Arizona article on spread offense

orangeandbrown · Post by **orangeandbrown** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 9:42 pm

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepubli ... t0915.html

Note this section:

As the spread evolves, so do defensive coordinators' efforts to slow it. Some of those efforts have bordered on the comical.

In a game last week against Ball State, Bowling Green's coaches were stunned when the Cardinals dropped nine men into pass coverage on first and 10, leaving two to defend the line of scrimmage.

"We're just looking and going, 'Holy smokes!' " Bowling Green head coach Gregg Brandon recalled.

The Falcons completed a quick pass for a short gain, but Brandon said he has ordered fleet-footed quarterback Omar Jacobs to "take off" the next time he spies a two-man front.

"You laugh," Brandon said, "But you're going to run for 8-10 yards before they can even touch you."

H2Ofalcon77 · Post by **H2Ofalcon77** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 10:20 pm

let's hope that Boise State will employ the two man down defense.....

I like our chances now !!!

H2Ofalcon77 · Post by **H2Ofalcon77** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 10:31 pm

OK ..I replayed a little quick......

lets help out BG..... If you were a defensive CO what defense changes would you employ.......

BSU used the first change we have seen...what else can we see......

Lets give the Offense a heads up !!!

Jacobs4Heisman · Post by **Jacobs4Heisman** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 10:48 pm

Against our offense I would blitz up the middle and on the right side of the line (away from L & W) all day long. Omar showed the tendency against Wisconsin to drop his head to the middle rush. Consistent QB pressure is the only way to slow this attack. Of course we'll hit some big plays, as we did against Wisconsin, but that's better than to sit back and let Omar and these WRs pick you apart.

Attack attack attack and you have a chance to partially disrupt this offense.

Flipper · Post by **Flipper** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 10:51 pm

I'd press our WR's a lot and blitz a ton. Omar seems to have problems when he gets pressured with the inside rush (Spielman did a great job of breaking that down in the Whisky game). I'd also mix in some corner blitzes to try and get him to step up in the pocket where his motion makes it easier to block his passes.

If that didn't work I'd just shoot him.

Bleeding Orange · Post by **Bleeding Orange** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 11:07 pm

Flipper wrote:
If that didn't work I'd just shoot him.

Yeah, but Boise might want to ask what the penalty would be on that one before employing this risky, but almost assuredly effective strategy.

Jacobs4Heisman · Post by **Jacobs4Heisman** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 11:16 pm

must....resist.....cam hall/booker stanley......joke.......

H2Ofalcon77 · Post by **H2Ofalcon77** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 11:19 pm

I know... I have typed this three times...hoping that there was a way out of this.......Thanks.......

Lets get back on track....... How do you stop BG's offense ????

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 8:40 am

PRESSURE.

It's the only way to stop this offense. Pressure on the passer & pressure on the WRs. Press the WRs. Give 'em a big hit at the line. Other than Sanders our go to guys (Partridge & Sharon) are smallish for WRs. You get a DB up in their grill and don't let them get off the LOS cleanly, our offense is based on timing and you can throw off that timing that way.

You also blitz Omar. As others mentined here and I said (along with Spielman) from the UW game, Omar still struggles against the blitz (a big reason he may not go pro). If you get Omar dropping his head you have accomplished your goal. He is NOT an instinctive runner at all. He may have straight line speed, but he doesn't make things happen with the ball in his hands.

Unfortunately to pull this off you have to have a VERY talented defense, and there aren't many in college ball that can use it with any effectiveness. It requires speed from LBs, especially. If you blitz you absolutely must generate that pressure or you're dead. If your DBs/LBs on the WRs miss their chuck you're dead as well. That's the beauty of this offense. The only way to really stop it (when its clicking) is to use a very high risk high reward defense.

factman · Post by **factman** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 9:06 am

There aren't too many DB around that are much bigger than our WR's, especially in the MAC, to play the bump etc, and if they are, they aren't fast enough to keep up with Sharon, Partridge and Sanderws.

JohnnySwoop '85 · Post by **JohnnySwoop '85** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 9:20 am

Oh how soon we forget...

Once blitz formations are identified, you line up Pope or Lane split to the right of center....on the snap they delay a little bit as if they are pass-blockers then once the wave has passed you lob a pass over the rushers heads to the RB and off you go.

For those with a DVD collection may I point you to a 3rd Quarter TD against Memphis to illustrate this.

Frankly their is very few ways to contain the offense all game long...what is the stat I am thinking of....BG has scored 40 or more points in what the last 8 games or is it longer now?

orangeandbrown · Post by **orangeandbrown** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 10:27 am

hammb wrote:PRESSURE.

It's the only way to stop this offense. Pressure on the passer & pressure on the WRs. Press the WRs. Give 'em a big hit at the line. Other than Sanders our go to guys (Partridge & Sharon) are smallish for WRs. You get a DB up in their grill and don't let them get off the LOS cleanly, our offense is based on timing and you can throw off that timing that way.

You also blitz Omar. As others mentined here and I said (along with Spielman) from the UW game, Omar still struggles against the blitz (a big reason he may not go pro). If you get Omar dropping his head you have accomplished your goal. He is NOT an instinctive runner at all. He may have straight line speed, but he doesn't make things happen with the ball in his hands.

Unfortunately to pull this off you have to have a VERY talented defense, and there aren't many in college ball that can use it with any effectiveness. It requires speed from LBs, especially. If you blitz you absolutely must generate that pressure or you're dead. If your DBs/LBs on the WRs miss their chuck you're dead as well. That's the beauty of this offense. The only way to really stop it (when its clicking) is to use a very high risk high reward defense.

Excellent point on Omar--he may be fast, he does not look comfortable running the ball.

I do think Sharon can beat press coverage, and you can put guys in motion to free up a little activity.

I also think pressure as opposed to dropping nine is the way to stop us. But the Swoopster is right--there are also counter-tactics to that.

It comes down to one thing, IMO. Its not a system. We make it work with players who execute, and not only Xs and Os.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 10:43 am

factman wrote:There aren't too many DB around that are much bigger than our WR's, especially in the MAC, to play the bump etc, and if they are, they aren't fast enough to keep up with Sharon, Partridge and Sanderws.

As I said, you have to be VERY talented on defense to pull off all that bumping and blitzing and not get totally torched by it. Even then you'd still give up your points, but I think the pressure would go further to stopping our defense than dropping 8-9 guys into coverage will.

I don't think there are more than 10-15 defenses in all of college football with the talent to hold our offense under 25-30 points a game, but there are some that could do it.

Nobody's said it, but I think the best way to stop our offense is the painfully obvious...don't let us on the field. You run the ball on every play against our defense & you run the play clock all the way down.

Warthog · Post by **Warthog** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 11:09 am

orangeandbrown wrote:and you can put guys in motion to free up a little activity.

Do we use motion at all? I may just be overlooking it, but it seems once we come to the line, we stay put. Except for turning to the sideline to see what the play is.

Falconfreak90 · Post by **Falconfreak90** » Fri Sep 16, 2005 12:08 pm

JohnnySwoop '85 wrote:Oh how soon we forget...

Frankly their is very few ways to contain the offense all game long...what is the stat I am thinking of....BG has scored 40 or more points in what the last 8 games or is it longer now?

BG has scored at least 40 pts in the last 9 games....last time they didn't was the 38-14 win at CMU last season.