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Would a Spread Offense Really be New to the U?

canes1996

canes1996

Eternal Optimist
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I was well into a YouTube rabbit hole recently watching old UM games when I noticed that, especially during the Erickson era, we looked to be running a “spread-like” offense. Plenty of quick passes to both receivers and backs, 4 and 5 wide, etc. However, I am nowhere near well-versed in the nuances that go into offensive systems. As such, can anyone help me better understand how close that style of offense was to the current type of spread for which we are clamoring?

Also, if we were running something close to a spread way back then, why would it be so foreign a thought to do so now when it is so much more prevalent?

(Mods, if this can be incorporated into and already-existing thread, by all means....)
 
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canes1996 said:
I was well into a YouTube rabbit hole recently watching old UM games when I noticed that, especially during the Erickson era, we looked to be running a “spread-like” offense. Plenty of quick passes to both receivers and backs, 4 and 5 wide, etc. However, I am nowhere near well-versed in the nuances that go into offensive systems. As such, can anyone help me better understand how close that style of offense was to the current type of spread for which we are clamoring?

Also, if we were running something close to a spread way back then, why would it be so foreign a thought to do so now when it is so much more prevalent?

(Mods, if this can be incorporated into and already-existing thread, by all means....)
Click to expand...

Because we have an incompetent HC and staff who are slow to react to what most everyone else sees much earlier. Diaz was all about cutting edge offense but didn't have a specific plan in place on what he really wanted to run obviously which is why we have the dumpster fire in Enos now.
 
canes1996 said:
I was well into a YouTube rabbit hole recently watching old UM games when I noticed that, especially during the Erickson era, we looked to be running a “spread-like” offense. Plenty of quick passes to both receivers and backs, 4 and 5 wide, etc. However, I am nowhere near well-versed in the nuances that go into offensive systems. As such, can anyone help me better understand how close that style of offense was to the current type of spread for which we are clamoring?

Also, if we were running something close to a spread way back then, why would it be so foreign a thought to do so now when it is so much more prevalent?

(Mods, if this can be incorporated into and already-existing thread, by all means....)
Click to expand...

The single back O definitely influenced the modern spread offense. There are some differences in the use of TEs and preferred receiver size, but probably the most noticeable difference is whether the base offense is run out of the shotgun or under center. If base offense is under center, then usually considered "pro-style." Spread is almost always shotgun or pistol.
 
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It was Pro Style, it just was a different kind of Pro Style, but you have to remember back then the game was a lot different than it is now. The rules were different & the way in which offense was approached was completely different.

Gary Stevens & Bon Bratkowski were two very good Pro Style OC's who utilized the passing game in an era when Football was all about the Run game.

Coach Erickson was a great offensive mind for his time, before he came to Miami he was in places like San Jose St, Wyoming & Wash St where he developed his offense that was very cutting edge for its time which was right around the same time that Bill Walsh was developing the West Coast Offense at Stanford & San Fran with Mike Holmgren & Andy Reid.

Erickson was with Jack Elway (John's Dad) at San Jose St & at Fresno St, John Elway was running the very first Spread offense in High School at Granada Hills & when Erickson was at San Jose St as an OC he learned the One Back Spread from Cactus Jack Neumeier himself, that's why our Offenses looked like that with him as HC.

Since then, we've never run anything close to it, we've been nothing but Pro Style & while it worked through most of the 90's & early 00's, as the game exploded & expanded dozens of other teams evened the playing field & closed the talent gap by giving themselves a schematic advantage by continuing to develop & implement the Modern Spread offenses. We didn't, we got left behind & now we're actually behind the times...

The Pro Style offense still works, IF YOU HAVE THE PERSONNEL TO RUN IT. We don't & haven't had the personnel to run the Pro style since 02, but we simply refuse to adapt & adjust, and as the saying goes those who don't adapt, die.
 
Liberty City El said:
It was Pro Style, it just was a different kind of Pro Style, but you have to remember back then the game was a lot different than it is now. The rules were different & the way in which offense was approached was completely different.

Gary Stevens & Bon Bratkowski were two very good Pro Style OC's who utilized the passing game in an era when Football was all about the Run game.

Coach Erickson was a great offensive mind for his time, before he came to Miami he was in places like San Jose St, Wyoming & Wash St where he developed his offense that was very cutting edge for its time which was right around the same time that Bill Walsh was developing the West Coast Offense at Stanford & San Fran with Mike Holmgren & Andy Reid.

Erickson was with Jack Elway (John's Dad) at San Jose St & at Fresno St, John Elway was running the very first Spread offense in High School at Granada Hills & when Erickson was at San Jose St as an OC he learned the One Back Spread from Cactus Jack Neumeier himself, that's why our Offenses looked like that with him as HC.

Since then, we've never run anything close to it, we've been nothing but Pro Style & while it worked through most of the 90's & early 00's, as the game exploded & expanded dozens of other teams evened the playing field & closed the talent gap by giving themselves a schematic advantage by continuing to develop & implement the Modern Spread offenses. We didn't, we got left behind & now we're actually behind the times...

The Pro Style offense still works, IF YOU HAVE THE PERSONNEL TO RUN IT. We don't & haven't had the personnel to run the Pro style since 02, but we simply refuse to adapt & adjust, and as the saying goes those who don't adapt, die.
Click to expand...
Bingo
 
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Liberty City El said:
It was Pro Style, it just was a different kind of Pro Style, but you have to remember back then the game was a lot different than it is now. The rules were different & the way in which offense was approached was completely different.

Gary Stevens & Bon Bratkowski were two very good Pro Style OC's who utilized the passing game in an era when Football was all about the Run game.

Coach Erickson was a great offensive mind for his time, before he came to Miami he was in places like San Jose St, Wyoming & Wash St where he developed his offense that was very cutting edge for its time which was right around the same time that Bill Walsh was developing the West Coast Offense at Stanford & San Fran with Mike Holmgren & Andy Reid.

Erickson was with Jack Elway (John's Dad) at San Jose St & at Fresno St, John Elway was running the very first Spread offense in High School at Granada Hills & when Erickson was at San Jose St as an OC he learned the One Back Spread from Cactus Jack Neumeier himself, that's why our Offenses looked like that with him as HC.

Since then, we've never run anything close to it, we've been nothing but Pro Style & while it worked through most of the 90's & early 00's, as the game exploded & expanded dozens of other teams evened the playing field & closed the talent gap by giving themselves a schematic advantage by continuing to develop & implement the Modern Spread offenses. We didn't, we got left behind & now we're actually behind the times...

The Pro Style offense still works, IF YOU HAVE THE PERSONNEL TO RUN IT. We don't & haven't had the personnel to run the Pro style since 02, but we simply refuse to adapt & adjust, and as the saying goes those who don't adapt, die.
Click to expand...
Boom.

We used to be cutting edge to the edge of irrelevance.. Dam
 
canes1996 said:
I was well into a YouTube rabbit hole recently watching old UM games when I noticed that, especially during the Erickson era, we looked to be running a “spread-like” offense. Plenty of quick passes to both receivers and backs, 4 and 5 wide, etc. However, I am nowhere near well-versed in the nuances that go into offensive systems. As such, can anyone help me better understand how close that style of offense was to the current type of spread for which we are clamoring?

Also, if we were running something close to a spread way back then, why would it be so foreign a thought to do so now when it is so much more prevalent?

(Mods, if this can be incorporated into and already-existing thread, by all means....)
Click to expand...

You aren't far off. I'd venture to say it influenced the evolution of the spread, but at the time it was a variation of 'pro-style bro'.
 
To run the offense that Miami runs today, your Oline has to absolutely be or close to elite, the thing about our offense is we dont play to our strengths we actually play to our weakness which is dumb. Running more of a spread would mask some of our deficiencies, specifically on the Oline
 
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Liberty City El said:
It was Pro Style, it just was a different kind of Pro Style, but you have to remember back then the game was a lot different than it is now. The rules were different & the way in which offense was approached was completely different.

Gary Stevens & Bon Bratkowski were two very good Pro Style OC's who utilized the passing game in an era when Football was all about the Run game.

Coach Erickson was a great offensive mind for his time, before he came to Miami he was in places like San Jose St, Wyoming & Wash St where he developed his offense that was very cutting edge for its time which was right around the same time that Bill Walsh was developing the West Coast Offense at Stanford & San Fran with Mike Holmgren & Andy Reid.

Erickson was with Jack Elway (John's Dad) at San Jose St & at Fresno St, John Elway was running the very first Spread offense in High School at Granada Hills & when Erickson was at San Jose St as an OC he learned the One Back Spread from Cactus Jack Neumeier himself, that's why our Offenses looked like that with him as HC.

Since then, we've never run anything close to it, we've been nothing but Pro Style & while it worked through most of the 90's & early 00's, as the game exploded & expanded dozens of other teams evened the playing field & closed the talent gap by giving themselves a schematic advantage by continuing to develop & implement the Modern Spread offenses. We didn't, we got left behind & now we're actually behind the times...

The Pro Style offense still works, IF YOU HAVE THE PERSONNEL TO RUN IT. We don't & haven't had the personnel to run the Pro style since 02, but we simply refuse to adapt & adjust, and as the saying goes those who don't adapt, die.
Click to expand...
How are you not on staff at cis?
 
Liberty City El said:
It was Pro Style, it just was a different kind of Pro Style, but you have to remember back then the game was a lot different than it is now. The rules were different & the way in which offense was approached was completely different.

Gary Stevens & Bon Bratkowski were two very good Pro Style OC's who utilized the passing game in an era when Football was all about the Run game.

Coach Erickson was a great offensive mind for his time, before he came to Miami he was in places like San Jose St, Wyoming & Wash St where he developed his offense that was very cutting edge for its time which was right around the same time that Bill Walsh was developing the West Coast Offense at Stanford & San Fran with Mike Holmgren & Andy Reid.

Erickson was with Jack Elway (John's Dad) at San Jose St & at Fresno St, John Elway was running the very first Spread offense in High School at Granada Hills & when Erickson was at San Jose St as an OC he learned the One Back Spread from Cactus Jack Neumeier himself, that's why our Offenses looked like that with him as HC.

Since then, we've never run anything close to it, we've been nothing but Pro Style & while it worked through most of the 90's & early 00's, as the game exploded & expanded dozens of other teams evened the playing field & closed the talent gap by giving themselves a schematic advantage by continuing to develop & implement the Modern Spread offenses. We didn't, we got left behind & now we're actually behind the times...

The Pro Style offense still works, IF YOU HAVE THE PERSONNEL TO RUN IT. We don't & haven't had the personnel to run the Pro style since 02, but we simply refuse to adapt & adjust, and as the saying goes those who don't adapt, die.
Click to expand...
Thanks very much for this info, LCE. Exactly the kind that is was looking for.
 
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We have turned into Michigan.

"WE NEED A MEEEEECHIGAN MAN!"

Meanwhile, the Michigan Man has turned the keys of his offense over to Gattis who is a spread OC.

USC who was ALWAYS pro style, runs Air Raid 2.0.

Meanwhile in Coral Gables, we're trying to recreate what Jimmy Johnson did.
 
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