Coaches Scoop

By Nate McCray As the page turns from a demanding 2025 campaign to the promise of a new offseason, Alabama State’s backfield remains in calculated, relentless motion, mirroring the mindset of Running Backs Coach and Recruiting Coordinator Juwan Lewis.  The Hornets 10–2 finish in 2025 was more than a record, it was a declaration of identity.  They imposed their will on opponents with a physical, downhill run game and schematic multiplicity that stressed defenses from sideline to sideline.  The momentum of Alabama State’s campaign extended well beyond the box score, as the Hornets’ offensive staff earned national acclaim as the AFCA Minority Forum Offensive Staff of the Year.  The honor recognized a unit that blended schematic multiplicity with disciplined player development, producing one of the most efficient and versatile offenses in the conference. Week after week, the backfield set the tone, controlling tempo, finishing drives, and closing out tight contests wit...

  Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX  By Nate McCray There are concepts in football that survive every schematic cycle. Trends evolve, formations shift, and personnel groupings change, but certain principles endure because they attack the geometry of the defense itself. For me, that concept is the Outside Zone. When I install outside zone, I am not simply calling a run play, I am installing an offensive identity built on leverage, discipline, and stress applied across the width of the field. At its core, the outside zone is a horizontal displacement concept. We stretch the defense sideline to sideline, forcing linebackers and safeties to declare their intentions early and run laterally before they can trigger downhill. That lateral movement creates natural vertical seams. Rather than overpowering a defense in one predetermined gap, we force it to defend every gap simultaneously. Once second-level defenders overcommit to flow, the cutback lane emerge...