ASK OTTO ZEMAN to define total offense and you may get an entirely different answer that what you’d hear from other coaches.
That’s because the coach at Riverside-Brookfield in Riverside, Ill., lines his quarterback up all by himself in a shotgun offense behind a solid offensive line with five wide receivers decked out in the most advanced catching gloves available. The ball is thrown on almost every down with the only running play being a QB draw.
Nicknamed The “Z-Force”
The offense was developed when the coaching staff was looking for ideas 2 years ago to compete against a formidable opponent.
“The result was changing from a one-back, four-receiver set to a no-back attack,” says Zeman. “The opposing team had never seen a five-receiver set.”
The key is the QB’s ability to find a receiver and pass the ball within 2.5 seconds after the snap or to quickly decide to run the ball.
It’s a difficult offense to defend as most schools don’t have five defensive backs capable of covering five receivers one-on-one. And if the opposing team decides to send a linebacker to attack the QB, that leaves only single coverage on five wide receivers.
Will It Work?
Last year as a junior, Tim Brasic passed for nearly 3,200 yards and 35 touchdowns besides running for 850 yards and seven touchdowns. Operating like a running back in the QB slot, he accounted for more than 4,000 yards and 42 touchdowns in last years 12-game season.
Zeman’s advice: Find a successful coach at the college or high school level that you can work with to improve your program. And be innovative in fitting your system to the talents of your players.
If you want to see another no-back set in action, check out the story “Empty Backfield Keeps Defenses Reeling” on page 12 of this issue.