Film Room: Introducing Shawn Robinson, Part One—The Legs

Most of us presumed when Barry Odom brought Shawn Robinson to Mizzou as a transfer from TCU that Robinson would be the Tigers’ quarterback of the future. Then true freshman Connor Bazelak earned a start in the 2019 season’s final game against Arkansas and played quite well, causing many of us to question our supposition about Robinson.

Unfortunately Bazelak damaged his own knee even worse than he did the Razorback secondary, and will miss spring workouts in favor of rehabilitation.

Operating on the idea that Bazelak’s injury sets up Robinson yet again as presumptive 2020 Tiger QB, we begin here a three part series introducing Robinson’s skills as a runner and passer. Today we begin with his rushing ability.

Like any dual-threat quarterback, Robinson can hurt you in the run-read game, with called quarterback runs, and on improvised scrambles. I’ve organized some illustrative examples into these categories.

QB Runs

Read Keeps

Spread offenses having been the norm for a decade and a half of so, most of us understand run-read schemes by now. Committed readers of this column certainly do. So a brief reminder should suffice.

This is your old-fashioned, everyday, run-of-the-mill Inside Zone Read play.

While offering the ball to the running back, the quarterback reads the defender on the backside edge. If the defender chases the back, the QB keeps the ball and takes it out the backdoor. If the defender does anything else, the RB gets the ball on the handoff.

Here are some plays where Robinson keeps the ball on Inside Zone read plays.

In this next clip Robinson makes the wrong read—the RB should have gotten the ball. This, however, gives Robinson the opportunity to show off his slippery yet rugged running style.

Called QB Runs

Option

Here Robinson keeps the ball on a Speed Option play, ducking up under the end for a healthy chunk.

QB Counter Trap

Here is a play that might be familiar. Derek Dooley used the scheme—QB Counter Trap with an option to throw a Swing route on the backside—with Kelly Bryant last year.

QB Outside Zone

Scrambles

Running quarterbacks can be the bane of defensive coordinators’ lives, as when a defense works so hard to cover up a QB’s routes, only to give up a first down on a scramble.

Here are some Robinson scrambles that were good for first down conversions or TDs.

2nd and 10

Well, this would have been a first down if it was not called back for holding

Tight view

3rd and 6

3rd and 9

Tight view

3rd and 10

Touchdown

Conclusion

Like his predecessor Kelly Bryant, running the ball is an important facet of Robinson’s game. I’d say Robinson is on par with Bryant as a rusher. They are both big dudes with speed, though Robinson looks a bit thicker and runs with more power.

In our second installment of this series we will look at positive aspects of Shawn Robinson’s passing game.