Should Dan Mullen(s) reconsider the up-tempo offense?

[Shamoan]

Stats can be manipulated to say whatever you want them to say, so i dont want to get into some stats war but here is the offensive production over the last 4 years. im sure there are stats that could easily negate whatever you think im saying, so please save it....this is truly a question, not an exclamation of me being right.

total yards 2009: 4463 (lee, dixon and one fewer game to pad the offensive stats)
total yards 2010: 5217 (relf, ballard)
total yards 2011: 4643 (relf/russell, ballard)
total yards 2012: 4957 (russell, perkins)

which years did we truly try to execute the up tempo offense? I recall trying to run it during the first couple of seasons, and it petered off sometime during the 2011 season. however, prior to the 2011 season, mullen went to oregon to learn the uptempo offense from chip kelly (per this article: http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2011/...memphis-14-second-verse-faster-than-the-first ) so, according to most accounts, we werent even running our true up-tempo offense in 2010 or 2009.

to me, we never really pressed the ball like an uptempo offense is supposed to....we were far too slow and thus negated the advantage this type of offense affords and on top of that, our offense wasnt dynamic enough in its play selection. we tried to run a 3 yards and a cloud of dust/uptempo hybrid...at least in my opinion. we would go to old-reliable (our run game) and it would be 3 quick run plays and the defense was back on the field or some forced passes. whatever it was, we never really found our offensive rythm and it was clearly a problem.

why cant we be the thorn in the sec elites side by running a system they hate because it gives us an advantage? probably not a bad idea to revisit an offensive system that has nick saban and bret bielema bitching. i hate to point to ole miss, but look at what they have done executing the system like it was intended. they went from 2-10 to a couple of coaching 17ups from being 8-4 (aTm and vandy were freeze 17ups imo)...sure, they had talent that underachieved in 2011, they still made a big turnaround. either way, they have been far more competitive as have most teams that execute the uptempo the way it was intended to operate. i would love to see some stats on number of offensive plays avg/game per season along with time of posession numbers and total yards. was it working for us? if not, what was the problem? and finally, in your opinion, should we reconsider the uptempo knowing it provides us with an inherent advantage?

 

[seshomoru]

Stats can be manipulated to say whatever you want them to say, so i dont want to get into some stats war but here is the offensive production over the last 4 years. im sure there are stats that could easily negate whatever you think im saying, so please save it....this is truly a question, not an exclamation of me being right.

total yards 2009: 4463 (lee, dixon and one fewer game to pad the offensive stats)
total yards 2010: 5217 (relf, ballard)
total yards 2011: 4643 (relf/russell, ballard)
total yards 2012: 4957 (russell, perkins)

which years did we truly try to execute the up tempo offense? I recall trying to run it during the first couple of seasons, and it petered off sometime during the 2011 season. however, prior to the 2011 season, mullen went to oregon to learn the uptempo offense from chip kelly (per this article: http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2011/...memphis-14-second-verse-faster-than-the-first ) so, according to most accounts, we werent even running our true up-tempo offense in 2010 or 2009.

to me, we never really pressed the ball like an uptempo offense is supposed to....we were far too slow and thus negated the advantage this type of offense affords and on top of that, our offense wasnt dynamic enough in its play selection. we tried to run a 3 yards and a cloud of dust/uptempo hybrid...at least in my opinion. we would go to old-reliable (our run game) and it would be 3 quick run plays and the defense was back on the field or some forced passes. whatever it was, we never really found our offensive rythm and it was clearly a problem.

why cant we be the thorn in the sec elites side by running a system they hate because it gives us an advantage? probably not a bad idea to revisit an offensive system that has nick saban and bret bielema bitching. i hate to point to ole miss, but look at what they have done executing the system like it was intended. they went from 2-10 to a couple of coaching 17ups from being 8-4 (aTm and vandy were freeze 17ups imo)...sure, they had talent that underachieved in 2011, they still made a big turnaround. either way, they have been far more competitive as have most teams that execute the uptempo the way it was intended to operate. i would love to see some stats on number of offensive plays avg/game per season along with time of posession numbers and total yards. was it working for us? if not, what was the problem? and finally, in your opinion, should we reconsider the uptempo knowing it provides us with an inherent advantage.

I'm still not exactly sure what you're asking. Is the question "do you think we should try to do better and score more points?" If so... then my answer is yes.

 

[StatesboroBlues]

Considering what I have seen from our hurry up offense....no.

"Eat a Peach"

 

[Indndawg]

No we'll get everyone hurt

Freeze gonna get everybody hurt

 

[Shamoan]

i specified what stats i was looking for, but i dont want someone trying to prove some secondary point by using obscure stats that are irrelevant to the thread. just the truth, not some perversion of it. its almost necessary to include something like this in every post because this board is so damn cynical.

 

[dawgs.sixpack]

i've never understood why dan doesn't put the pedal to the floor and pusht he tempo. we don't have to do it 100% of the time like oregon does, but i'd prefer us to prepare to play that way and play that way a majority of the time and back off when needed. it's always easier to slow down when you are used to playing fast than it is to speed up when you are used to playing slow.

 

[121Josey]

Wow, so you were trying to throw spaghetti against the wall and hope it stuck? Nice try. Cook it a little longer.

was it working for us?

No.

if not, what was the problem?

1. We either had mobility or accuracy, never the two together. 2. We were never committed to the idea. 3. We didn't run "up-tempo". We tried "no huddle" to keep the D on the field.

and finally, in your opinion, should we reconsider the uptempo knowing it provides us with an inherent advantage?

I'm still looking for an "inherent advantage" for us running the "uptempo". Even if there is one, it does not necessarily eliminate the advantages Bama has in every other category. TSUN and LATech played A&M close last year because they practiced against an up-tempo offense everyday in practice. UF and LSU beat A&M @ Kyle Field because they made the right half-time adjustments. Let's see what a summer of studying this new phenomenon will do before we abandon ship.

If everyone starts running up-tempo air attacks, it's time for us to go big and over-power people. If everyone else is recruiting more agile (undersized) players, we'll take the more physical. Jerome Bettis said that as a running back, he would choose now to play in the SEC because it is the only conference left where people still care to run the ball. The more SEC teams that abandon the run, the better it is for us.

 

[MetEdDawg]

Slightly related, I think you are about to see a philosophy change from us.

Just looking at WR/TE recruiting trends by us, I think we are about to go more Patriots style and beat teams at the offensive skill positions with size at WR and multi purpose ability at the RB position.

First let's look at the WR/TE position. Look over the last 4 years at the WR/TE's we've got committed. Brandon Hill, Malcolm Johnson, Joe Morrow, Shelby Christy, BJ Hammond, Fred Brown, Jeremy Chappelle, D'Runnya Wilson, Rufus Warren, Artimas Samuel, Gus Walley. That's 11 guys over the last 4 classes that are 6' 2" or taller. I think this is the way we are going to start going every year. Each year we will get a guy like Jamoral Graham or a Tubby Lewis, but for the most part I think we are going size and going for a lot of it. I'm surprised we didn't try this style earlier, but with our redzone passing problems and our lack of legit deep threats, I think you are about to see us spread the field with TE sized guys at WR with some shorter guys sprinkled in.

Then look at the RB position. Obviously Perkins is a dual threat guy with the ability to catch and his ability to run between the tackles or spread it out wide. Josh Robinson is of the same mold and I think will be more involved in both the running game and passing game this year. Brandon Holloway can do the exact same thing. All of these guys can go sideline to sideline and will have big bodies down the field blocking. I believe we are going to finally start mismatching teams at WR and RB, which will allow us to control the offensive tempo better.

Long term I think if we want sustained success, we have to go this route. Add in a dual threat QB and you have an offensive that can beat you in a bunch of different ways and one that can run at multiple paces. I just see this being the route we are going based on how we've recruited offensive skill position.

 

[Shamoan]

we have a big advantage with malcolm johnson. i made a thread about it the first week i joined and apparently, my new car smell was strong enough for everyone to avoid it like the plague. would love for us to use him as our first option. most outside lbs cant cover him. hope your right on the philosophy change. our playcalling was teh suck.

 

[Shamoan]

I'm still looking for an "inherent advantage" for us running the "uptempo". Even if there is one, it does not necessarily eliminate the advantages Bama has in every other category. TSUN and LATech played A&M close last year because they practiced against an up-tempo offense everyday in practice. UF and LSU beat A&M @ Kyle Field because they made the right half-time adjustments. Let's see what a summer of studying this new phenomenon will do before we abandon ship.

Jerome Bettis said that as a running back, he would choose now to play in the SEC because it is the only conference left where people still care to run the ball. The more SEC teams that abandon the run, the better it is for us.

nick saban and bret bielema and most traditional coaches will tell you all you want to know about the inherent advantages....primarily substitutions and per dan mullen, officiating issues.

Dan: "My issue with the uptempo offense is the inconsistency in how the game is allowed to be played through the officiating."

running an uptempo offense doesnt mean you abandon the run game. ill assume you were trying to make some kind of point by exaggerating the truth.

 

[mcdawg22]

"It isn't you it's me"

we have a big advantage with malcolm johnson. i made a thread about it the first week i joined and apparently, my new car smell was strong enough for everyone to avoid it like the plague. would love for us to use him as our first option. most outside lbs cant cover him. hope your right on the philosophy change. our playcalling was teh suck.

It had nothing to do with your neophyte status. A lot of us were really high on Johnson last year at this time and he was pretty quiet, so maybe we're once bitten twice shy on him. I do think his is the key to us having a successful year this year especially against the Pokes.

 

[johnson86-1]

Merlinz said he moved away from uptempo because it resulted

Stats can be manipulated to say whatever you want them to say, so i dont want to get into some stats war but here is the offensive production over the last 4 years. im sure there are stats that could easily negate whatever you think im saying, so please save it....this is truly a question, not an exclamation of me being right.

total yards 2009: 4463 (lee, dixon and one fewer game to pad the offensive stats)
total yards 2010: 5217 (relf, ballard)
total yards 2011: 4643 (relf/russell, ballard)
total yards 2012: 4957 (russell, perkins)

which years did we truly try to execute the up tempo offense? I recall trying to run it during the first couple of seasons, and it petered off sometime during the 2011 season. however, prior to the 2011 season, mullen went to oregon to learn the uptempo offense from chip kelly (per this article: http://www.teamspeedkills.com/2011/...memphis-14-second-verse-faster-than-the-first ) so, according to most accounts, we werent even running our true up-tempo offense in 2010 or 2009.

to me, we never really pressed the ball like an uptempo offense is supposed to....we were far too slow and thus negated the advantage this type of offense affords and on top of that, our offense wasnt dynamic enough in its play selection. we tried to run a 3 yards and a cloud of dust/uptempo hybrid...at least in my opinion. we would go to old-reliable (our run game) and it would be 3 quick run plays and the defense was back on the field or some forced passes. whatever it was, we never really found our offensive rythm and it was clearly a problem.

why cant we be the thorn in the sec elites side by running a system they hate because it gives us an advantage? probably not a bad idea to revisit an offensive system that has nick saban and bret bielema bitching. i hate to point to ole miss, but look at what they have done executing the system like it was intended. they went from 2-10 to a couple of coaching 17ups from being 8-4 (aTm and vandy were freeze 17ups imo)...sure, they had talent that underachieved in 2011, they still made a big turnaround. either way, they have been far more competitive as have most teams that execute the uptempo the way it was intended to operate. i would love to see some stats on number of offensive plays avg/game per season along with time of posession numbers and total yards. was it working for us? if not, what was the problem? and finally, in your opinion, should we reconsider the uptempo knowing it provides us with an inherent advantage?

In us running the wrong play in many instances and he wanted to give Tyler a chance to check into the right play since that was a skill Tyler brought to the table.