Saturday, December 15, 2007
Quotes about the spread offense
About how he told Texas Tech to run the spread offense, Barry Terranova said:
“It's something you'll continue to see proliferate because people have found it incredibly difficult to stop,” Terranova said. “With some teams that otherwise should have problems being competitive, it made them competitive.” (SDUT)
SDUT Note: "In November 1999, officials from Texas Tech University hired a special consultant for $180,000 and told him to solve a riddle. They asked: How can we fill the football stadium with fans and win lots of games despite significant disadvantages in recruiting and resources? The consultant, Barry Terranova, did his work and came up with an answer: Hire a coach to install the spread offense. Texas Tech since has gone to eight straight bowl games under the coach it hired then, Mike Leach."
SDUT Note: "Why is Hawaii undefeated and in the Sugar Bowl this year despite a $50,000 recruiting budget – and just nine years since going 0-12? ... The answer isn't magic or even luck. Instead, it's the spread, spread-option or other “read” offenses. They have become college football's version of David's slingshot and stone against Goliath. Your team may not have as many resources. It may have smaller, slower players. But if you know how to distribute the ball and spread the defense, you can win anyway."
Texas coach Mack Brown said that big-money programs have been:
“trying to figure out why lesser-name teams with lesser history are beating teams who are supposed to win." (SDUT)
SDUT Note: "Brown's staff studied it and came up with an answer: the spread."
Brown's staff concluded that it happens when a supposedly inferior team:
“combines spreading people out, creating holes by linemen, speed at tailback and speed at quarterback. All of a sudden, you (the supposedly superior team), don't get the ball back and you look up at the scoreboard and you're in trouble.” (SDUT)
About the spread offenses used in college football today, Texas Tech coach Leach said:
“Typically, all have one thing in common. They distribute the ball and get everybody involved.” (SDUT)
About spread offenses, Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson (who has used the spread since the 1970s) said:
“It's all about matchups. You can get some little guys who are really quick and not heavily recruited and get them on linebackers and score points. It's almost like basketball: getting certain people on certain people.” (SDUT)
About how defenses have to avoid mistakes against a spread offense, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said:
“You just have to play assignment football (where defenders are assigned to certain offensive players or areas. If you have a breakdown in any area, they can get out of the gate on you very quickly.” (SDUT)
About how traditional power running teams aren't used to playing against spread offenses, GM said:
“A lot of people play traditional smash-mouth football. The teams like Texas Tech, the spreads, the options – their opponents don't get to practice against that regularly. When they play them, those opponents either try to change their defense, which is the worst thing you can do, or they play their same basic packages, which might not be built to stop that type of offense.” (SDUT)
SDUT Note: "In the 1980s, then-Michigan coach Bo Schembechler is said to have called it “trick 'em football.” At the time of Leach's hiring in '99, a spread like his still was considered an odd gimmick. Now most Top 25 teams have run variations of it or plan to next year."
About why Michigan couldn't stop their offense, Appalachian State coach Moore said:
“They hadn't played against that fast-paced of an offense that I know of." (SDUT)
Moore said that the spread offense is a:
“kissing cousin now to the wishbone. You just line up differently, but so much of it, the grass roots of it, are wishbone theory or philosophy. It's a read offense. The quarterback has to read it just like the wishbone quarterback had to.” (SDUT)
About the weakness in the wishbone offense, Terranova said:
“When you have absolutely very little threat of throwing the ball, defenses can stack the box against you (to gang up on running plays). As well as Navy runs the ball now, they still throw it. They keep you honest.” (SDUT)
About why the spread is better than the wishbone, GM said:
“The wishbone was one-dimensional because if they got behind, they didn't have any way to get that big play. It's a good offense, but it's a ball-control offense. You have to be ahead (on the scoreboard) or even.” (SDUT)
Asked if defenses will catch up with the spread offense, Mack Brown said:
“I'm sure it will. In my 33 years, it always has. But we're not sure how yet.” (SDUT)
About how he thinks that the spread offense will be continued to be used despite the defenses developed to try to stop it, GM said:
“They've been doing it 30 years. I think it's here to stay.” (SDUT)
“It's something you'll continue to see proliferate because people have found it incredibly difficult to stop,” Terranova said. “With some teams that otherwise should have problems being competitive, it made them competitive.” (SDUT)
SDUT Note: "In November 1999, officials from Texas Tech University hired a special consultant for $180,000 and told him to solve a riddle. They asked: How can we fill the football stadium with fans and win lots of games despite significant disadvantages in recruiting and resources? The consultant, Barry Terranova, did his work and came up with an answer: Hire a coach to install the spread offense. Texas Tech since has gone to eight straight bowl games under the coach it hired then, Mike Leach."
SDUT Note: "Why is Hawaii undefeated and in the Sugar Bowl this year despite a $50,000 recruiting budget – and just nine years since going 0-12? ... The answer isn't magic or even luck. Instead, it's the spread, spread-option or other “read” offenses. They have become college football's version of David's slingshot and stone against Goliath. Your team may not have as many resources. It may have smaller, slower players. But if you know how to distribute the ball and spread the defense, you can win anyway."
Texas coach Mack Brown said that big-money programs have been:
“trying to figure out why lesser-name teams with lesser history are beating teams who are supposed to win." (SDUT)
SDUT Note: "Brown's staff studied it and came up with an answer: the spread."
Brown's staff concluded that it happens when a supposedly inferior team:
“combines spreading people out, creating holes by linemen, speed at tailback and speed at quarterback. All of a sudden, you (the supposedly superior team), don't get the ball back and you look up at the scoreboard and you're in trouble.” (SDUT)
About the spread offenses used in college football today, Texas Tech coach Leach said:
“Typically, all have one thing in common. They distribute the ball and get everybody involved.” (SDUT)
About spread offenses, Arizona State coach Dennis Erickson (who has used the spread since the 1970s) said:
“It's all about matchups. You can get some little guys who are really quick and not heavily recruited and get them on linebackers and score points. It's almost like basketball: getting certain people on certain people.” (SDUT)
About how defenses have to avoid mistakes against a spread offense, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said:
“You just have to play assignment football (where defenders are assigned to certain offensive players or areas. If you have a breakdown in any area, they can get out of the gate on you very quickly.” (SDUT)
About how traditional power running teams aren't used to playing against spread offenses, GM said:
“A lot of people play traditional smash-mouth football. The teams like Texas Tech, the spreads, the options – their opponents don't get to practice against that regularly. When they play them, those opponents either try to change their defense, which is the worst thing you can do, or they play their same basic packages, which might not be built to stop that type of offense.” (SDUT)
SDUT Note: "In the 1980s, then-Michigan coach Bo Schembechler is said to have called it “trick 'em football.” At the time of Leach's hiring in '99, a spread like his still was considered an odd gimmick. Now most Top 25 teams have run variations of it or plan to next year."
About why Michigan couldn't stop their offense, Appalachian State coach Moore said:
“They hadn't played against that fast-paced of an offense that I know of." (SDUT)
Moore said that the spread offense is a:
“kissing cousin now to the wishbone. You just line up differently, but so much of it, the grass roots of it, are wishbone theory or philosophy. It's a read offense. The quarterback has to read it just like the wishbone quarterback had to.” (SDUT)
About the weakness in the wishbone offense, Terranova said:
“When you have absolutely very little threat of throwing the ball, defenses can stack the box against you (to gang up on running plays). As well as Navy runs the ball now, they still throw it. They keep you honest.” (SDUT)
About why the spread is better than the wishbone, GM said:
“The wishbone was one-dimensional because if they got behind, they didn't have any way to get that big play. It's a good offense, but it's a ball-control offense. You have to be ahead (on the scoreboard) or even.” (SDUT)
Asked if defenses will catch up with the spread offense, Mack Brown said:
“I'm sure it will. In my 33 years, it always has. But we're not sure how yet.” (SDUT)
About how he thinks that the spread offense will be continued to be used despite the defenses developed to try to stop it, GM said:
“They've been doing it 30 years. I think it's here to stay.” (SDUT)
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