Miami and the Spread Offense

[SaltyCraker]

The Miami Hurricanes will always be a team built around its DEFENSE and an Offense loaded with great Running backs from its SoFla backyard

but I guess some people don't like the recipe that's won 5 National Championships in 30 years




Dennis Erickson

 

[JaxonCane]

Leach is a strange duck - he literally goes hard after offensive guys and makes his defensive coaches wait to see how many scholarships he will let them have to recruit. I know that for a fact.
We are in a very good position talent wise to become a very good power spread team. Another thing I like about this type of spread is you can really emphasize what you want game to game - we are goin to pound the ball 1 week and screen them to death the next week - you also can get alot of 1 on 1 match ups in the pass game - we can out talent people.
The reason I started this thread was because it seems like stated earlier we might be headed in that direction.

 

[ACE01]

I don't care what we run Pro, Spread, the Option every play I just want to win.
If the spread gives Rosier and the team the best chance to win lets ride.
We have the speed and play makers to do anything.

 

[DTP]

In order to run a successful pro-style offense (think Coker/Chud) you need a dominant offensive line.

You need a dominant O-Line regardless of what you run. And that whole "Florida doesn't produce O-Linemen" is a fallacy at best...IIRC, all of our current starting O-Linemen are from Florida.

Clemson won the national title with a mediocre offensive line. Florida State hasn't had a "dominant" O-line in a decade plus. The reason teams use spread concepts is so that they don't have to rely 100% on the offensive line being dominant.

Also, I don't exactly consider Miami's offensive line to be a strong point. If anything, it's the weakest position group on the team.

 

[ThomasM]

I don't hate Spread Offenses, I hate gimmick Offenses like TTech, GTech & Wash St etc..

I think the Spread can be very effective vs Defenses & creates great mismatches that force opposing Defenses to basically pick their poison.

The problem with most Spread teams is they tend to be soft at the point of attack, Oregon probably had one of the best Spread Offenses in the modern era, but teams like Arizona, Mich St, Oh St would always whoop their *** because they were simply a weak finesse team.

I think most fans associate Spread teams with weak teams that don't play any Defense & that's probably what most people reject.

I actually would like to see us implement some variations of Spread in our Offense, not become a full Spread team, just a few concepts in some of our packages.

We actually have the personnel for it, just don't want to see us go full out gimmick style.

One of the reasons I wasn't completely against the pirate coming here. The talent to run it amazingly well is here.

I'd like to see us be versatile enough to go 5 wide at the drop of a hat, but wouldn't really want that to be our bread and butter.

On a side note, Richt was asked about what would happen if Walton went down. Going 5 wide was one of his answers.

 

[Memnon]

I don't hate Spread Offenses, I hate gimmick Offenses like TTech, GTech & Wash St etc..

I think the Spread can be very effective vs Defenses & creates great mismatches that force opposing Defenses to basically pick their poison.

The problem with most Spread teams is they tend to be soft at the point of attack, Oregon probably had one of the best Spread Offenses in the modern era, but teams like Arizona, Mich St, Oh St would always whoop their *** because they were simply a weak finesse team.

I think most fans associate Spread teams with weak teams that don't play any Defense & that's probably what most people reject.

I actually would like to see us implement some variations of Spread in our Offense, not become a full Spread team, just a few concepts in some of our packages.

We actually have the personnel for it, just don't want to see us go full out gimmick style.

One of the reasons I wasn't completely against the pirate coming here. The talent to run it amazingly well is here.

I'd like to see us be versatile enough to go 5 wide at the drop of a hat, but wouldn't really want that to be our bread and butter.

On a side note, Richt was asked about what would happen if Walton went down. Going 5 wide was one of his answers.

Leach would make for a good coordinator, but the problem with giving him the HC is everything else that comes with it.
He's a full blown nutcase & wouldn't last long at program like Miami, he's specially made for the schools he's been at.

He's small pond Coach, his act doesn't run well at a marquee program.

And from a recruiting standpoint he would be ate alive in South Florida.

But, from an Offensive standpoint there's concepts we could use from those types of schemes.

 

[JaxonCane]

Nothing helps your O-Line more than removing people from the box. The power spread would be a good fit for Miami athletes - I think it is why a lot of people liked the idea of going after Herman 2 years ago.

 

[Billy D Williams]

I don't like the gimmick spread set football or those that don't run between the tackles and call jet sweeps a running attack. I like an offense that uses spread, pro spread and pro set formations. Keep the defense guessing who or what to cover, attack all over the field, but if you go a lesser team pound the into submission. Let the Olinemen get their groove on.

 

[NVA CANE]

I don't hate Spread Offenses, I hate gimmick Offenses like TTech, GTech & Wash St etc..

I think the Spread can be very effective vs Defenses & creates great mismatches that force opposing Defenses to basically pick their poison.

The problem with most Spread teams is they tend to be soft at the point of attack, Oregon probably had one of the best Spread Offenses in the modern era, but teams like Arizona, Mich St, Oh St would always whoop their *** because they were simply a weak finesse team.

I think most fans associate Spread teams with weak teams that don't play any Defense & that's probably what most people reject.

I actually would like to see us implement some variations of Spread in our Offense, not become a full Spread team, just a few concepts in some of our packages.

We actually have the personnel for it, just don't want to see us go full out gimmick style.

Are the weak defenses a result of the spread offenses in the sense that they move the ball so quickly and score so quickly that their defense is on the field too often, or do those coaches just not focus on defense?

It's a combination of both.

It also is a result of recruiting & what those staffs put the emphasis on in building their team.

I'm not saying every single team that runs a Spread Offense is weak, I'm saying what some people don't like about them is that they have that tendency.

That obviously doesn't apply to schools like Oh St, Clemson & others.

Appreciate it

 

[CaneSince4Ever]

In order to run a successful pro-style offense (think Coker/Chud) you need a dominant offensive line.

You need a dominant O-Line regardless of what you run. And that whole "Florida doesn't produce O-Linemen" is a fallacy at best...IIRC, all of our current starting O-Linemen are from Florida.

Clemson won the national title with a mediocre offensive line. Florida State hasn't had a "dominant" O-line in a decade plus. The reason teams use spread concepts is so that they don't have to rely 100% on the offensive line being dominant.

Also, I don't exactly consider Miami's offensive line to be a strong point. If anything, it's the weakest position group on the team.

LOL...Clemson put up 7555 yds. of total O last year...FSU put up 7267 yds. of total O in their NC season...you don't put up those numbers in behind mediocre O-Line play.

 

[simplycanes]

I don't hate it at all. I think with the athletes UM should be signing, most teams we face won't be able to matchup athletically, especially at DB. I think we should be spreading teams out a lot more now that we have guys like Harley and Thomas upgrading our speed at WR.

 

[Wash140in60]

Ultimately I think what Richt wants to do is run a pro style with track stars all over the field.

 

[786Cane]

I don't hate Spread Offenses, I hate gimmick Offenses like TTech, GTech & Wash St etc..

I think the Spread can be very effective vs Defenses & creates great mismatches that force opposing Defenses to basically pick their poison.

The problem with most Spread teams is they tend to be soft at the point of attack, Oregon probably had one of the best Spread Offenses in the modern era, but teams like Arizona, Mich St, Oh St would always whoop their *** because they were simply a weak finesse team.

I think most fans associate Spread teams with weak teams that don't play any Defense & that's probably what most people reject.

I actually would like to see us implement some variations of Spread in our Offense, not become a full Spread team, just a few concepts in some of our packages.

We actually have the personnel for it, just don't want to see us go full out gimmick style.

Well stated response. Also to add even when we ran spread we also ran Pro I. Erickson's big thing was a single back set if I remember correctly.

Leonard Conley

 

[786Cane]

Ultimately I think what Richt wants to do is run a pro style with track stars all over the field.

On both sides of the ball!

 

[paksat]

I don't like the gimmick spread set football or those that don't run between the tackles and call jet sweeps a running attack. I like an offense that uses spread, pro spread and pro set formations. Keep the defense guessing who or what to cover, attack all over the field, but if you go a lesser team pound the into submission. Let the Olinemen get their groove on.

This is certainly something I agree on.

I'd love to see us go up to PITT in the snow and go straight into a power I formation and run it right down their throats

remember, we did that before. Roscoe parrish was literally our only wideout on the field for a lot of that game if I remember correct

stop it, if you can

 

[Coach Macho]

People that don't like the spread, don't understand the spread. They dislike it due to myths that it's "not physical enough". I've had this argument a million times with people over the years. They would always point to Bama's dominance in the Pro-Style and Oregon's failures in the spread. I always had plenty of rebuttals for that garbage but now that Ohio State, Clemson and even Bama are winning with the spread I don't need to engage people in this debate anymore.

A good spread offense is borderline genius and pretty much unstoppable. Nick Saban is a defensive mastermind and he gets his **** pushed in by good spread offenses.

People that point to Oregon's struggles against good defenses fail to realize that Oregon wouldn't even be a notable squad if it wasn't for their innovative offense. THEY'RE OREGON! There's plenty of other schools in the country that are just like them. Teams with (mostly) inferior players who make a name for themselves by out-coaching Defensive Coordinators week after week.

That Pro-Style prehistoric I-formation stuff is too easy to defend. Unless you have 5 hosses up front, a QB who can take drops, a boulder at Fullback and an inline Tight-End then you're wasting your time. All you're doing is bringing more defenders in the box without a sufficient way to block them. Schematically the Pro-Style offense does little to stress a defense and make a Defensive Coordinator think.

If your advantage is SPEED and you're not running the spread then you're a dummy. Why would I put TE's and FB's on the field when I can utilize four WR's who all run 4.4 forties? Now I force the defense to sub-in more DB's, guys that would normally be 2nd string Corners. Now I've got them scrubs trying to cover my 4.4 slot WR's in space.

 

[CaneSince4Ever]

That Pro-Style prehistoric I-formation stuff is too easy to defend.

LOL...then why dafuq is Stanford 64-17, and Mike Leach is 29-34, in almost the same time frame? And who exactly are these Tinkerbells beating these Goliaths every week?

 

[Meat]

The 20 hour rule changed the game.

College is not the NFL. ****, college isn't even what college was back in the days when Jimmy and Howard were coaching and installing their "pro style" schemes.

How complicated can your schemes be with only 20 hours a week to teach them? Neither offenses nor defenses have enough TIME to install and perfect NFL systems.

So I laugh when people say they want to run a "pro style" offense, and think there's anything about what they're seeing that's actually "pro" style.

Simplify your reads for your quarterback, and allow your athletes to play fast. That's how you win in college football.


I actually think one of the things that has held Miami back is that we want to be "NFL U."

 

[Handsome Squidbum]

I suspect that Rosier will have the green light to tuck it and run if he reads pass on the RPO, but can't find an open receiver. Going to be a wrinkle we haven't seen before and I expect it is going to be the secret sauce on offense. Defense will be forced to spy the qb, meaning one less player in coverage, and with the Canes speed that can be lethal. When was the last time an opposing defense had to keep a Canes qb from running? I can't think of one ever.

Regarding the spread offense - I just want an offense that exploits mismatches. I don't believe in fair fights. Miamis best asset is speed. Take advantage of speed and we get all the Ws (see Manny Diaz for reference)

 

[Cribby]

People that don't like the spread, don't understand the spread. They dislike it due to myths that it's "not physical enough". I've had this argument a million times with people over the years. They would always point to Bama's dominance in the Pro-Style and Oregon's failures in the spread. I always had plenty of rebuttals for that garbage but now that Ohio State, Clemson and even Bama are winning with the spread I don't need to engage people in this debate anymore.

A good spread offense is borderline genius and pretty much unstoppable. Nick Saban is a defensive mastermind and he gets his **** pushed in by good spread offenses.

People that point to Oregon's struggles against good defenses fail to realize that Oregon wouldn't even be a notable squad if it wasn't for their innovative offense. THEY'RE OREGON! There's plenty of other schools in the country that are just like them. Teams with (mostly) inferior players who make a name for themselves by out-coaching Defensive Coordinators week after week.

That Pro-Style prehistoric I-formation stuff is too easy to defend. Unless you have 5 hosses up front, a QB who can take drops, a boulder at Fullback and an inline Tight-End then you're wasting your time. All you're doing is bringing more defenders in the box without a sufficient way to block them. Schematically the Pro-Style offense does little to stress a defense and make a Defensive Coordinator think.

If your advantage is SPEED and you're not running the spread then you're a dummy. Why would I put TE's and FB's on the field when I can utilize four WR's who all run 4.4 forties? Now I force the defense to sub-in more DB's, guys that would normally be 2nd string Corners. Now I've got them scrubs trying to cover my 4.4 slot WR's in space.

I've been having this debate with the " stuck in the past idiots " for years. Ask any D.C. Or anyone who's had to defend a spread or pro and they'll tell you the spread far more difficult to defend. Or prepare for.

There's teams with zero talent that's able to compete just by out scheming teams with superior talent.

Yeah we won national titles with the pro style , just like Oklahoma won titles with the wish bone. I guess they should roll out the wishbone next Saturday since that's the " Oklahoma " offense of the past. ***** trying to evolve offensively.