One of NCAA Football 06’s strangths is the ability to run just about any offense you can think of. For the game being almost 20 years old, there is a lot of offensive versatility to explore.
The passing game is no exception. There are numerous amounts of great pass plays to attack a defense from all angles.
Below are 14 of those plays I’ve made videos on over the years on the channel. We will start with dropbacks and work our way to some nifty play actions and RPOs.
Ace Spread Triangle
This play is great is you like to spread things out from under center. It’s stretches the defense horizontally and vertically. The play is designed to the HB out in space against a lesser defender.
Shotgun Normal HB Angle
This is basically the same concept as the previous play but from the Shotgun and with a tight end. Having the isolation possibility with your HB is such a great tool to have in your toolbox.
Ace 4WR Trips Slot Clearout
Heading back under center, this play is a nice compliment to Ace Spread Triangle since you’re stretching the defense the same way, and this formation is the sister of Ace Spread. The Slant route is one of my favorites as it attacks man and certain zone coverages well.
Shotgun Trips Clearout
Here is another clearout concept with a great Slant route underneath, just like the previous play. This Shotgun version really pushes the vertical narrative with three deep routes, thus the reason why it’s called Clearout, to help clear out room for that Slant.
Shotgun Trips HB Streak
This play is one of my favorite rollout options. The combo of the HB Streak and the Flag route beside gives you an opportunity to attack a safety against Cover 2 for a big gain. This play is similar to the one above with a delayed In route similar to the Slant mentioned above from the same WR.
Strong Twins Smash HB Streak
Here we have another HB Streak concept where the HB goes deep and the rest of your skill players attack the rest of the field. This is also a good play to get your tight end in a 1-on-1 situation. I also like that it’s from an unpopular but fun old-school formation.
Shotgun Y-Trips FL Cross
The next three plays center around drags and crossing routes. This play has the classic Crosser used by so many teams these days. This shotgun play has great route spacing among all five routes. It also works well on either hash.
Shotgun 2-Back Slot RB Crosses
This play has a similar feel to it with another crossing route although with a slightly different angle. The entire play has a great Air Raid vibe to it with both running backs going out in the flat for a pass while the WRs attack further down the field.
Shotgun Trips WR Drag
Speaking of crossing routes and the Air Raid, this play has both a Crosser and a Drag route, basically the Mesh concept, an Air Raid staple, from a 4-wide set no less. Both of those routes shine in this play. The entire play can do some serious damage against man and zone coverages.
I-Form Slot WR Drag
This play focuses on the Drag route more than anything else. Form a under center formation, the Drag and the Dig above it make it a Drive concept, one that is rare in 06. Having a backside Swing route with the HB makes it even more potent.
Weak Y-Trips PA Toss Screen
This is our first play action play on the list, and it is a good one. It is one of the few play action plays that features a screen concept. Another great feature is you can still throw to the HB you faked a toss to. Just a fun play from an unorthodox formation.
I-Form Twin TE PA Rollout
This play action concept from a bigger under-center formation really shines when you need to get the ball quickly to a tight end. I’ve always used it for short yardage, especially on 3rd and 4th down situations. This play works even better during redzone and goal line time.
Shotgun 2-Back Slot PA Read
RPOs are beyond lethal when used correctly, and this play is no exception. Beyond the ability to hand the ball off, the passing routes are quite effective here. The route spacing is good, and you can attack several areas of the field at once. You can make the defense wrong almost everytime with this play.
Shotgun Normal PA Read
This is one of the more popular RPO/PA Read concepts in the game. All four routes are great and versatile as most can attack man and zone well. Having the tight end block can actually be a good thing, especially when you need extra protection when passing or need that extra blocker when running.
Conclusion
These plays cover a wide range of ways to attack a defense with the passing game. There is a nice mix of under-center and Shotgun plays to keep you entertained for awhile.
Add in the fact that you also have a mix of dropback, play action, and RPOs, you can practically use all of these to make a complete passing attack.
These just scratch the surface of what you can do passing-wise in NCAA Football 06.
