7 reasons why we MUST go to the no-huddle, blur offense...

[CookieMonster.sixpack]

1. It doesn't require a philosophy or play calling change (you can run it with the wishbone or the air raid). It only requires that we set the tempo and condition our players to play fast.

2. It has been proven again and again to frustrate the more powerful teams in our division (Utah vs. Bama '09, AUB vs. Bama '10, WVU vs. LSU '11, Oregon vs. LSU '11, A&M vs. LSU '12, A&M vs. Bama '12). Not totally stop, but frustrate.

3. It can be run with a pass-first (WVU) or a dual-threat QB (Oregon, A&M, AUB w/Newton).

4. It is hard to prepare for (especially with only a week or two in the middle of the season).

5. This is where college football is headed offensively. We either get on the train or get left at the station.

6. We will never out-Saban Bama or LSU. We need a schematic edge to mitigate the talent gap. Plus Nick Saban hates it...which is reason enough for me.

7. It allows you to dictate the substitution patterns of the opposing defense, forcing them into bad match-ups or substitution penalties.

In short, it makes all the sense in the world for us to play hurry-up after we get the first 1st down of a drive. We should be watching A&M, Oregon and WVU tape all summer. We don't have to change our identity, just our tempo. We are spinning our wheels if we don't make this change...

 

[engie]

You skip last season? We ran hurry up a bunch. And we sucked at it for the most part. Need veterans on the OL to run it, and we didn't have them...ended up with a bunch of offsides calls, missed assignments, etc...

When your offense struggles in a hurry up, it magnifies the problems you have on defense. Hence why we haven't even tried it this year...

 

[karlchilders.sixpack]

I think the term was too many missed assignments...

He wants everyone on the same page.

that's why we did not run the hurry up this year.
Not having the personel for that offense probably played a part, this season.

 

[engie]

In short, it makes all the sense in the world for us to play hurry-up after we get the first 1st down of a drive. We should be watching A&M, Oregon and WVU tape all summer. We don't have to change our identity, just our tempo. We are spinning our wheels if we don't make this change...

We don't have to watch "tape" on this... Mullen and Chip Kelly are close personal friends, with a connection going back to high school in New Hampshire. http://www.footballscoop.com/news/3066-how-dan-mullen-helped-chip-kelly-land-the-oregon-job

Mullen spent alot of time @ Oregon after the 2010 season studying their offense and watching them practice with Kelly. I can guarantee you that he FULLY understands it, how it works, and how to implement it. May see it again at some point in the future with Prescott and/or Sandberg when it gives us an advantage, but right now, he just doesn't think it helps us. Our O under Russell relies too much on precision. The hurry up is most effective in controlled chaos. All 3 of those teams have QBs with the ability to burn you with their legs too. Geno Smith was a legit dual threat until this season, when teams started playing contain against him and dropping everyone into coverage, which he still hasn't really figured out. That hurry up at WV has also absolutely gotten their defense SLAUGHTERED, to an even worse extent than it would have otherwise...

I like the offense, and would like to run it, just don't think now is the time for it...

 

[Coach34]

A&M's success on offense has more to do with Manziel being very good- and him being surrounded by future NFL draft picks on offense.

Their top 2 RB's- Malena was a 4-star recruit and Christine Micheal is a 5-star
Thomas Johnson is a 4-star WR that was ranked 4th in the country at his position and 34th nationally overall
Trey Williams is a 5-star recruit who was ranked 15th nationally and 3rd at his position
Ryan Swope was one of the fastest 100 meter guys in Texas his SR year of HS and is one of the school's best WR's in history
Both of their OT's are projected to be 1st or 2nd round picks in the NFL draft

THAT'S why they are good on offense

 

[Moonlight Graham]

I don't mind mixing in hurry up (no huddle) some, in fact, i wish we would. To go to it full time is just stupid, IMO. We saw what a disaster our offense was last season.

 

[CookieMonster.sixpack]

I like the offense, and would like to run it, just don't think now is the time for it...

We return a lot of starters on offense next year correct? I think this off-season would be an ideal time to go hurry-up.

One thing you definitely saw in the Bama-A&M game was that Bama could not get their substitutions in how they'd like. I don't think hurry up is something you can run "here and there." The advantage it gives you really rears its head when you get to the 4th quarter and don't let those d-linemen come off the field. We had the same problem against them. Even if they are very talented...not being able to sub only exacerbates that talent difference.

I agree it puts pressure on your defense, but that's why the teams that run it typically don't hurry up until they get at least one (and sometimes two) first downs.

When you're in the position we are in, I think you've got to use every trick in the book to balance the scales. That's why I'd like to see it more. I think it could help us.

 

[cheewgumm]

Hurry up WISHBONE = EPIC

I'm ALL IN.

1. It doesn't require a philosophy or play calling change (you can run it with the wishbone or the air raid). It only requires that we set the tempo and condition our players to play fast.

2. It has been proven again and again to frustrate the more powerful teams in our division (Utah vs. Bama '09, AUB vs. Bama '10, WVU vs. LSU '11, Oregon vs. LSU '11, A&M vs. LSU '12, A&M vs. Bama '12). Not totally stop, but frustrate.

3. It can be run with a pass-first (WVU) or a dual-threat QB (Oregon, A&M, AUB w/Newton).

4. It is hard to prepare for (especially with only a week or two in the middle of the season).

5. This is where college football is headed offensively. We either get on the train or get left at the station.

6. We will never out-Saban Bama or LSU. We need a schematic edge to mitigate the talent gap. Plus Nick Saban hates it...which is reason enough for me.

7. It allows you to dictate the substitution patterns of the opposing defense, forcing them into bad match-ups or substitution penalties.

In short, it makes all the sense in the world for us to play hurry-up after we get the first 1st down of a drive. We should be watching A&M, Oregon and WVU tape all summer. We don't have to change our identity, just our tempo. We are spinning our wheels if we don't make this change...

 

[kired]

I thought it was so ineffective because we didn't go all in. We'd go out one drive hurry up and the next time we'd huddle. I don't think you can be 50/50. It's either all or next to nothing.

 

[hotdigitydog]

What about La Tech? They don't have all those high profile recruits

and they are scoring a ton of points, including 57 against aTm...........

 

[ckDOG]

If we execute it well, I'm all for it.

Key thing to remember though is these offenses are effective because they are catching folks off guard. That's great and if it works well for a team that is lower on talent, it's a must for those teams.

However, as this concept gains more steam, we'll see defenses adjusting scheme and personnel to better stop it. I would assume the personnel changes made to stop these up tempo/no huddle offenses will involve speedier/better conditioned athletes on defense. As a general rule, those type of players would be on the smaller side and lower on the strength scale relative to their position. Once that happens, the first teams to beef up the o-line and run power I stuff up the gut is going to move the ball the most effectively by strength and mass. It's cyclical. The point is to identify the trends and be on the front end of taking advantage of them.

Of course, the Bama's and LSU's of the world are always going to have the freak athletes who big, strong, and fast. Your only hope against teams with far superior athletes is to surprise them and execute flawlessly. Pick whatever scheme you want against those guys - you are behind the 8-ball one way or another. Your goal is to make them think and hope you beat them mentally. Physically, you have no chance.

 

[patdog]

If you're going to run hurry-up, I like the way Malzahn did it at Auburn last year. Go slow until you get a 1st down to give your defense a little time to rest, then kick it into high gear.

 

[CookieMonster.sixpack]

Pick whatever scheme you want against those guys - you are behind the 8-ball one way or another. Your goal is to make them think and hope you beat them mentally. Physically, you have no chance.

The no-huddle is the only offense I've seen that completely controls the other team's substitution patterns. That is a HUGE advantage. If they can't get their 5* pass-rush specialists or 5* nickel-back on the field then you are eliminating the talent advantage. To me, that's the strongest argument for it. You are telling the defensive coordinator when he can and when he cannot sub.

 

[121Josey]

Last Season?

You skip last season? We ran hurry up a bunch. And we sucked at it for the most part.

Have you seen this season? We run it at the end of the halves when it's the easiest to have success. We suck at it.

 

[patdog]

The only way the no-huddle can stop the defense from subbing in their specialty packages is to not sub its own specialty packages in. If the offense subs, the ref steps over the ball and gives the defense about 10 seconds to make its own substitutions. So you can't really get any mismatches. ckDog is right. Defenses will adjust and when they do, the offenses that move to the next big innovation will do well. And I suspect that innovation will involve more smashmouth football, but be more versatile than the old smashmouth offenses were. I think we're going to see offenses in the future (5-10 years down the road) move to more of the style of offense Alabama is playing now.

 

[dawgs.sixpack]

hilarious that yall are saying to look at MSU last season to prove it doesn't work. maybe it didn't work because we had a banged up QB playing behind an OL completely beat to crap with multiple inexperienced starters out there. it didn't matter if we played at oregon speed or croom speed, it was gonna be the same result.

i also agree with the poster that said you have to fully commit, you can't do it some drives and then not on others.

i hope that next season with a senior QB and an experienced OL, we will step on the pedal and never look back.

 

[gravedigger]

Only post i've disagreed with you on. We struggled due to losing 3 starters. N not due to inexperience

 

[blacklistedbully]

Have wondered for years if would be possible to assemble a group on O that...

line up, have a series of 3 or 4 plays, after the first play, immediately line up, regardless of position and snap the ball. I'm talking about having linemen that can line up ready to fire as soon as the ball is placed down, no subs, no waiting, not even to get a play from the sideline. Just run the play, immediately line up call 1, 2, 3, 4 (or something slightly disguised if you like, & snap it immediately. Even if it's just for a few plays at a time, perhaps in a Wildcat with the QB just running. I bet you dollars-to-donuts you'd catch the defense offsides damn near every time, or at least WAY out of position.

For that matter, if you could train the offense to read & react to what they see defensively right at snap & go with it. Maybe have the receivers run short patterns so they can line up right away, like quick slants, quick outs, etc.

Even if the D gets a stop, you'd catch them celebrating and get the yards back on penalty when you snap with 'em offsides. And if you know they're offsides, you have a WR that is pre-instructed to run a fly, post, etc.

If you get a big gain and can't get set before the D catches up, then reset, take your time and do it again on the next play if it's not a big gain.

I guess I'm talking about taking the Oregon O and putting it on speed.

Anybody think this has merit, or is it just plain crazy or stupid?