MTN Y Post, The One Route That Breaks Defenses in College Football 27
Formation: Gun Trips Tight End Flex, Play: MTN Y Post
One play. Three routes that all get open. A tight end post you literally cannot hot route onto any other play. Here's everything you need.
What Is MTN Y Post?
It's a play out of Gun Trips Tight End Flex. The full name is Motion Wide Post. And once you see why, it clicks.
Your B wide receiver auto motions across the formation before the snap. That motion alone causes problems. Defenses panic. Zone defenders shift. Man coverage gets confused. And BEFORE the ball is even snapped. You already know what's open.
Three routes matter here. Learn all three. Use whichever one the defense gives you.
What Are the Three Routes You're Reading?
1. The Wheel Route (B Wide Receiver)
This is the motion guy. He sprints across the field pre-snap, then releases vertical. That's a wheel route. And it's dangerous.
Watch the defense when he motions. If a defender follows him man-to-man the whole way, that's one thing. But if nobody picks him up cleanly. That's a blown coverage. Hit him immediately. One play, big gain, done.
The motion is doing the work FOR you. You're not guessing. You're reading.
2. The Return Route (Middle Wide Receiver)
This is your easy completion. He attacks the shallow middle and crosses. Zone coverages struggle to get there in time. Man coverage has to chase him through traffic.
Two windows to throw it. Early as he's breaking into the middle, or later as he settles across. Either works. When in doubt, this is your checkdown that actually gains yards.
3. The Post Route (Tight End)
This is the BEST route on the play. Maybe one of the best in the game.
Your tight end is split out wide. And he's running a post breaking over the middle. Here's why this matters: you cannot hot route this post onto other plays. It doesn't exist on most plays. You have to call MTN Y Post specifically to get this stock route.
That's the whole thing. Defenses don't prepare for what they don't see. This post is open - a lot. More than it should be.
How to Execute MTN Y Post. Step by Step
- Line up in Gun Trips Tight End Flex
- Call MTN Y Post
- Watch the B receiver auto motion pre-snap, read the defense RIGHT NOW
- If a defender blows coverage following the motion, throw the wheel immediately
- If coverage looks sound. Snap the ball and go through your reads: post first, return route second, halfback flat third
That's it. You're not doing anything complicated. You're just reading what the defense gives you.
What Does the Halfback Do?
Default. He attacks the flat. That's a fourth option if everything else gets taken away.
You can also motion him or adjust his route. Streak, angle, whatever fits what you want to build. The stock play already gives you four reads. But if you want to build out a full concept from this formation, the halfback is where you start adding pieces.
Example of what it looks like in action: halfback releases up the middle, gets open late, green catch, massive gain. The play creates so many natural conflicts that SOMEONE is always getting open somewhere.
When Should You Use MTN Y Post?
Against zone coverage. The return route crosses zones that can't react fast enough. The post drops right into the soft spots over the middle. Run this play vs. zone and something is always open.
Against man coverage. The wheel route motion creates instant chaos. Defenders following man assignments get picked, rerouted, or just flat out lose track. The post is a clean one-on-one matchup with your tight end split wide.
When you need yards NOW. The return route gives you an easy 6-10 yards almost on demand. It's not a home run play. It's a reliable play that keeps drives moving.
When you sense blown coverage. Motion the B receiver and WATCH. If the defense doesn't adjust, throw it before the snap, or hit him immediately after. One-play touchdowns come from here.
Why Does This Play Work So Well?
Three reasons.
First. The pre-snap motion forces an answer from the defense. Whatever they show you is information. You're reading BEFORE the snap, not after.
Second. The tight end post is a route you can only get here. Defenses that haven't studied this play have no counter prepared. They're reacting, not playing.
Third. All three routes attack different depths. The return route is shallow. The post is intermediate. The wheel goes deep. Zone defenders can't cover all three levels. Man defenders get picked or confused. Something breaks open on almost every single rep.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Ignoring the pre-snap read. The motion is information. If you're not watching the defense adjust, you're throwing away free plays.
- Forcing the post every time, yes, it's the best route. But if it's covered, it's covered. Take the return route. Take the flat. Move on.
- Sleeping on the halfback. He's a late option that gets open when defenses overcommit to the three main routes. Eyes open.
- Not running this enough. One rep won't teach you the reads. Run it 10 times in practice mode. The reads become automatic.
What Counters This Play?
Cover 2 with disciplined underneath defenders can limit the return route. But the post still has room to work over the top of the safeties if your tight end wins his release.
Tight man coverage with a spy on the halfback takes away two options. But the wheel motion still creates problems. And if your opponent is dedicating that many defenders to taking away reads, you're already in a good situation running the football.
No single coverage stops everything this play does. That's the point.
Quick Reference
- Formation: Gun Trips Tight End Flex
- Play: MTN Y Post
- Read 1: Wheel route, pre-snap blown coverage
- Read 2: Tight end post, open vs. man and zone
- Read 3: Return route, easy yards, shallow middle
- Read 4: Halfback flat, late option
Run the play. Watch the motion. Throw to who's open. That's all this is.