Ben Arbuckle is not a pure Air Raid disciple. Like many young play callers, he started in a system, learned it, and then made it his own. His passing game lives right alongside the classic Air Raid coaches. Where he breaks from the tree is in the run game.
Today we are going to strip the Air Raid down to what it actually is and why it is the right system for a new starter or an inexperienced quarterback. Tomorrow we will round it out with a focused look at the run game.
Let’s get into it.
The Air Raid is more than a playbook. It is a way of thinking about offense that puts space, repetition, and clarity at the center of every snap. Where many systems are collections of plays, the Air Raid is a philosophy that teaches players how to find leverage and throw to grass based on a core set of plays. The goal is not to trick the defense with endless variety. The goal is to force the same simple conflicts over and over until the defense runs out of answers.
“You have to have a great capacity for boredom” – Coach Hal Mumme
Despite what the mainstream says, the Air Raid intent is simple—throw short to your playmakers. Feed your space players the ball as often as possible. Make the defense prove they can tackle the underneath throws for four quarters, after you have already forced them out of their shell.
That foundation makes the Air Raid ideal for a first-time starting quarterback. New starters need confidence, processing speed, and trustworthy answers when a read is cloudy.
The Air Raid delivers all three.
First, Core concepts like Stick, Shallow, Y cross, Mesh, and Four Verts (6) are repped until they become second nature. The quarterback learns one or two key defenders, a clear progression, and the built in outlets. Because the concepts repeat across different formations and motions, a young quarterback can recognize the picture before the ball is even snapped. Fewer decisions lead to faster decisions.
Second, it builds rhythm through high percentage throws. Spacing routes and option hitches give the quarterback easy completions that feel like extended handoffs. Screens and quick outs punish soft corners and blitz looks. Each completion calms the pocket and raises the quarterback’s trust in his feet and eyes. When a young starter stacks completions, he begins to play on time, and an on time Air Raid quarterback is hard to stop.
Third, it gives clear answers versus pressure. The ball comes out fast, and the route structure creates hot throws without heavy protection gymnastics. The quarterback learns to replace the blitzer with the football. That simple rule limits negative plays, which is where many first year starters struggle.
Fourth, the teaching language is simple. Tags and numbered sequences let the offense call the same family of plays while changing a single route or landmark. That keeps the call sheet small (Riley’s sheet of paper) and the quarterback’s mind uncluttered. Communication from the sideline is efficient, so the quarterback can live in the pre snap world that matters most. Identify leverage, confirm the matchup, take the gift.
Fifth, practice is designed for mastery. Repping the same concepts against every coverage shell builds a mental library for the young starter. On game day he has seen the answer in practice a hundred times. Instincts, Instincts, Instincts!
Finally, Hal Mumme framed the Air Raid’s core intent in one line:
“When surrounded by superior force, attack, attack, attack.”
Some Saturdays the other sideline will have more size or more talent. That is not the cue to pull back. It is the signal to press harder. For the quarterback, The aggression is disciplined, which is why it suits a new starter. On obvious man coverage downs, Mateer shows it: identify isolation, trust the matchup, and cut it loose. You are not chasing hero throws.
You are hunting the right throw over and over, especially when the upset is there to be taken.
Simple, repeatable, quarterback friendly football.
Final Thoughts
1) Same offense, new pilot.
If you could hand pick a play caller for a quarterback walking into real adversity, you would pick Ben Arbuckle and this philosophy. It gives a young or unproven starter what he needs most: clear rules, repeatable answers, and built in aggression. In the face of great challenges, this is how a quarterback finds success.
As we head into Kent State and possibly a conference game or two without Heisman front runner John Mateer, the offense does not change. We will add quarterback run attachments to maximize Michael Hawkins’ legs. We should be doing that anyway. Last year - Against Texas we already showed Super Counter, Counter with Speed Option, and QB Pin and Pull.
The core pass game and the call sheet stay the same.
2) Stay aggressive.
The quarterback’s job is to march the team downfield and score. This defense buys you extra possessions and short fields, so lean into it. The receiving room has four players over 200 yards, all averaging over ten yards a catch. Before Mateer’s injury all four were pacing for eight hundred yard seasons.
Attack. Attack. Attack.
3) Running Game
The bye week and Kent State are a perfect window to sharpen a key piece of Ben Arbuckle’s run game, the Wide Zone. We will dive into that tomorrow.
Thank you for reading.
Let’s build this tailgate.
Boomer!
Rob