With the addition of former North Carolina Tar Heels head Larry Fedora as an offensive analyst during the offseason, the Texas Longhorns worked to expand the package of available run-pass options to limit the hits on junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger.
Last Saturday against Kansas State, Texas successfully deployed one of those new RPOs to create four explosive plays.
The most typical run-pass option, and the one most frequently used by the Longhorns, pairs the bubble screen with a running play, typically inside zone. A concept akin to a deep slant that features the wide receiver stemming the cornerback vertically before winning inside, however, stresses defense down the field, so instead of functioning as an extension of the running game, it’s a call that can produce big plays.