The Birth of the Run and Shoot: How Portland State Sparked a Football Revolution

The Run and Shoot offense is one of the most electrifying and controversial schemes in football history. At its peak, it transformed teams like the Houston Oilers, lighting up scoreboards and rewriting record books. Names like Warren Moon became synonymous with its wide-open attack in the NFL. But before the pros got a taste of its firepower, the system was setting the college ranks ablaze — thanks in large part to a little-known quarterback at a small West Coast school.

Neil Lomax and Portland State University weren’t just early adopters of the Run and Shoot; they were its launching pad. Under the innovative mind of head coach Mouse Davis, the Vikings turned a radical, pass-heavy system into an unstoppable force, and Lomax was the perfect trigger man. His eye-popping numbers — over 13,000 passing yards and 106 touchdowns in his collegiate career — sent shockwaves through the football world. Coaches, from high school to the pros, couldn’t ignore what Portland State was doing. If a previously unheralded program could turn an overlooked quarterback into a record-breaking machine, what could the system do at the highest levels?

The Genius of the Run and Shoot

At its core, the Run and Shoot was designed to exploit defenses with speed, spacing, and constant adjustments. Unlike traditional offenses that relied on set plays, Davis’ system gave receivers the freedom to adjust their routes based on coverage, and quarterbacks were tasked with making quick, precise reads. This constant evolution made the scheme incredibly difficult to defend — especially for defenses used to more rigid, run-first philosophies of the era.

For Lomax, this meant the freedom to dissect defenses in real time, often throwing to receivers who found open spaces rather than running predetermined routes. His command of the offense, along with his strong, accurate arm, made Portland State an offensive juggernaut. In 1979, Lomax shattered records by throwing for seven touchdowns in a single half, an almost unheard-of feat. By the time he left PSU, he had thrown for an NCAA-record 13 touchdown passes in one game, a mark that still stands.

Portland State's 105-0 Demolition: The Ultimate Run and Shoot Statement

If there was ever a single game that showcased the raw power of the Run and Shoot, it was Portland State’s 105-0 victory over Delaware State in 1980. Yes, you read that correctly — 105 points.

With Neil Lomax at quarterback and Mouse Davis pulling the strings, the Vikings ran up one of the most lopsided scores in college football history. The passing attack was relentless, the tempo overwhelming, and Delaware State simply had no answers. Portland State piled up touchdowns at an absurd rate, showing just how lethal the system could be when fully unleashed.

This game wasn’t just a record-setting beatdown — it was a warning shot to the rest of the football world. If a small program like Portland State could do this with an overlooked quarterback, what could the Run and Shoot accomplish at higher levels?

And as history showed, plenty of teams were eager to find out.

Spreading Like Wildfire

Lomax’s success turned the Run and Shoot from a fringe curiosity into a legitimate offensive philosophy. His dominance at Portland State forced coaches across the country to take notice, and soon the system was spreading beyond the Pacific Northwest.

By the mid-1980s, Mouse Davis had taken his offense to the USFL’s Houston Gamblers, where a young Jim Kelly put up monster numbers before heading to Buffalo. Not long after, the Run and Shoot found a home in the NFL with the Houston Oilers, led by Warren Moon, and the Detroit Lions, where Barry Sanders thrived in its unique spacing. While skeptics doubted its long-term sustainability, there was no denying its ability to pile up yards and points.

Neil Lomax: The Forgotten Catalyst

Though the Run and Shoot would be forever linked to Davis and later stars like Moon and Kelly, Neil Lomax remains one of its most important pioneers. His success proved that a quarterback didn’t have to be a blue-chip recruit to thrive in an aggressive passing attack. The system could turn under-the-radar talents into prolific passers — something that later benefited quarterbacks like Andre Ware, David Klingler, and Colt Brennan.

Lomax went on to a solid NFL career with the St. Louis/Phoenix Cardinals, earning two Pro Bowl selections. But his real legacy lives on in the offenses that followed. Every time a high-octane passing attack lights up the scoreboard, a piece of Portland State’s Run and Shoot DNA is in play.

What Started in Portland Changed Football

The Run and Shoot may no longer be a staple in the NFL, but its influence is undeniable. Today’s spread offenses, from the Air Raid to the modern RPO game, owe a debt to the system that Mouse Davis pioneered and Neil Lomax helped popularize. Long before teams were airing it out at every level of the game, a small-school quarterback was proving that football’s future would be built on the power of the passing game.

And it all started at Portland State.