernandez has grown as a blocker this year. He couldn't block a tackling dummy against Miami, but now he rarely missed one. He has good things ahead of him. I'm also right there with you on Cooper, though I can't say I've studied others from around the country to definitively say he's the best.
about 1 month ago
One of the best tactical articles I have read on this site, David! Keep up the good work!
No spread offense can be successful without the wideout corps becoming better blockers than the linemen! I tivo'd the LSU, Georgia, and SC games just to see some of the work these guys do downfield... It's very impressive... I think this is what separates the Gator offense from any other in the nation. Often the opposing BD's look as if they are in shock when they are completely blocked out of a play... it's funny to see them get upset over it!
from about 1 month ago
I think the blocking skills they pick up could help them on the next level too, where being able to run the ball effectively is placed at a premium. That is probably especially true for the late round guys.
I mean, who would you want if you're an NFL team with your late round pick: a receiver who might be good, or a receiver who blocks like a madman and probably has already excelled on special teams?
about 1 month ago
Great read. Go Gators.
about 1 month ago
Didn't Urban Meyer get his start as a receiver coach?
from about 1 month ago
He spent most, but not all, of his pre-head coaching career as a receivers coach. I think technically his first job was as a tight ends coach for a year, but then jumped around from receivers to linebackers and then back to receivers.
about 1 month ago
I hate to harp on this, but it bothers me that it isn't mentioned more. There is no question Harvin is a great player. But I believe what really makes the Gators so incredibly potent offensively is Tebow's versatility on offense.. his passing ability AND his running ability. And even his versatility running.
Take this play here. I think what really makes it work is Tebow drawing the defense to him at the handoff. I think South Carolina is focused on taking Tebow out of the game offensively and this opened everything for his runners.
If you look at the Gators earlier in the season the reason they lost that game to Ole Miss was because Tebow's runners hadn't stepped up. Teams were focused on stopping Tebow then too but his runners weren't punishing them for this. When Tebow's runners step up you see that these runners added to Tebow makes an unstoppable offense. This is how they could have been all season too. Last season as well. Tebow had to fill the role of runningback last season as well and teams realized that he was the only guy running and they focused on stopping him which stopped the Gators.
from about 1 month ago
Tebow's fake drew a single linebacker on this play. Just about everyone puts a linebacker on him as a spy anyway, and certainly no one took Chris Leak's running ability seriously in 2006 when this very same play worked. The four linemen and Harvin's initial steps do more to confuse the defense than anything Tebow does.
I'm not saying you're wrong overall; the threat of Tebow running is absolutely an integral part of making the offense go. On this particular play, however, he doesn't really make much of a difference.
from about 1 month ago
You would be amazed what the threat of Tebow does to a defense. Tebow may only have one guy completley focused on him but all the defenders are shading to him. And the difference between a step slow and a step fast is a huge difference to finesse runners like Harvin, Rainey and Demps. Tebow opens all the lanes for his finesse runners to operate. No other QB has the ability to run power and finesse like Tebow. He makes that finesse spread offense so deadly.
from about 1 month ago
Also, you say the play worked just as well with Leak too. Then why was the Gators offense nowhere remotely near as potent with Leak as it is with Tebow? Even compared to last season without Rainey and Demps.
about 1 month ago
Florida has the 3 fasted men alive on their roster, how is any team supposed to stop this Offense. I didnt think so last year, but Harvin is going to be much better than reggie bush.
about 1 month ago
He has the best first step in college football.
Is it Mark May who says that?
from about 1 month ago
It is Urban Meyer who says that. As I said, he will tell that to anyone who will listen. He says it every time someone asks him about Harvin.
about 1 month ago
I think what really makes this work is that it is a balanced attack and makes the defense respect every player. Cooper can flat out fly so his man has to respect that. Hernandez is a beast that can run, block, and catch as well as any TE. Kestahn Moore is considered slow on this team, but on most other teams he could be the featured tailback. Put in Demps or Rainey at it just gets worse. Tebow is the ultimate spread "system" QB. And then there's that Percy guy that gets the ball every so often. Plus, the O-line isn't too shabby. Each man on defense has his hands full with his particular assignment, and no one on defense can match up with Harvin. 11 players going hard. Not 8, not 9, not 10, but 11, whether they have the ball or not.
about 1 month ago
POTD...just cause it is probably the most badass thing I have ever seen.
Nice work man.
btw Percy Harvin is raw at everything he does...
write a new comment