08/21/2026
James Madison finished 12-2 last season, made the College Football Playoff, and ranked ninth nationally in scoring. Running back Wayne Knight led the team in receptions.
That is not a stat sheet typo. It is a design decision.
The Dukes did not build a separate offense to get their back involved in the passing game. They took concepts they already ran and changed how Knight was incorporated. Post Wheel with the wheel coming from the boundary. Y Cross with a rail route instead of the traditional flat. Es**rt screen, and then a jailbreak screen off the same action once the defense started flowing to it. A quads squeeze concept that puts one outside linebacker in a two route conflict. The classic angle route against man coverage.
Some of it was scheming Knight open. A lot of it was simply forcing the defense to cover him with the wrong player. And on more than a few snaps, Knight never touched the ball at all. Two defenders reacting to him on a bubble was enough to open the post behind it.
The takeaway for coaches: you do not need 20 new plays to get your running back into the passing game. Start with what you already run and ask a different question. What happens if our running back is the matchup we are trying to create?
If you have a back who can run routes, catch the football, and make someone miss in space, that question changes how a defense has to structure its coverage.
The running back does not have to be the checkdown. He can be the plan.
Full film breakdown here:
How James Madison used Post Wheel, Y Cross, and screens to turn RB Wayne Knight into a mismatch weapon in the passing game. Film breakdown for coaches.