Shotgun Rushing Game?

I am having some real trouble getting any kind of productive rushing attack out of shotgun formations. Aside from the odd read option or speed option which happens to open up perfectly, I am having almost no success.

I have Auburn in my OD and I had to switch to Oregon State's playbook after I opened the season with 2 straight SEC losses. I am really struggling to average more than 2-3 yds per carry when trying to establish the run out of the shotgun, even on the power runs in Auburn's formation.

Has anyone else had any success with this? It just seems like my blockers don't hold their blocks well at all so by the time my HB is to the LOS there are 2-3 defenders in the hole. I would mess with the sliders some but others in my OD are having no problem running the ball (though I don't know if they are using shotgun formations to do so or not).

I really hope this is something I am doing wrong & not a general issue with the game. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I have my shotgun run game going and in fair honesty until you have a pure run blocking line (accel, footwork, and strength all geared towards the run) and possibly a scat back ( or a running back that has some pretty good agility) its un-productive. I didn't get mine going until I had alot fo guys who were dedicated to the run and then the problem comes in with pass blocking o-lineman. To truly utilize the shotgun running attack you have to use your formation subs, as painful as it sounds you just cant go in with a average line and run out of it, so in essence you will have formations that you just cant run out of.

I know this is probably not that helpful in details but it really is that simple.

I turn my Holding Blocks and Impact Blocks to Aggressive, and average about 6 or more yards per carry with Miss. State's playbook.

I never really use my holding and impact blocks per dynasty user games, so I just never use it for any other games either. It might actually help, the risk -reward tradeoff just isn't in my favor honestly.

Playing on Heisman, my RB just won the Doak Walker. Running out of shotgun, but I did mix in quite a bit of I and Ace Big, as well as Shotgun Split formations.
I basically just go by the numbers game, if I outnumber the defense to the side of the run, I'll go with it. If not, I audible to something else. Will usually attack with the sweep and base plays and then when they start bringing a defender up to the LOS to the playside, I'll start mixing in the read options, slot WR options, speed options........they'll then start bringing up a defender to the LOS on the read side as well......that's when I'll try to run inside some, but often audible out to plays attacking the seams and hooks, since they'll start dropping those LOS defenders into the flats.

The other thing is I'll start passing consistently in 4wide and get them to back off, at which point I'll start formation-audibling into runs as well as use my set audible runs if I'm in the formation I set them for (shotgun spread).

Your sliders might be coming into play here too if you have them set for the CPU to break blocks fairly easily since they have to hold them longer in the shotgun running game.

You are definitely correct Austin. Unfortunately, unlike the under center power formations, you can't force the issue with the shotgun running game. It just doesn't work. You have to make them respect the pass (spreading out the field) before you'll be able to run effectively out of the shotgun. There will be the odd play that works despite spreading them out (some of Auburn's F formations come to mind) but, for the most part, you're at the mercy of the defense when it comes to running the ball.

Now, if you can actually get them to respect your pass to the point where they come out in Dime, that's when you're golden as long as the CPU doesn't cheat you (which it occasionally will).

The biggest problem is if you start going pass and spreading them out, the CPU gets stupid and doesn't back off and starts blitzing, basically giving you free rein to slice them up with the pass. THAT'S when it gets really damn frustrating trying to run the ball but that's also when draws to the non-loaded side start working pretty well (especially if you can get outside with them between the tackle and guard blocks).

I can't turn Holding/Impact on in my dynasties because Oneback's sliders make enough holding calls in the game as it is!

I tried a Shotgun running game with a dynasty team, using Vandy's playbook. Has a lot of the looks I liked from Tulsa's playbook last year, which I was pretty effective with. But I couldn't establish a running game worth anything, especially with the QB. I think I've pretty much given up on Shotgun running now, at least as a significant part of an offense.

The biggest problem with the shotgun running game is how long it takes the plays to develop. The reason why most of them don't work is because the offensive linemen can't hold their blocks for that long with most people's slider setups. When sliders are set for them to work better, then the under center running becomes incredibly overpowered because they hold their blocks for way too long.

The heart of the problem is the 1 to 1 blocking system that they have setup. When you have a system that doesn't take into account leverage, and doesn't have linemen block knowledgeably by moving their feet more and actively pushing the defender as they move laterally you have serious issues. But, the main issue is the fact that in those lateral movements, the linemen don't adjust their movements to keep the defender in front of them. In the game, if the DE breaks the crackdown block by the RG on a zone read play, instead of the RG changing his movements to keep the DE in front of him, the RG either waits too late and ends up trying to run back as if he has a prayer in making the block now or goes on to block down field, completely forgetting that the RB has no lead blocker on the play, thus basically letting the DE come free on the play and it getting destroyed in the backfield.

It's that type of blocking and the fact that agility basically doesn't play a factor at all in keeping defenders in front of linemen.that is sorely missed in this game when it comes to blocking and zone blocking specifically that contributes to the disproportionately bad shotgun running game.

Yeah I've spent all morning trying different slider sets & different levels of teams & I'm convinced now that the shotgun running game is worthless again. Especially when I'm playing Auburn vs Troy & can run the ball for crap. This is really discouraging.

Issues I've noticed with the blocking out of the Shotgun (& in general):

-No momentum in blocks. The Oline does not push the dline or attempt to turn their blocks away from the hole. The result is that when I run by a block, the defender can come off his block & at the very least, slow me down for another defender (ie-safety/corner who has read the run WAY too quickly completely abandoning his assigned coverage) to tackle me.

-Blockers not making decisions. pulling blockers especially seem to hesitate to make a decision on which guy to block & as a result, block noone. Also, when they get beat by a defender, they simply move on to the next guy instead of trying to at least get a piece of the guy that now comes free & gums up the works.

-WIN/LOSS animations. All of these blocking animations seem to be either complete successes or failures. Either the dlineman completely ditches the block & blows up the play or the oline dominates. A big part of run blocking is getting the defender moved just enough to allow your runner to get to the next level & it doesn't exist in this game.

The momentum in blocks seems to be the biggest factor on what you listed, Kwizzy. I like it when I'm playing on the DL, because I can shut down outside runs with a DE ... but it shoots the shotgun game in the foot.

I also use OneBack's sliders and the Miss. State playbook. And I always have both Holding Blocks and Impact Blocks on Aggressive. Sometimes it can kill drives by putting me in 1st and 20-30, but then I get it back from two long runs, because people think I will try to pass.