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Who Invented the Spread Offense?

DTP said:
It’s been experimented with at high school level with varying success but I believe the next big offensive innovation is hybrid players. Not just quarterbacks who can run and throw but multiple running/throwing quarterbacks on the field at the same time. Two quarterbacks in the backfield together. A shotgun snap could go to either one and the run/pass option can become a run/pass/run option or more. Everyone has some type of end-around HB/WR pass in their playbook but it’s always risky because you never know how well a guy who never passes is going to execute his pass. Imagine having that possibility on every play but the WR/RB was already an accomplished passer? You’d have to defend every running play to account for the threat of a pass. I know it sounds goofy but it’s not unrealistic to see the game going this way in another ten years
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Holy Paul Hornung, imagine a Heisman level QB playing from the RB position. If only Bart Starr could run more than a QB sneak.
 
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Moonman said:
Thanks for that. He gives a whole lot of credit to Dennis Erickson for inspiring Urban, Mullen and Tiller. We kinda forget how innovative Erickson's offenses were because our defenses were so dominant back then.
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Erickson's version of the spread was developed by a high school coach (Neumeir, I think) in Granada Hills, California. It was a way to spread out the field against more talented teams. It impressed Jack Elway, a local college coach at Northridge so much that he sent his son John to Neumier's program. Jack Elway eventually moves on to San Jose state hc job where a young assistant name Erickson takes over that offense, tweaks it and adds other features like the counter-trap which he nabbed from Nebraska's offense (Redksins under Joe Gibbs also stole that play).
Urban Meyer's version of the spread is more run-based and to me it is a fancy, more sophisticated version of of the Veer offense, which should come as no surprise as his former boss Lou Holtz was a Veer guy. The genius with Meyer was mixing the Veer concepts with the Erickson spread he learned at Colorado State under Lubick. Also credit to Kevin Rogers who was OC at Syracuse with McNabb and later ND.
 
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DTP said:
The big turning point was Clemson beating Alabama in the title game. Until that point Alabama was satisfied with just overwhelming teams with talent. They didn’t think they had to resort to “gimmicks” like the spread because they could beat everyone just lining up with two tight ends and running a ball control offense that didn’t ask the quarterback to do much. But when they lost to that Clemson team that they had the advantage at every position besides quarterback against, they’re perception of the spread offense changed. Then when LSU made the jump from mediocre offensive team to one of the all time greatest offensive teams in history, just by installing a spread scheme, that was the nail in the coffin for pro-style teams.

Well, except for Miami.
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Actually, I believe Saban’s switch to a spread offense was after the ‘Kick-6th loss to Auburn. He went for the last second FG because he felt he couldn’t stop Auburn’s version of spread in OT. He saw the future and despite being a defense-first, pound-the-rock coach he realized he needs to adapt. Bama not only recruited for the spread offense they recruited to try defend it with smaller, faster LBs, etc.

That game, and the upset loss to Texas A&M and Johnny Manziel, lead to Saban’s change to the spread.

And F-Saban, BTW.
 
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TemplarCane said:
Actually, I believe Saban’s switch to a spread offense was after the ‘Kick-6th loss to Auburn. He went for the last second FG because he felt he couldn’t stop Auburn’s version of spread in OT. He saw the future and despite being a defense-first, pound-the-rock coach he realized he needs to adapt. Bama not only recruited for the spread offense they recruited to try defend it with smaller, faster LBs, etc.

That game, and the upset loss to Texas A&M and Johnny Manziel, lead to Saban’s change to the spread.

And F-Saban, BTW.
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Great points. I guess it was a culmination of things that finally made him change it up
 
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Saw Saban at a clinic not too long ago and he was talking about the days of dominant, shut-down defenses being gone. With the rule book being the way it is, referees not enforcing simple penalties like 'linemen downfield', it's really hard to play stout defense for 4 quarters a game + an entire season. (and I agree)

So why not take advantages of these loopholes?
 
Who started going uptempo with the spread offense? It’s a staple of the pro-style spread Lane Kiffin runs but I know it’s been around before him. Almost like a two-minute drill in the NFL that evolved into its own offense.
 
DTP said:
In regards to defenses figuring out the spread, they already have. The stuff that made Oregon unstoppable under Chip Kelly is already passe’. Gus Malzahn’s offense looked unstoppable until it was. The top offensive guys are forever altering and changing their systems. Adding different pieces from different coaches. Tweaking what isn’t working and altering their game plans. The game only moves forward and is a never ending cat and mouse game where the defense finally thinks it has caught up only to find some new wrinkle they haven’t accounted for. The game has only moved in one direction from it’s very inception. It never goes backwards. Unless there are significant rule changes to purposely slow the game down and give some advantage back to the defenses it will continue on the trajectory it’s been on since the 19th century.
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There's been significant rule changes to aid offences in the last 20 years. I don't see that as progress.
 
Poptimus said:
Who started going uptempo with the spread offense? I
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I don't know about up-tempo, but Archie Cooley was the first one I saw go no-huddle spread.

And then Buffalo with the K-Gun in the late 80's, early 90's.

But on the P5 level, I'd have to say FSU, but they got it from Buffalo.
 
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OldhamA said:
There's been significant rule changes to aid offences in the last 20 years. I don't see that as progress.
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Lol if you think the rules have only been changed for the last 20 years. Literally every change since the 1800’s has been to either make the games higher scoring or to make the game less dangerous. I’m sure there were guys who hated the forward pass at the time too.
 
Coach Macho said:
Saw Saban at a clinic not too long ago and he was talking about the days of dominant, shut-down defenses being gone. With the rule book being the way it is, referees not enforcing simple penalties like 'linemen downfield', it's really hard to play stout defense for 4 quarters a game + an entire season. (and I agree)

So why not take advantages of these loopholes?
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You either adapt to the way the game is called or you lose to teams that do. It would be like telling your basketball team not to take two steps while driving because a lot of guys take three and don’t get called for traveling.
 
DTP said:
Lol if you think the rules have only been changed for the last 20 years. Literally every change since the 1800’s has been to either make the games higher scoring or to make the game less dangerous. I’m sure there were guys who hated the forward pass at the time too.
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People laughed at Paul Brown because he didnt let his team play "the right way" because he didnt run the football that much.

He got so upset, he called a game with no passes at all and won. They shut up afterwards.
 
Canadian Football has been doing this for years, and I'm lucky enough to have coached an delayed university up here.

What's funny is the "striker" position have been around up here before I started playing college ball and that was 2006.

Essentially the purpose of the defense is, especially in four down is to say
"Go ahead and do whatever you want, but at some point one of our DL is gonna beat your OL and then you'll be behind the sticks, whether that a run or pass, then we know exactly what you'll do.

This goes to even the pro-style teams. I'll built my DL to be disruptive to force a negative play or at the very least a low yards getting play, now you're in 2 and 8 or 9, then what do you do again a defense that was initially designed to stop the pass anyway?

I can get into the X's and O's or the type of player you would rather have at certain defense positions on the field and what they're main job is, but that moot, you'll see team moving towards strength of the field soon enough (i.e., field and boundary) as some already have (i.e., Vtech with Bud foster), instead of right and left, which is dumb, and this includes on offense as well.
 
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DTP said:
Lol if you think the rules have only been changed for the last 20 years. Literally every change since the 1800’s has been to either make the games higher scoring or to make the game less dangerous. I’m sure there were guys who hated the forward pass at the time too.
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When I started watching the game it was a contest between DBs and WRs. Now Olinemen are 10 yards downfield and WRs flop like the much maligned 'soccer' stars for flags. Any solid hit draws a flag for unnecessary roughness too.

It's genuinely a different game. You don't come across as an enlightened football fan because you're enjoying the gradual shift to Arena football.
 
OldhamA said:
When I started watching the game it was a contest between DBs and WRs. Now Olinemen are 10 yards downfield and WRs flop like the much maligned 'soccer' stars for flags. Any solid hit draws a flag for unnecessary roughness too.

It's genuinely a different game. You don't come across as an enlightened football fan because you're enjoying the gradual shift to Arena football.
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lol cool story man. Enjoy your old vhs tapes of 1970’s football. Just a heads up, it’s never going to be like that again.
 
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bshaw28 said:
That's a great video - thanks for posting

My 2 immediate thoughts were:

2005 - People clowning Urban Meyer saying the spread wouldn't work in the SEC because the defenses were too fast
2018 - People getting HYPED at Richt recruiting Fullback Realus George

Dinosaurs we are....so far behind the curve. Here's to hoping we finally catch up.
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I was never hyped about Richt signing Realus George and I had a good amount of company. That move reminded me of when my dad went out and bought himself a rotary telephone for his landline a few years back. If I remember correctly it was part of a bundle that included an answering machine. You know, the ones with the mini cassettes.

It was sad to see because Mark Richt was/is a good man who was a solid coach once. Unfortunately the Mark Richt we got in 2016 was already burnt out, about to slip into senility and the game had long passed him by. All that said he conducted himself with honor, integrity and especially loyalty. Giving 1 million of his own money for the IPF then stepping down of his own accord when he knew that he could have forced a huge buyout worth millions are things that you just don't see anymore. For that his name should always be spoken with respect. A true Cane.
 
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DTP said:
It’s been experimented with at high school level with varying success but I believe the next big offensive innovation is hybrid players. Not just quarterbacks who can run and throw but multiple running/throwing quarterbacks on the field at the same time. Two quarterbacks in the backfield together. A shotgun snap could go to either one and the run/pass option can become a run/pass/run option or more. Everyone has some type of end-around HB/WR pass in their playbook but it’s always risky because you never know how well a guy who never passes is going to execute his pass. Imagine having that possibility on every play but the WR/RB was already an accomplished passer? You’d have to defend every running play to account for the threat of a pass. I know it sounds goofy but it’s not unrealistic to see the game going this way in another ten years
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Hear me out: 11 QBs on the field, and every play can be the lateral play from the end of the Duke game
 
Canes Legacy said:
Great find OP.

As I was watching (and I love the history part of it) the big question I kept asking myself is what’s the next variation of the spread? You develop (and perfect) that, and we’re adding Nattys to the trophy case.
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Final rule set change where no defender is allowed within 5 feet of any offensive player for any reason.
 
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