This passing concept isn’t flashy and probably won’t show up on social media, however, it was effective for Ole Miss in 3rd and 8+ situations.
Lane Kiffin and Charlie Weis Jr. call the concept “Stix,” and it is where every receiver gets to the first-down marker as fast as they can and then turns around.
Below are three reasons why this simple concept works so well.
1. The Deep Threat
Even though defenders will play at the sticks on 3rd down, they still have to honor the deep ball. This is why it is important for receivers to come off the ball full speed, sell the deep route, and then snap it down at the first-down marker.
2. The Spacing
Charlie Weis Jr. will usually call this out of trips or empty formation. This allows the offense to spread the field horizontally and find a window in the defense at the first-down marker.
3. The Box Out
Even if the defense is playing at the sticks, the offense can still get a box out. It becomes basketball at this point and the quarterback has to time the throw perfectly to get the ball to the receiver right as he is turning at the sticks.
One variation that I really liked was to condense the boundary TE and have him run a “Swirl” route (corner curl). This allows the TE to have leverage, sell the corner route, and box out the cornerback.
The Charlie Weis Jr. System
Charlie Weis Jr. dialed up Stix 6 times on 3rd and 8+ in 2025 and converted half of them. Converting half of your 3rd downs puts you in the top 1% in the FBS, so I would say this concept is one worth implementing.
You can watch every offensive play from the 2025 Ole Miss season, including the 6 cutups of Stix on The Charlie Weis Jr. System for $25.
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