Whether you call it the Tush Push or the Brotherly Shove, when the Philadelphia Eagles need a yard, they call upon one play.
The NFL is a copycat league, and football’s a copycat sport, so it should be no surprise that the NFL’s most infamous short-yardage play is being put to use in college football. In Week 5, at least 11 college teams ran the play. LSU, Penn State, and Minnesota were among the teams that scored on it from goal line situations. One of the multiple times the Gophers ran the play, they needed only a yard on fourth-and-inches but ended up plunging into the end zone from the 2-yard line.
The concept for the push play is fairly simple. It’s a souped-up QB sneak that involves other players in the backfield pushing the quarterback to give him extra momentum. The offensive line, often in four-point stances so they can stay low, drives forward at the snap to create a surge, and the QB pumps his legs behind them to fall forward. The unique element is he’s aided by a teammate or multiple teammates shoving him from behind. On some plays, the offensive linemen can also be pushed from behind to add force as well.
