He sees the tackle going to block an interior defensive player such as an inside linebacker or defensive tackle. When a defensive end sees the offensive tackle do this, he is coached to squeeze down inside towards the offensive guard and center in case one of them is trying to pull and block him.

Instead, when the defensive end squeezes inside, he sees the quarterback running down the line with the ball. Like any good defensive lineman, when this end sees the quarterback, he hits him as hard as he can.

The quarterback, for his part, pitches the ball to the running back just before he gets flattened. All of this happens in the split second after the ball is snapped.

The end result is that the running back has the ball much earlier than he normally does on an option and the play effectively turns into a toss-sweep with fewer blockers.

All season, the option play to the weak side has been ineffective. By this point in the year, however, Rose knows he will be hit hard by the defensive end. He pitches almost immediately after the snap, before the end has a chance to lay him out.

Freshman backup quarterback Conor Black entered Saturday's game without that experience. When he came in near the end of the game, he ran the weakside option play and took one of the most vicious hits of the entire game--all for the sake of a play that gained three yards.

It's a simple point, but the play works better when you block the really big guy who wants to kill your quarterback.