Getting Five Out . . . and Still Protecting Your QB

The philosophy of our offense at Clemson University is to spread the field both horizontally and vertically. We believe that if we force the defense to defend the entire field, we can move the ball successfully. In order to spread the field effectively, we must be able to get five receivers out in some of our route packages. These packages must be coupled with a five-man protection scheme that will give our quarterback ample time to throw the ball. We've been very fortunate in the past, allowing few sacks. Our success is attributed not only to our protection scheme, but also the ability of our quarterbacks to throw the ball in sync with our timing routes. We give our quarterbacks quick throw options in most of our packages, and since we operate primarily out of a shotgun formation, we equate his action with that of a shortstop turning a double play: catch and throw. The quickness of the