Coach McCray’s “Inside the Film Room”: How college running backs should decode defenses before they even take a hand-off

 

By Nate McCray

Earlier this week, I found myself reminiscing of the daily position meetings with my running backs at Carthage College during the 2022 season in Kenosha, Wisconsin. My office was our sanctuary. I would sit with my running backs, the lights dimmed, my mini projector humming, and we’d dive into the short and wide footage like detectives on a case. I taught them to look beyond the ball; to study the twitch of a linebacker’s feet, the subtle tilt of a safety’s shoulders, the way a defensive end loaded his weight before the snap. Those little tells were gold. In my mind, the game was always won before Saturday.

“See that?” I said to the room, rewinding the clip. “That linebacker’s leaning. He’s coming.”

What I wanted the group to understand was that on Saturday, in the split second between the quarterback’s cadence and the snap, that tiny detail could be the difference between a one-yard loss and a 40-yard touchdown run. For college running backs chasing greatness, this is where the real work gets done, in the film room.  Here are a few tips.

Mental Approach: Seeing the Game Before It Happens

The first step in elite film study isn’t what you watch, it’s what you look for. The best backs set their objectives before pressing play:

• Identify defensive fronts — is it an even 4–3, an odd 3–4, or a Tight/Bear front that chokes the middle?
• Recognize run fits and blitz tendencies — who fills which gap and when?
• Study the linebacker and safety behavior — do they cheat toward the line against run-heavy looks?
• Spot disguised coverages — is that safety deep help, or is he timing a blitz?
• Anticipate cutback lanes and know which defenders are most likely to leave them open.
• Pick up pass protection threats — the guys who can ruin a third-and-eight in an instant.

Pre-Snap Alignment & Structure: The Defense Tells a Story

Every defense has a personality, and it shows in their pre-snap structure.

Even fronts (4–3) balance the line, forcing backs to be patient and decisive. Odd fronts (3–4) bring versatile edge pressure. The Tight and Bear fronts? They’re the run stuffers, daring you to bounce it outside.

Running backs should watch for shade techniques, whether defensive tackles line up in a 1-tech (shoulder of the center) or a 3-tech (outside shoulder of the guard) and the width of defensive ends. A wide-9 end screams “stretch runs will be tough”; a tight end alignment might be begging for one.

Then comes the box count:

• Light box (six or fewer defenders) means potential daylight inside.
• Heavy box (seven or eight) often means the blitz is coming.

Linebacker & Safety Keys: Reading the Second Level

Linebacker depth and tilt are poker tells. Uptight? They’re likely blitzing. Sitting deeper? Expect them to drop into coverage.

• “Mugged” linebackers (lined up on the line of scrimmage) often bring heat.
• Late B- or C-gap walks can disguise pressure.
• Watch which LBs scrape hard toward outside zone runs.

Safeties are just as revealing:

• A safety creeping down before the snap usually means run support is coming.
• A post-snap rotation from two-high to one-high can mean Cover 3 or a weak-side blitz.
• Film tells you who fills the alley hard and who takes bad angles on toss plays.

Run Fit Recognition: Finding the Crease

Gap responsibilities shape the run game.

• 1-gap defenses play fast — one man, one gap. Creases close quickly.
• 2-gap defenses force patience; the defensive linemen read the play before committing.

Film also shows how defenders handle misdirection — counters, reverses, and jet sweeps. Backside defenders who bite hard are invitations for cutbacks.

Blitz & Pressure Recognition: Protecting Your Quarterback

Running backs live and die by their ability to pick up pressure.

Blitz tendencies often spike:

• On 2nd-and-long.
• On 3rd-and-medium or long.
• Inside the red zone.

Backs note blitz pathways — the Mike through the A-gap, a nickel coming off the edge, or a delayed safety blitz. Knowing the hot read in protection is as important as hitting the right hole.

Edge & Contain Discipline: Beating the Perimeter

Defensive ends give away a lot with their first step:

• Crash inside and you can bounce it outside.
• Hold leverage and you may need to cut up field sooner.

Corners and nickels matter here, too:

• Physical tacklers on the edge are tough to exploit.
• Others shy from contact, giving you extra yards on the sideline.

Team Tendencies & Situational Analysis: The Big Picture

Film teaches you how defenses adjust:

In the red zone: Boxes tighten, pressure rises, and certain gaps get clogged.
In short yardage: Expect heavy fronts — Bear or Even 6–2 — and a safety creeping in.
In substitutions: The personnel changes tell you what’s coming. If the run stoppers check in, it’s not the time to test the A-gap.

Running Back-Specific Film Questions: The Checklist

Every back should answer these while watching tape:

• Where do cutbacks open on inside zone?
• Do linebackers over-pursue wide runs?
• Are DEs giving up contain?
• Who arm-tackles?
• Who’s the weakest tackling DB?
• How do they react to pre-snap motion?
• What formations break their run fits?
• Who tips their hand pre-snap?

Pass Protection Focus: Surviving Third Down

Passing downs are their own game:

• Know the most common blitzers.
• Recognize stunt combinations and disguised zone blitzes.
• Spot delayed blitz tells.
• Watch for linebacker twists or “games” up front.

Final Tips: Making Film Study Count

Film work without organization is wasted effort. The pros keep it sharp:

• Use a notebook or iPad, with sections for each opponent.
• Label clips — “3rd & Medium Blitz,” “Weakside Toss Success.”
• Self-scout — watch how similar backs did against the same front.
• Simulate defensive looks in practice.

For every college running back with NFL dreams, this is the unglamorous side of football. No cheering crowds, no marching bands, no end zone dances. Just hours of rewinding and pausing, of scribbling notes and committing tendencies to memory.

Because when the stadium fills and the game kicks off, there’s no time to think. There’s only time to react, and if you’ve done the work in the film room, you already know what’s coming. If you wait to figure it out on the field, you’re already too late.