Chad Morris is in his first season as Auburn’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Gus Malzahn.
Malzahn and Morris have similar type concepts within a spread offense built around the running game. The running game between Malzahn and Morris are similar in having wishbone and triple option concepts meshed with a passing game, uptempo style and having motion.
Morris’ base formation is in 20-personnel with a focus on zone schemes. His offense also showcases a lot of 10-personnel with wide receivers in motion. Wide receivers in motion helps change defensive leverage and makes the opposition adjust pre-snap.
Within Morris’ scheme, gap plays take place because it allows a running back to go downhill with power sets and having a lead blocker in counter. His offense also features everything from a Dive running up the middle, to power inside zone with the ability to throw to the outside for a screen.
The inverted veer is another staple within Morris’ offense, which is essentially a zone read with a guard pulling with a quarterback or running back into the lane. This goes back to an element of replacing a fullback with a quarterback or running back on the outside.
Morris demands his quarterbacks to read defenses from the top down pre-snap, while making sure if the middle of the field is open or closed. Within the game, it is important for a quarterback to read defenses top down quickly as Morris also demands his personnel to move quick with tempo.
A quarterback must also read the depth of cornerbacks and their alignment pre-snap. The third pre-snap recognition for a signal-caller is identifying adjusters (outside linebackers) and their leverage on wide receivers, whether it is inside or outside for Coverage 2 or Coverage 4.
Morris also uses a numbering system for a skill layout by position:
3 Back — Tight end
4 Back — Running back
9 Man — Boundary wide receiver
5 Man — Slot wide receiver
2 Man — Field wide receiver