Butch Davis always preached balance on offense.

Ibis Wingz

All-ACC
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Butch's stated goal was 50% pass and 50% run. Given the way offenses have changed since the Butch Davis days, should we still be shooting for a 50/50 run/pass split?
 
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With what I have seen with this team it should be 60 run 40 pass. Last week was a great example. Now that we know we have 2 backs we can run more.

I'm not too down on Morris but he needs some pressure off his back and Double D (Duke & Dallas) offer that.
 
I still think you need to play to your players' strengths (spread them out and throw, i-formation and pound it). Last week, we could not run the ball enough and perhaps should have ran it more (more run, less pass).

If a balanced attack gives your team the best chance, keep things balanced. In general, when you run a balanced attack you keep the other teams coach (if competent) honest with their defense.

For this team, I don't know. We easily could have hit UNC hard with some playaction but we couldn't throw the ball well. Given how many sacks we have given up, Duke being injured and the ups and downs of the Morris Roller Coaster...it is hard to say.

If Duke is healthy, Morris is limiting TOs and hitting our British TE...keep it balanced.

What do you think? Do you think Butch is the best to seek advice for X's and O's?
 
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No because different teams dictate different %. I am a fan of the Mike Leach philosophy of balanced. He preaches balance in regards to distribution of the ball in the offense.
 
this team should run a lot. I like the down hill power schemes we showed a lot of vs UNC. mix in the zone blocking too.

then hit em with play action.

Morris is not looking like he can carry the offense ATM
 
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No because different teams dictate different %. I am a fan of the Mike Leach philosophy of balanced. He preaches balance in regards to distribution of the ball in the offense.

True. When I think about balance, it brings to mind forced runs or passes. Balance should be about using the entire rectangle and timing how (where) it's used.
 
Just look at your last few MNC ships..Bama was within a 100 yards are so...

this years...top teams

Orgeon almost even
Bama 300 yards dif
FSU is pass heavy
Baylor is pass heavy but still has 1800 yards rushing
 
While FSU may be pass heavy, against Clemson they were well balanced. Through 2 quarters they were almost even run\pass. Against the good teams you have to be balanced unless you have a guy like Manziel behind center.
 
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Say what you want about Butch, but Butch was all about the run setting up the pass (playaction). Miami is successful when they are running the ball well. I wish we ran the ball a little bit more.
 
a true "balanced" offense is balanced in expected yards per play. you want to choose your strategy at the nash equilibrium so that the opponent has no clear cut best strategy to defend against yours.

if you gain 6 yards per pass attempt and 3 yards per rush attempt, you are not throwing enough. if you start throwing more, teams will shift defenders away from the box, and then your YPA will drop and yards per rush will rise. you want the two to roughly equal (adjusting for interceptions and fumbles and how you value additional ancillary benefits of one over the other) so that you don't leave yards on the field by doing one less often than the optimal amount.

this, therefore, depends on how good your team is at the air game vs. the ground game AND how good the opposing team is at defending the pass vs the run. better pass teams should throw more; better run teams should run more. better pass defense teams should get thrown on less; better run defense teams should get run on less. and then you can get down to how good you are at specific running plays or passing concepts, and how good the opponent is at defending the same.

the general conclusion is common sense, but the specific frequencies come from game theory.
 
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I like balance in terms of having the ability to run and pass and not being a one-dimensional program. I wouldn't want to be a program like GT or Wazzou that can only do one thing well. Game to game, though, the run/pass ratio needs to be determined by what is actually working that day against that opponent.
 
who cares how they do it, just put the ball in the endzone, if the run is working, go with that, if we have the clear advantage out wide, throw it out wide. it should depend on matchup, not counting plays
 
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I think the point is that you want to be capable of doing whatever your opponent is least capable of defending. The more weapons you have - good lord, look at the 2001 team - the less it matters what your opponent is good at defending. So, 50-50 only means something to me if it means you are equally capable running or passing (way easier said than done). I don't think balance is play calling means much at all. I keep looking back to the 2001 team. If you are defending them, it's "pick your poison", cause they're gonna score one way or another.

I'm still amazed at the number of weapons on that team. Truly a team of the ages, IMO.
 
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