Film Review: Over Gut 6

Two different B1G teams ran the exact same zone blitz scheme on Saturday, and both teams successfully got to the QB. The scheme: Over Gut 6. This is a scheme that Monte Kiffin loved to run dating back to his time with the Bucs, and more than a decade and a half later, it’s still working in major college football (it’s probably more accurate to say Tony Dungy loved to run it with the Vikings, but I don’t have proof of that). Let’s first go over how it is run and then show examples of both PSU and Michigan running it successfully.

Terminology

This is the standard disclaimer about terminology. Besides the name of the blitz scheme, none of the other terminology has anything to do with Kiffin, as I find his terminology to be confusing and conflicting with many modern terminology (for instance “Box” as a word to describe “Flat rules”, which is essentially technique/rules for how to carry and defend the seam and then defend the flat).

Over – Over is the front, it’s either a 4-3 Over or a Nickel Over (though an even front can work as well)

Gut – Gut means that there will be three defenders blitzing the A-gap. Yes, that’s right, this isn’t double A-gap blitz, it’s triple.

6 – This means it’s a 3 deep, 3 underneath zone coverage.

And past the name there are some checks that will be made based on formation and play.

Change It – Changes the responsibility of the SS and the DE.

Gut/Final 3 – Read #2 to #3 and finish on #3 if he releases into a route. Final 3 indicating the receiver that becomes #3 once receivers commit to route.

Lock – Lock onto the #1 on any route that commits vertical.

Techniques

Flat Rules – Play on the inside foot of #2. Square shoulders to receiver and re-route. Play as wide as the widest receiver other than #1. Peel off once receiver commits outside of #2.

Gut/Final 3 – Play inside out. Work inside the #3 until he commits outside, then maintain inside leverage.

Over Gut 6

Here a look at how Over Gut 6 works against a base formation.

Position	Technique
DEs	9 Tech. Flat Rules: Hold off seam until threatened by #3. If #2 is detached: "Change it" - Gut Technique
DTs	Hot B Gap. Shoot B gaps hard at OG's outside shoulder, attack shoulder with with inside arm, grab, and turn OG's shoulders to you while splitting OT and OG; contain play. If OT turns back to you, continue to loop to contain pocket.
MIKE	Hit alignment side A gap hard. Draw attention from interior blockers and back. If they commit to you, use hands and force to get them to turn shoulders toward you.
WILL	Hit alignment side A gap hard. Draw attention from interior blockers and back. If they commit to you, use hands and force to get them to turn shoulders toward you.
SAM	Follow MIKE/WILL into A gap, split them. If Center or Back commit to MIKE or WILL, stay outside the blocker.
CBs	Stay left and right and play tight 3 Deep if #2 is not displaced.
SS	Gut Drop. If #2 is displaced, "Change it". Vs spread go to wide side. Be alert to hot.
FS	Always drop in the hole.

Here’s a look against a trips set, where a “Change It” call is made.

Penn State

In this case, the Nittany Lions went to their Nickel formation, which swaps the third blitzer through the A gap from the SAM to the SS. Maryland goes to a trips set with a RB aligned to the trips. The NB is going to play his flat rules, where he’ll reroute #2 and work to the flat. The DE plays his Final 3 technique, working to play inside-out. The two ILBs also twist, which distracts the interior OL.

Here’s what it looks like in pictures:

After the snap you see the blitzers committing to their lanes. Notice that both DTs have forced the OGs to follow them outside. To the top of the screen, the OT has turned back, so the OT to that side will continue to work outside. The Center has taken the MIKE, the RB has taken the WILL, leaving the SS free on his blitz. Notice on the top of the screen, the NB settling down to reroute the #2, and the DE dropping nearly straight back on his Gut technique. The DE to the bottom of the screen is looking to drop into any quick route from the lone receiver to the bottom of the screen. By spot dropping and looking at the receiver, he can essentially shield any hot route to the single receiver side.

Everyone covered deep, the SS with a free shot at the QB, which results in a sack.

Video

Michigan
Indiana comes out in a similar formation as Maryland did against PSU. They run an open trips set with the TE detached from the formation. Here, you'll see the CB to the single receiver side in a "Lock" situation, where he will follow the receiver. This is because there is no second vertical threat to his side, so his deep third is not threatened. The DE to the top of the screen spot drops, keeping his eyes in the backfield, looking for the RB attempting to leak. Both ILBs attack the playside A gap and the SS follows them through. Also see how the DE at the bottom of the screen plays his Gut Technique: he squares up to the #3 working inside, trying to wall him off, playing inside-out and underneath. This prevents any sort of hot read and protects the underneath middle area of the field which is exposed from the three blitzing players.

Here's how it looks in play.

You'll note Michigan is playing this more like a Cover 1, which they may be, but more likely it' simply an adjustment to their Cover 3 and how they want to carry the seam.

And here's the video

Alternatives

You can see above how you can play this as a Cover 1, but here's a figure.

Also, Cover 0

Or how about Gut 5, which is 3 deep and 2 underneath

Which just goes to show you there are a lot of ways to overload the interior.