Playbooks
HB Gut is a downhill gap run out of Weak I with 20 personnel, designed to attack the B gap using a fullback lead block that seals the interior. The offensive line pulls the backside guard to create a double team at the point of attack while the fullback kicks out or logs the first threat off the edge, giving the HB a clear crease to press the hole. This is a run play, not a pass concept, so the primary read is the HB's progression from the fullback's block to the playside guard's double team, pressing the gap until it opens then bouncing outside if the alley is sealed.
Identify the Mike linebacker's alignment before the snap since a downhill Mike sitting in the B gap can blow up the play design before the fullback gets a clean track. Watch for a crashing defensive end or a 5 technique squeezing hard inside, which forces you to bounce the run outside off the fullback's kick out block. Look at the safety depth in the box since an eight man front or a strong safety cheating down signals the defense is selling out to stop the run and you should audible to a play-action shot instead. This run gets shut down by gap exchange stunts and slanting fronts that cross the guard's pull with a scraping linebacker, so if you see stunt indicators pre-snap consider checking to HB Stretch to bounce the run wider. User controlled defenders flowing hard downhill off the fullback's fake can be exploited later in the series with PA X-Dig or Dagger X-Corner once the linebackers start keying run action too aggressively.
Run this play on early downs like first and ten or second and short when the defense shows base personnel or a 4-3 look with linebackers at normal depth. Check the box count before the snap and avoid calling Gut into six or seven man fronts since you lack a numbers advantage without extra blocking help. Use motion sparingly since this look already sells run action well from Weak I, and any shift can tip your hand to a linebacker scraping over the top. Pair this with PA Power O and PA Boot Lt later in the series since both play-action concepts sell the same fullback lead action and freeze linebackers who bit hard on earlier Gut reps. Take control of the fullback at the snap in short yardage to manually adjust his kick out block if the defense shows an outside blitz off the edge.