We're going to complete the breakdown of Shotgun Empty Bunch Open—what I believe to be the best five-wide formation in College Football 25.
Playbooks Featuring This Formation
Now, let's dive into the audibles I recommend setting up for this formation. My personal choices include:
Drag Curl
Quarterback Draw
Drive Wide Corner
Z-Spot and Go (or Bunch Trail, depending on your preference)
Our main play to start with is Clear Deep. Today, we'll focus on the other three passing plays.
Attacking Zone with Drive Wide Corner
To attack zone coverage effectively, I recommend putting your slot wide receiver on a smart-routed corner and your outside wide receiver on a stemmed-out route. This acts as a speed flat, giving you multiple options. When executed correctly, you'll have quick reads over the middle and deeper options depending on defensive positioning.
Against shaded-down coverage, the speed out won't be as effective, but the stemmed corner will still be open. Additionally, the deep post on the tight end can be used as a pull route or as a deep target for big gains.
Against Cover 2, the drag is an easy dump-off option, and the flood concept on the right side provides a solid five- to six-yard gain consistently. If the defense is playing stock Cover 2, high-balling the deeper corner route is a great option.
Additional Setups for Clear Deep
Here are two setups you can use to attack zone defenses with Clear Deep:
Stemmed Corner and Deep Dig – Place a stemmed-down corner on the right, a deep dig on the left outside, and a drag or flat route with the slot receiver. The deep dig works well over the middle, while the corner route stretches the defense.
Post Route from the Tight End – This setup helps beat zone defenses by adding an additional route option down the field.
Beating Cover 2 and Cover 3 with Bunch Trail
Against Cover 2 and Cover 3, Bunch Trail offers excellent spacing and multiple options. Your reads will focus on hitting the middle of the field or waiting for the crosser to develop. If your opponent is blitzing heavily, motioning a receiver over to block can provide extra protection.
A key adjustment is motioning the tight end and adjusting his route based on coverage. For Cover 3, leaving the slot inward curl or streaking him can help manipulate the hook zones. Against Cover 2, streaking the slot receiver will create additional separation downfield.
Running Drag Curl Against Zone
Drag Curl is another great play to attack zone defenses. A setup I like includes:
Motioning the tight end over and placing him on a stemmed-up corner
Flat route from the slot receiver
Stemmed-down route on the outside
This concept works well against Cover 3, providing a natural progression to read the defense. Against Cover 2, the hitch route becomes a strong option as it sits in the soft spot of the zone.
When running this play, you'll typically want to pick between the hitch and the corner route based on how the defense reacts. Another effective variation is leaving the corner route on the right side to create even more opportunities.
Z-Spot and Go for Seam Attacks
For Z-Spot and Go, I use two setups to attack zone:
Seam Streaking – Streak the outside and inside receivers while dragging another receiver to provide an easy check-down option. This setup is excellent against Cover 3, creating easy throws into open windows.
Post Route Variation – Motion the tight end over and put him on a post route. This setup is particularly effective against Cover 2, as the post gets past cloud flats and allows for an easy deep completion.
Against Tampa 2, streaking the RB helps clear out space for the Y receiver to break past the coverage. If timed correctly, this results in a big play opportunity.
Attacking Two-Man Under with Drive Wide Corner
To beat Two-Man Under, use Drive Wide Corner with these key adjustments:
Put the slot receiver on a wheel route
Use a streak or whip route for the tight end
Leave the left-side receiver on a stock wheel route for better press release
This setup creates separation, allowing you to torch man coverage. The wheel route is especially effective against press coverage, gaining easy yards up the sideline. Additionally, the post route remains a solid option if the timing is right.
Beating Cover Zero Blitzes with Bunch Trail
When facing heavy Cover 0 blitzes, here's how to counter effectively:
Motion the tight end over to block the blitz.
ID the opposite defensive end to neutralize the rush.
Crosser the slot receiver to exploit man coverage.
The combination of a sharp corner route, a stock drag, and a deep crosser allows you to beat man coverage easily. If the opponent presses, adjusting the running back's route to a curl can give you a quick read against man.
The key here is eliminating the blitz pressure while creating easy throwing lanes. Once the corner route cuts, the ball should be delivered in stride for a significant gain.
Conclusion
Mastering this formation doesn't just give you an edge on the field—it can also help you earn College Football 25 Coins more efficiently. By consistently executing these plays and winning games, you'll accumulate more coins to unlock better players and customizations. Utilizing this five-wide scheme in competitive play increases your chances of dominating opponents and maximizing your in-game earnings.
That wraps up our breakdown of Empty Bunch Open, which I truly believe is the best five-wide formation in College Football 25.
MMOexp College Football 25 Team