In week four of the Big Ten college football season, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights will welcome the Illinois Fighting Illini to town for a conference matchup.
The Illinois offense has struggled early on as they are only averaging 15 points per game through three weeks, however they were missing some key players due to COVID-19 restrictions. Now that some of those players have returned, be on the lookout for the offense to look slightly better this weekend against the Scarlet Knights.
ILLINOIS SPREAD DOUBLE WING OFFENSE
THE SKINNY: The spread offense offers versatility and the ability to constantly find ways to evolve, that’s exactly what teams are doing within college football and in the NFL. Illinois shows a spread set with double wings. They are in 12 personnel grouping with (1 running back, 2 tight ends, 2 wide receivers) with the 2 Y’s (tight end) lined up 1 by 1 off set of the left and right tackle. Purdue has 7 defenders in the box with the strong safety lined up to the nearest hash. Illinois attacks the Purdue defense with a zone running scheme by running the football to the weakside. Being able to bring in extra blockers with the Y’s while being pass catchers elevates your offense because you can run passing concepts from this offensive set as well. What does Illinois do the very next play? They line up in the same spread double wing set and run a RPO (run, pass, option play). The defensive end stays honest but the rest of the defenders in the box all bit on the zone running scheme. Illinois had the outside receiver a curl route, and the Y run a flat route. Illinois offense was able to attack the Purdue defense successful on this play due to the previous run play creating the field spacing they needed.
ILLINOIS DOUBLE SETS
THE SKINNY: The double sets in a spread offense allows Illinois to get their best receivers outside on the perimeter with the necessary spacing to use to transition into and out of their routes. Illinois uses a double’s set with the 2 receivers lined up to the field while we have the Y lined up 1 by 1 offset the left tackle and the single receiver to the boundary side of the field. Illinois dials up an RPO (run, pass, option) play and in this particular situation the Purdue linebackers were drawn up to the heels of the defensive lineman leaving enough field space for the slot receiver to work his slant route. The quarterback did a nice job of riding the mesh point with the running back to allow the linebacker to full commit to run responsibility 1st. Playing with tempo and rhythm allows for quarterbacks to be successful on RPO plays and that is exactly what occurred here on this play versus the Purdue defense.
ILLINOIS TRIPS SET
THE SKINNY: The trips set which is a 3 by 1 set can be used in different ways with 3 wide receivers split out wide with 1 receiver on the backside. Another way it can be used is with 2 wide receivers split out wide and the Y (tight end) lined up with his hand in ground or 1 by 1 offset the offensive tackle on the same side while we have 1 receiver on the backside. This can depend on what type of personnel the offense wants to use depending on their scheme or if there in the middle of the field or in the redzone. Illinois shows different ways of using their trips set to attack opposing defense. When we have a trips set they can attack the defense with levels concepts or mesh concepts to confuse or create any extra separation versus the defensive backs. Illinois used a levels concept versus Purdue with the inside receiver running a stick nod route, the slot receiver running a wheel route and the outside receiver running a slant route. Since they were in man on this specific play it allowed Illinois the expose the Purdue defense in attack the middle of the field. Illinois adds a wrinkle with the trips set by having the Y be lined up 1 by 1 offset the left tackle. Minnesota has 6 defenders in the box and Illinois dials up a zone running scheme with the center pulling to the left and the Y being lead blockers for the running back for a huge gain.
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