Personnel Package Analysis
Personnel Package Analysis
As much as I love X's and O's, they simply don't mean jack if a team doesn't have proper Jimmies and Joes to make designs work or if a coach can't maximize his team's strengths. With players coming in various sizes with differing traits and abilities, using those elements to create mismatches is paramount. While offenses will always have five lineman and a dude taking snaps, what they do with their remaining skill players sets the foundation of a team's operations.
A team could choose to lean into speed with four-receiver or two-running back sets, or focus on playing big with multi-tight end sets, or aim to be versatile. Obviously, the people coaches put on the field matters quite a bit both for what they intend to do and how defenses react to them. After all, teams running 10 personnel won't be running many power plays or heavy-set play fakes just like teams donning 12 personnel won't be riding with empty protections. Each grouping has its own pros and cons. Looking at the SEC's four most popular packages from last season, let's find out who used what the most, who was the most successful, and who was the most potent.
10 Personnel: 1 Back - 0 Tight Ends - 4 Receivers
| SEC AVR Success Rate | SEC AVR Y/P | SEC AVR 15+ Rate | SEC-wide Usage Rate |
| 39.8% | 7.14 | 14.5% | 5.38% |
Though teams are becoming more and more pass-happy, SEC offenses don't go 4-wide as much as they did a decade ago. Thanks to the tight end position blossoming during that period, play callers have opted to maximize Y-men's versatility. A team can certainly run a wider variety of plays with a tight end on the field rather than four wideouts. While modern tight ends can be effective on the flank, the slot, or out wide, the typical receiver isn't as multifaceted in comparison. Sure tight ends can put a defense on edge and create mismatches when they venture downfield. But, there's no challenging 10 personnel's purpose of getting speed on the field to help the passing game. This past season, the SEC's cumulative Pass Rate was 52.2%. From 10 personnel sets, that clip skyrocketed to 75.2%. Moreover, the conference-wide average yards to gain for an offense was 8.23 yards. Out in 10 personnel, teams averaged 9.06 yards to gain. Unlike the other top sets, 10 personnel saw most of its action on 3rd Downs. Pigeonholing these packages frequently into do-or-die situations increased the degree of difficulty, which caused them to be less successful. Still, 10 personnel helped pad the SEC's Yards/Play and percentage of plays that gained 15 or more yards due to the passing element.
The 3 Teams that used it the most:
1. Texas A&M: 18.8% Usage Rate
Despite having one of the top young tight ends in college football, Jimbo Fischer commonly trotted out 4-wide sets. Even when the game was tied or TAMU held the lead, 10 personnel saw healthy reps. Roughly 43% of the package's plays took place in that context. Yet even though the Aggies held affinity for these sets, only Vanderbilt held a less favorable Success Rate, Yards/Play, Pressure Rate, and Sack Rate among SEC teams with at least a percent play share dedicated to 10 personnel. Nearly 86% of TAMU's reps were passes. Slant Variations (like Tosser or Slant+flat combos), All Verts, China Variations (like Unders or China Trey), Floods, and Rub plays led their script with each commanding at least a 5.9% play share from 10 personnel. Looking at the Aggies' output in these spots, it might be wise to fade them even if TAMU lacks adequate depth at tight end.
2. Auburn: 16.3% Usage Rate
Auburn spread its 10 personnel usage across all downs better than most. Though this set saw plenty of 3rd Down reps across the SEC, Auburn only used 10 personnel on a third of their money downs last year. Still, it was their second favorite package in those spots. The Tigers found themselves on the good side of the conference-wide average in terms of Success Rate and peaked at 6th in the rankings. On passes, their 42% clip just missed the top3. Like a good deal of offenses, this set largely signified Auburn wanted to pass. Of course, War Eagle held a bottom3 Pass Rate overall, but nearly 70% of their 10 personnel plays took towards the skies. True Screens, All Verts, Slice/Omaha (concepts rooted in quick outs), and Shot Plays (mostly fade combos) commanded the most looks through the air. Their bread and butter Inside Zone Slam Read, however, still managed to lead the way in terms of reps and 18.8% play share.
3. Kentucky: 11.7% Usage Rate
Thanks to the Lynnsanity Offense skewing their numbers, Kentucky was the most balanced team operating out of 10 personnel last season. The Cats were the only SEC team with a Pass Rate under 55% in these sets; they logged 49 passes and 47 runs. Still, it shouldn't be revelatory that over 73% of UK's passes out of these sets occurred during their first five games and before Bowden Ball took over the Bluegrass. And while most offenses signified they were about to pass from these sets, Kentucky played off of that idea to facilitate their run-heavy scheme. Spreading out defenses that overly aimed to crowd the box and hone in on Lynn Bowden with 4-wide sets created natural run lanes. The Cats averaged a jaw-dropping 11.6 Yards/Carry with 23.4% of their runs going 15-plus. Both were heads and shoulders above the rest of the SEC among teams that dedicated at least a percent play share to 10 personnel. UK's favorite looks from these sets were Inside Zone Slam Reads, Tackle Counter Reads, Stretch Options, and Smashes.
The 3 Teams that found the most success:
1. Florida: 57.1% Success Rate
Even though the Gators had a deep collection of receivers on its roster last year, only 1.6% of Florida's plays had four wideouts on the field. Circling back to my overall point on why this look has lost reps across the conference in recent years, versatile tight end Kyle Pitts offered more upside without jeopardizing pass-catching ability on the surface. Plus, his style greatly aided Kyle Trask find his footing throughout the season. But as good as Pitts is, the Gators Success Rate from 10 personnel was over 13 percentage points higher than their overall clip. Though Florida sported the worst overall Rushing Success Rate within the conference last year, half of their runs from 10 personnel met situational goals. For what it's worth, only Kentucky held a lower Pass Rate in these spots. But again, these packages were not their preference. Their production could be a result of a small sample, but Mullen should mull over incorporating more 10 personnel based off the increase in Success Rate.
2. LSU: 55.0% Success Rate
The SEC's most pass-happy offense last year followed the conference-wide trend of throwing more out of 10 personnel. And while the Tigers were one of the two SEC offenses to break the 50% Success Rate plateau, their overall clip actually trumped their rate from 4-wide sets. Still, the set meant to get more speed downfield did just that for LSU as only Florida bested their 60% Passing Success Rate from 10 personnel. But like Florida, the Bayou Bengals didn't feature these sets too often; less than 2% of their plays occurred out of this package. Responsible for less than 200 of their yards, half of their 10 personnel production came off 3 completions (one All Vert and two fade patterns). Though it really didn't help their run game find more consistency, it noticeably aided LSU in creating cushion. Overall, the Tigers averaged 2.68 rush yards before contact. From 10 personnel, that clip rose to 5.2 and held the SEC's silver medal.
3. Alabama: 49.3% Success Rate
Who would have guessed a four-man unit of Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs, DeVonta Smith, and Jaylen Waddle would begat a top3 Success Rate within the SEC? Facetiousness aside, Alabama was a ticking time bomb from these sets due to how explosive their cavalcade of receivers were. I certainly would have leaned into these packages more, but just under 10% of the Crimson Tide's plays operated from 10 personnel. While the team's Success Rate fell a few points, no SEC team that dedicated at least a percent of their plays towards these sets averaged more than Alabama's 11.7 Yards/Play or 25.3% Explosive Play Rate. As a unit, they averaged exactly 10 yards after the catch, which was four yards more than the next team in line while besting their overall figure by over three yards. Though the pass game was at the forefront, Alabama's run game buoyed the set's consistency to the tune of a 64.3% Rushing Success Rate. Only Kentucky averaged more per carry among qualifying conference offenses.
The 3 Teams that found the most potency:
1. Alabama: 26.7% 15+ Play Rate
Thanks to their awesome collection of pass catchers, Alabama saw over a quarter of their 10 personnel plays result in a gain of at least 15 yards. No other conference offense came particularly close to challenging that last season. Hell, over 26% of their passes went for 20-plus. The Tide's Yards/Play was nearly two yards better than the next closest qualifying offense. While you'd think having more receivers on the field would result in more of a downfield approach, play caller Steve Sarkisian opted to follow his West Coast roots and work YAC concepts. Screens and Slant Variations sat atop of their script with each being responsible for over 200 yards. Slants and Rub Variations (including Meshes) both averaged over 22 yards per target from 10 personnel.
2. Florida: 21.4% 15+ Play Rate
Riding the down-to-down bump 10 personnel brought them, the Gators also increased their potency with these sets. Overall, just under 12% of their plays went for 15 or more yards. As you can see, that figure nearly doubled on plays with four receivers. No team turned to RPOs from these sets quite like the Gators. Already an offense that leaned on them at a high rate, 42.9% of Florida's 10 personnel plays were RPOs. With a little more speed on the perimeter, Kyle Trask was more inclined to throw route tags in these spots. That in turn aided Florida's overly floundering ground game. Only Alabama topped Florida's 6 yards after the catch average, and no qualifying SEC offense challenged their 6.17 rush Yards Before Contact.
3. LSU: 20.0% 15+ Play Rate
| SEC AVR Success Rate | SEC AVR Y/P | SEC AVR 15+ Rate | SEC-wide Usage Rate |
| 43.0% | 6.23 | 11.5% | 71.2% |
"All football is eleven personnel because there are eleven guys on both sides of the ball." Sadly, that phrase has been uttered to me more than once while casually conversing with a typical college football fan. Though out of their element, those folks aren't too far off base in reality. For many offenses, 11 personnel has become the primary base set. But, this is more of a recent phenomenon and certainly a by-product of the spread revolution over the past couple of decades. Though now rather commonplace, quality pass catching tight ends were hard to come by back in the day. Plus in the age of smash mouth football, lining up a potential blocker away from the point of attack would have been blasphemous. In modern times, 11 personnel allows an offense the option to still play hard-nosed while leaning into the spread. Though receivers tend to be swifter of foot, tight ends generally have size, strength, and blocking advantages. Tight ends in today's game lineup essentially all over the field to create pressure points and mismatches. But that doesn't mean one instantly becomes a "receiver" just because they're in the slot or out wide. The same goes for running backs. Plenty of offenses utilized empty sets -- commonly known as "Five Wide" -- despite not technically fielding that many true receivers. A motion or a shift might change a formation, but it never changes the personnel package on the field. In this conference, 11 personnel composed over 70% of total plays and yards. It was by far the SEC's most common package in 2019.
The 3 Teams that used it the most:
1. LSU: 97.2% Usage Rate
Updating its personnel distribution had a key role in LSU's offensive metamorphosis last season. In 2018, 58% of their plays were out of 11, 29% were out of 12, 9% were out of 10. As you can see from the usage rate above, the Tigers were far less balanced with their packages in 2019. All but 28 of the Bayou Bengals' 1,045 plays were out of 11 personnel. Outside of the schematics, a big theme of LSU's offense was playing complimentary football. This means one concept can set up another concept due to similarities but key differences. Since play callers like certain looks out of certain packages, smart defenses are aware of such and can hone in on stopping them. But when a team is able to run many different looks with one malleable package, the ante gets up. Of course, offenses have to execute at a high level in order for this philosophy overly work. Obviously, the Tigers did just that on the way to a national championship.
2. Mississippi State: 89.1% Usage Rate
Joe Moorhead ran a healthy modern scheme that meshed ample RPOs and vertical dropback passing concepts. Mississippi State's run game was one of the most balanced in terms of distributing equal love to zone and power looks. With all that information, it makes sense why Mississippi State lived in 11 personnel. While Kylin Hill and a well-rounded run game posted the SEC's fourth best Rushing Success Rate from these sets, erratic and turnover-prone passing kept their output grounded. In the end, their 43.2% overall Success Rate was right at the conference average. But while consistency was so-so, only Alabama's Explosive Play Rate bested their 16.9% figure and their 13.3% clip of plays gaining 15 or more yards just missed the top3. As one of the most run-heavy units in the SEC, Inside Zone Slam Reads and various Power Reads were their favorite concepts; assembling to roughly 40% of their plays. Throwing, it was all about Drives, Shallows, Crosses and Sails with occasional deep Shots.
3. Florida: 84.2% Usage Rate
Kyle Pitts' arrival along with a deep receiving room coaxed Dan Mullen to play more spread. Pitts led the team with 80 targets and 54 catches. Obviously, he had to be on the field in order to produce such numbers. Florida used 4% more 11 personnel in 2019 compared to 2018. Though tight ends are often thought of as safety valves and are thrown the ball on risk-adverse routes, Pitts' two most targeted routes were seams and corners. With less checkdowns and more downfield chances, Pitts' 51.3% Success Rate ranked sixth on the team while totaling the most drops with seven. Still, he commanded attention from opponents, which helped open up his teammates and allow Florida's pass-first offense to nickel and dime. Unfortunately, that only translated to his fellow pass catchers. Though the Gators moved up in the rankings, their 39.8% Rushing Success Rate was less than a percentage point better than their overall clip.
The 3 Teams that found the most success:
1. LSU: 55.1% Success Rate
Since 11 personnel was the base set for the Tigers, much of their overall numbers mirror their output from these snaps. Like their clip in general, the Tigers' Success Rate held the SEC's top spot. While LSU was the most pass-happy offense in general, their Pass Rate out of 11 was actually rather average relative to the rest of the conference. Six other offenses trumped their 60.6% figure. Either way, Joe Burrow and their passing game fueled this unit into the history books. LSU's 56.8% Passing Success Rate was over seven percentage points higher than the next conference team in line. The Tigers' streamlined their run game into primarily two looks: Inside Zone Slams and Duo Dives. Their passing game attacked all over. Concepts like Stick Variations, Slant Variations, and Levels, attacked short while "Comebacks", "Corners", Drives and Shallow offered intermediate outlets. And of course, All Verts and Shot plays also showed up in their script. Along with their Success Rate, no conference offense beat their 7.98 Yards/Play.
2. Alabama: 49.2% Success Rate
Though it was Alabama's most utilized set, 11 personnel put up the lowest Success Rate of Alabama's most used packages. It's a good thing when your worst clip stands among the best in the conference. Plus, the Crimson Tide's Rushing and Passing Success Rates both cracked 49%. The were dependable and explosive in both facets. Over 18% of their snaps from this set resulted in either a run of 10-plus or a pass of 20-plus. No other SEC offense proved better in that regard. Able to pick their battles with the best of them, over 30% of their plays out of these sets were RPOs (compared to 24% overall). Like their Run-Pass efficiency hints, Alabama spread the wealth around to numerous concepts. A dozen concepts received at least ten reps with none receiving more than 30. Inside Zone Slam and Counter Reads led the way followed by Slant Variations, RPO outlet screens, and Flood wrinkles like Sail and Cross.
3. Florida: 45.1% Success Rate
The 3 Teams that found the most potency:
1. Alabama: 15.8% 15+ Play Rate
With their Explosive Play Rate owning the SEC's gold medal, Alabama owned the highest percentage of 11 personnel snaps to go for 15 or more yards. Pre-snap motion was a major tactic the Crimson Tide leaned on to get the defense moving and help their speedsters create separation or open up run lanes. Basically 40% of their snaps from this set featured either normal motion, jet motion, or orbit motion. With the designed disorientation, only Auburn limited Havoc plays at a better rate than Alabama's 19.5% clip as defenders constantly found themselves out of position. While their 16.1% Explosive Pass Rate bests all others, the Tide's 21.4% Explosive Run Rate is top3 worthy. No other team was top4 in both aspects from this grouping.
2. LSU: 14.9% 15+ Play Rate
Though Alabama's offense held a preferable statistical ceiling, LSU's offense had the higher floor. With the SEC's premier overall Yards/Play and Success Rate out of 11 personnel , they were a dependable unit for chunk gains even if they didn't always hit a homerun. LSU's Explosive Play Rate of 15.1% was only marginally better than their 15-plus figure. Still, nine concepts with at least eight reps averaged double-digit Yards/Attempts. All of them were passes. Their three top looks were Switch Variations, Portland Variations, and Dagger. Sure the pass game made the headlines. But LSU's run game also produced splash plays. The Tigers joined Alabama and Ole Miss as the only conference offenses to crack the top5 in terms of both Explosive Pass and Run Rate from this set.
3. Tennessee: 13.3% 15+ Play Rate
Despite having one of the most toothless run games in the SEC, Tennessee's shot-heavy offense through the air made them one of the most potent offenses out of 11 personnel. Though only Vanderbilt sported a worse Explosive Run Rate, only LSU and Alabama posted preferable Explosive Pass Rates. Considering those two SEC West squads each had both facets crack the top5, being in their company was a testament to Tennessee's ability to win downfield. No team saw All Verts command a play share as high as their 5.9%. Flood, Smash, and Shot Variations also rounded out their vertically-inclined attack. But while the Vols were good at producing big gainers, their overall consistency was lacking. Their 38.8% Success Rate fell into the bottom4 with neither facet breaking 39.2%. Plus, Tennessee's 24.7% Havoc Rate sat inside the bottom5. Though sporadic, securing field flipping plays allowed the Vols to win down the stretch despite their small room for error.
| SEC AVR Success Rate | SEC AVR Y/P | SEC AVR 15+ Rate | SEC-wide Usage Rate |
| 46.2% | 5.51 | 8.52% | 18.5% |
While there should be no debate on how to categorize a tight end even if they split out wide, I'm rather progressive on how I label fullbacks. For a good chunk of offenses, they don't even exist anymore. Plenty call on tight ends to lead block or provide an extra body in the box to absorb blitzes. Either from a wing stance or as a "sniffer" behind a tackle in the backfield, tight ends have expanded their roles within schemes rather than just operating as support for the bookends or as safety valves in the passing game. But even when offenses occasionally turn to fullbacks, their order of operations are the same as tight ends: be primarily a blocker, be secondarily a passing outlet, be thirdly a ball carrier. Fullbacks in today's game are tight ends that live in the box full-time and are blocking specialists. They are not backs or potential ball carriers despite primarily operating from the backfield. In case you were wondering, fullbacks logged less than a dozen carries within the conference last year. And again since their traits align more with Y-men, I am inclined to categorize them as such. Long story short, having an additional tight end beefs up a unit. Defenses either have to follow suit by putting more braun on the field or opt to fight strength with speed. A mismatch is created depending how a defense responds to the personnel change. I-Formations, two-tights, double-wings, and dual flexed slots all can come from 12 personnel. While some offenses found gains throwing out of these sets, most pounded the rock to secure tough yards. The SEC's overall Pass Rate was 52.2%. But from 12, it plummeted to 29.8%. Though the SEC-wide Success Rate rose with 12 personnel, the average Yards/Play and rate of plays that went for 15-plus shrunk. 12 personnel was the second most utilized package within the conference in 2019.
The 3 Teams that used it the most:
1. Alabama: 32.1% Usage Rate
Though 12 personnel was consistently Alabama's second favorite set over the course of 2019, the package experienced an uptick in usage down the stretch when Tua Tagovailoa was sidelined. Opting to prevent Mac Jones from doing much heavily lifting or shouldering the load for the offense, Steve Sarkisian leaned on plenty of motions, play actions, and misdirections to aid his inexperienced passer. Alabama also re-established its roots as a power football team. Over their last five games, the Tide logged 54% of their 12 personnel snaps. Over that time, non-read Powers (like Counters and Duos) became their most repped concept. Of the 44 called since the LSU game, 34 occurred from 12 personnel. All year, Powers were responsible for about a third of their reps and a quarter of their yardage from this set; no other concept group broke 14% and 10%, respectively. Posting a 60.9% Success Rate certainly justified the hard-nosed approach and helped buoy Alabama's cumulative clip towards the top of the conference.
2. Tennessee: 28.8% Usage Rate
3. Georgia: 26.6% Usage Rate
Speaking of mundane approaches moving the ball, Georgia's usage of 12 personnel was very similar to Tennessee's. But while play actions and deep shots helped the Vols find a little potency, that was not the case for the Bulldogs. Sure their ground game gobbled up 10-plus yard runs at the conferences second best rate. But on all plays from 12, only Arkansas and Ole Miss were worse at generating gains of 15-plus on average. Still, playing small in this regard allowed Georgia's 49.4% Success Rate to finish inside the top4. Both their Run and Pass Success Rates sported 49% clips while only being separated by less than half-a-percentage point. Eliminating defensive Havoc played a huge role in this methodology. Only Arkansas owned a preferable Havoc Rate than Georgia's 17.1% clip from this grouping. While each facet was dependable, Georgia followed the trend by letting runs dictate this package's output. Like their overall script, the Bulldogs' favorite looks were Zone Slams, Split Zones, Duos, and Outside Zones. Those looks made up over half of their 12 personnel snaps with Inside Zone looks combining to total over 35%. While Duos and Outside Zones failed to be overly fruitful, Inside Zone looks posted a 57% Success Rate from this set.
The 3 Teams that found the most success:
1. Alabama: 58.6% Success Rate
As aforementioned, Alabama overly battered and bruised teams when they came out in 12 personnel. And while taking out two of their four electric receivers in favor of Miller Forristall and Major Tennison might have seemed counterintuitive, it largely paid off. Leaning into the ground game allowed a scheme that already featured plenty of play action to take it up a notch. In general, the Tide used a play fake on 29% of their dropbacks; over 46% of their passes had some form of action either from RPO meshes, a motion fake, or true play action. Out of 12, Alabama's passers' Play Action Rate was an ungodly 47% with nearly 60% using a form of a play fake. The massive success the Tide had pounding the ball inside caused defenses to overcorrect, which often compromised them downfield. Alabama was the only SEC offense where both its Rushing and Passing Success Rates topped 56% from this grouping. Half of their passes and 36% of their runs resulted in either a first down or a touchdown. Alabama was the conference's best offense out of 12 personnel and it wasn't even close due to their versatility, consistency, and potency.
2. Texas A&M: 54.8% Success Rate
3. Mississippi State: 50.0% Success Rate
Mississippi State's rush attack experienced immense gains out of 12 personnel as far as Success Rate is concerned. Their 47.4% cumulative figure climbed to 55.8% in these spots with only Alabama sporting a better clip. But, there was a reason for that. Mississippi commonly waited until later downs or short yardage situations to trot out this set. No SEC team averaged less than their 6.45 average yards to gain. With a lower bar, the Bulldogs were able to execute at a high rate. But, you wouldn't know it by looking at their other stats. Despite a top3 Success Rate, MSU's Yards/Play and 15+ Play Rate fell into the bottom4. No SEC offense logged a worse Negative Play Rate, Sack Rate, Havoc Rate or Yards Before Contact average. With plenty of short yardage situations, they found far less cushion to operate. Mississippi's 2.93 overall Yards Before Contact clip, which held the conference's silver medal, plunged to 0.62 out of 12 personnel. Only two looks received more than 10 reps: Inside Zone Slam and Bluff Reads. Each look's Success Rate bested 58%. While those took care of business and composed just under 40% of their 12 personnel snaps, everything else was largely forgettable. All Curls and Sail were the only two concepts with multiple targets to reach the 50% Success Rate plateau. For what it's worth, MSU was one of the more pass-happy offenses from this grouping. Sure their 36.6% rate still looked up to their cumulative figure. But only Florida passed more among qualifying SEC offenses.
The 3 Teams that found the most potency:
1. Alabama: 12.8% 15+ Play Rate
By having defenders constantly playing on their heels, Alabama's dominance from 12 personnel carried over to creating big gainers. Again, no one bested either their Rushing or Passing Success Rate from this set and just under half of their throws utilized play action. Their output from this set was a textbook example of playing one's opponent. While putting up the conference's third highest Explosive Play Rate, no one used this grouping more or found more situational success. Four pass concepts with at least three targets held a double-digit Yards/Attempt and a perfect Success Rate: Bubble Screens, Utah/Tap Passes, Rubs, and Daggers. Alabama's 11.9 Yards/Pass from this set was the only instance of a SEC offense posting a figure better than 9. While the Tide shredded the skies, explosive carries only came at an average rate relative to the rest of the conference.
2. Vanderbilt: 10.2% 15+ Play Rate
Vanderbilt's 2019 offense was a failure. With short term band-aid and grad transfer Riley Neal opting to play his final season in Nashville, Vandy's overly pro-style scheme had to morph to suit their new passer who predominantly operated in a spread scheme. Despite modernizing, the Commodore's were anchored to the bottom of the conference's statistical rankings. Overall, they were either last or second to last in Success Rate, Negative Play Rate, Sack Rate, Explosive Play Rate, and Havoc Rate. In general, less than 8% of their snaps resulted in gains of 15-plus, which also represented the SEC's floor. But when they borrowed tactics of old that had suited them prior to Neal's arrival, the 'Dores were far less crappy. Sure their 42.4% Success Rate still fell into the bottom5, but it was eight percentage points better than their cumulative figure. As far as creating explosive gains go, no SEC offense bested Vanderbilt's 14.7% rate of producing either a pass of 20+ or run of 10+ last season out of 12 personnel. Both their Explosive Pass and Run Rate fell into the top4 as did their 5.82 Yards/Play. Despite finding splash plays from this set, Outside Zones, Jet Handoffs, and Portland Shots were the only concepts with at least four reps to average at least 8 Yards/Attempt.
3. Florida: 9.89% 15+ Play Rate
Though Florida's overall Explosive Play and 15-plus Rate were rather middling, they were among the most potent units from two-tight sets. Granted, each of those respective clips looked down upon their 12 personnel counterpart. Still, the Gators found themselves with the best Yards/Carry and third best Yards/Pass from this set. Considering how woeful their run game was, that's a positive Dan Mullen might want to remember just in case things stall again in 2020. Overall, Florida's 4.84 Yards/Carry fell into the bottom4. But from 12, that shot up to 6.17. Their consistency really didn't improve, just the number of breakaways. Florida's Rushing Success Rate improved by less than a percent in these spots despite the Gators rising from 13th to 2nd in terms of Yard Before Contact Average within the conference. For the most part, the Gators remained bottled up. While they commanded the SEC's third highest percentage of plays to go for 15 or more yards from 12 personnel, their Explosive Play Rate only trumped Arkansas, Ole Miss, and South Carolina.
Pony Personnel: 2 Back - 0/1 Tight Ends - 4/3 Receivers
| SEC AVR Success Rate | SEC AVR Y/P | SEC AVR 15+ Rate | SEC-wide Usage Rate |
| 45.1% | 7.20 | 13.4% | 2.53% |
Pony personnel -- or two back sets from the pistol or shotgun -- provide some obvious advantages. 20 and 21 personnel put more speed in the backfield while giving the offense an additional body to create run lanes in the box. As aforementioned, offenses of old largely used I-Formations and fullbacks to forge alleys within defensive fronts with this personnel. In the age of the spread, speed is the more preferable weapon. That isn't to say these backs don't have to act as blockers, because they do. But having to decipher plays and track down swift backs sideline to sideline can wear out linebackers both mentally and physically. After all, pony sets thrive off crisscross backfield action, read options with lead blockers, multi-faced handoff mesh points, and general misdirections where the speed advantage can be accentuated. Throw in a mobile quarterback, and things get even spicier. Yet, only six SEC offenses dedicated at least a percentage of their plays towards the grouping. Three didn't even bother to field it once. The teams that did run it, however, made pony personnel have the best Yards/Play with the second best Success Rate and 15-plus rate among the four most-popular packages within the conference last season. This set largely operated as an early down mechanism. Less than 9% of this grouping's reps took place on 3rd Downs. Thanks to the tight end revolution strong-arming coaches to keep those guys on the field, 21 logged 3x the reps 20 personnel did within the conference. For this analysis, I combined them together to create a 2.53% SEC-wide Usage Rate.
The 3 Teams that used it the most:
1. Ole Miss: 12.1% Usage Rate
Rich Rodriguez got back to his spread-run roots over the course of 2019 as Ole Miss's play caller. By midseason, the installation of John Rhys Plumlee at quarterback and the emergence of two young backs made using pony personnel a must for the Rebel's run-first mentality. As a result, no SEC offense matched their affinity for this set. Already one of the more ground-oriented offenses, less than a quarter of their plays were passes. Kentucky was the only qualifying SEC offense to have a lower Pass Rate. Ole Miss's Success Rate improved over three percentage points and its Yards/Play by over half a yard compared to its overall figures out of this package. Despite the numbers advantage their personnel traits bestowed them, Ole Miss wasn't able to rip off explosive gains at a great clip. Only Auburn had a lower percentage of plays that gained at least 15 yards. Overall across the course of the season, 16.9% of their runs went for at least 10 yards compared to just 13.6% out of 20/21 personnel. Among qualifying offenses, no other team had a clip so low. Half of their runs and 38% of their plays were Inside Zone Bluff Reads from this set. The look championed a 51.2% Success Rate and 8.39 Yards/Carry, which proved the concept was deserving of the high volume.
2. Texas A&M: 6.76% Usage Rate
Texas A&M had one of the more diverse personnel distributions within the conference last year. Five different groupings owned between a 3.5% and 50% Play Share. Looking at pony personnel, Kellen Mond's mobility allowed the Aggies' normally stiff offense to have some boogie to it. No team that dedicated at least one-percent of their plays to pony personnel bested their 9.83 Yards/Play despite the fact the Aggies ran the ball 73% of the time. That's quite a contrast to TAMU's cumulative figure of 5.88 that finished below the conference mean. Their most successful wrinkles were Outside Zone Reads (mostly benefiting from the off back lead blocking) and Stretch Options that aimed to beat and outnumber the defense towards the edge. The concepts combined to sport a 52.6% Success Rate and 12.6 Yards/Carry. Those two looks made up 32% of Texas A&M's pony personnel snaps and 45% of the set's yards. Though some transfers make this package's usage murky moving forward, a fifth of 20/21's reps took place in the Aggie's bowl win versus Oklahoma State.
3. Kentucky: 5.96% Usage Rate
Two-back sets were an occasional feature of Kentucky's Lynnsanity Offense. A very ground-heavy assault as is, almost 90% of UK's 20/21 personnel plays were runs. Despite similar offenses finding better outcomes from this set, the Cats posted the second worst Yards/Play and Success Rate among SEC qualifiers. UK, however, managed to share the SEC's second highest Explosive Run Rate with a 27.3% clip. Before this season, Bowden had experience operating from a special pony package and posted similar results. In 2019 prior to Bowden becoming full-time QB, it logged six plays. At the very least, this functioned as a change-of-pace tactic in Eddie Gran's bag of tricks. Inside Zone Triple Options were responsible for much of Lynnsanity's 20/21 production. That concept composed 37% of the package's plays and 56% of its yards; it was the only concept to receive more than five reps. Though whatever with a 44.4% Success Rate, Triples averaged 9.28 Yards/Carry.
The 3 Teams that found the most success:
1. Texas A&M: 52.5% Success Rate
The Aggies fruitfulness from 20/21 personnel was solely due to their run game. Only Kentucky posted a less preferable Passing Success Rate from this package than TAMU's 37.5% clip. Still, half of their Outside Zone Reads, Inside Zone Reads, and Counters resulting in success. Those looks happened to be their favorite concepts out of this set. As aforementioned in the previous section, much of their output was anchored to Outside Zone Reads. But their execution of Inside Zone Triple Options was superb. On those plays, each rep resulted in success while the look averaged 15.8 Yards/Attempt. No pass concept received more than three targets. Though each only got a couple of tries, "Corners" and "Scissors" both were responsible for 36 yards with the former seeing its two targets result in success. To circle back, this set overly was meant to aid a so-so run game. It certainly accomplished that. Overall, the Aggies only averaged 5.80 Yards/Carry. From 20/21 personnel, their clip shot up to 9.26, which owned the SEC's gold medal.
2. Georgia: 48.9% Success Rate
Georgia's usage of pony personnel was rather unique relative to the rest of the SEC. They were the only offense that dedicated at least a percent Play Share towards this set to pass more than it ran. Their overall Success Rate was about about three percentage points worse than their clip from 20/21 personnel in comparison. When broken out, both Georgia's Rushing and Passing Success Rates improved in these spots. Schematically, pony packages functioned as gadget plays for this offense. Often featuring James Cook as the factor back either flaring out of the backfield, running orbit motion from out wide, or taking a handoff, the Bulldogs hoped eye candy would create additional cushion to operate. Those tactics overly worked. Georgia's rush Yards Before Contact average puffed up by a half a yard from 20/21 versus their 2.49 cumulative figure. Only Auburn average more Yards after the Catch than UGA's 7.13 mark in this context. The scat attack targeted 13 Screens; all but two were RPOs. These attempts accounted for the plurality of their reps and yards accounting for over a quarter of each. Of course, Georgia's primary concept, Inside Zone Slams, saw a healthy Play Share. The look logged seven reps off RPOs along with six additional tries straight up. All three sported at least a 50% Success Rate, which correlated in the 'Dawgs being among the most consistent offenses from pony personnel.
3. Auburn: 46.7% Success Rate
Auburn only utilized 20/21 personnel on 1.6% of its snaps in 2019. It was far from their normal offense. But as War Eagle supporters can attest, this set rarely was lackluster. When prompted, the Tigers have commonly orchestrated pop passes or Wheelie wrinkles from their two-backs sets under Gus Malzahn. Last year, half of their pony personnel passes resulted in success while sporting a 18.8 Yards/Attempt. Granted, they only logged four attempts with three of them being off the Wheelie concept. Still, the look accounted for over half of the package's yardage for the season thanks to one big gainer. Auburn's Rushing Success Rate remained steady to its overall mark with a 45% clip. Three of Auburn's most called runs from this set all put up at least a 50% Success Rate. These included Inverted Power Veers, that composed a third of reps and finished second in yards, along with Inside Zone Slam and Bluff Reads.
The 3 Teams that found the most potency:
1. Texas A&M: 20.3% 15+ Play Rate
Since Texas A&M produced the SEC's top Yards/Play out of 20/21 personnel it shouldn't be a big surprise they also held the highest rate of plays that went for 15 or more yards. But considering TAMU's offense in general suffered from a broken play problem, it was nice to see some pop out of them from this grouping. Their cumulative Explosive Play Rate fell into the SEC's bottom4 and TAMU's 11.3% rate of plays that went for at least 15 yards was right around the SEC average. Despite a predominately run-first approach, that figure practically doubled from two-back sets. Again, extra speed and numbers at the point of attack -- often on the edge of the formation -- were largely responsible for these gains. Overall, TAMU's 2.32 rush Yards Before Contact clip was the definition of average last year in the SEC. But from pony personnel, their 6.77 figure was greater than every other qualifying offense's Yards/Carry. With that kind of padding, it's easy to see why this unit was the conference's best offense from this set.
2. Kentucky: 16.3% 15+ Play Rate
3. Georgia: 13.3% 15+ Play Rate
Despite their gadgetry from this set mostly working short, Georgia's Explosive Play Rate and 15+ Rate improved from pony personnel compared to its cumulative numbers. UGA's 6.21 Yards/Play also saw gains in these spots puffing up to 7.71. Over half of the 'Dawgs' snaps used flair or jet motion with an additional 18% incorporating orbit motion. As aforementioned, James Cook was the straw the stirred the drink from pony personnel and was predominately the man in motion. With forward inertia helping him gain a step on a box defender, Cook saw over half of his targets, catches, and yards come from this grouping. He touched the ball on over a quarter of their attempts and finished with 96 yards from scrimmage. George Pickens caught three of his four targets for an additional 96 yards, 2 first downs, and a score. These two accounted for 55% of Georgia's yards, 35% of their chances, and 36% of their explosive gains from pony personnel.