Sunday, May 9, 2010

3x1 Spread Offense Set - Quick Screen Off Zone Action

Sorry guys for not posting lately... I've been like a one legged man in an ass kicking contest the past few weeks! Anyway... I found this nice video below and I'll give my take on it.

You'll see Michigan vs Illinois here in 2009 in a 2nd and 6 situation just outside of the red zone. Michigan is in a 3x1 shot gun spread set, on the right hash mark. They line with trips to the field, and the open (X) to the boundary.

Illinois is in a 40 Cover 1 (Man, Free) with 6 defenders in the box. If you guys have read some of my stuff in the past, I'm surprised that Calvin Magee didn't call down to Coach Rod on this play to run the zone read ... because we know with 6 in the box (based on a positive down and distance), the offense has the advantage with the 5 down linemen having equal blocking numbers, and the QB in effect 'cancelling out' or blocking the 6th man in the box on the read concept.

But, Michigan instead goes with the quick screen to the trips (notice I didn't say bubble screen) off zone action, because to me this isn't a true 'bubble screen' based on the path of the receiver and the lack of the usual quarter moon arch path of the bubble receiver. You'll see, the play is very successful and Michigan gets the first down on the 8 yard gain.

Last point, based on the o-line movement of Michigan, I get the impression this was not a progression play that Forcier decided to go with, but instead a predetermined play called from the booth based on a tendency? Then again, it is the 1st quarter so how many tendencies can the coaches have upstairs?? There I go again... over thinking the play... lol - Just play ball!!



Keep spreading e'm!

-- Mark

www.SpreadOffense.com

Sunday, April 25, 2010

The Basics Still Work - Simple 4-3 Cover 2 versus Empty Spread Offense

Sometimes the most simplest things are still the best. I know we all look to challenge our offenses and defenses as coaches with exotic stuff that keeps everyone excited and the opponent off balanced.

But remember, winning football games comes down to execution and personnel no matter how simple or complex the scheme or play.

In the modern era of football, the team that blocks and tackles better, and protects the football will still win more games.

Below is a video of a simple 4-3 Cover 2 by Michigan in a game versus Purdue. You'll see on this play that Purdue motions out into an empty set, and Michigan adjusts nicely with the corner coming out on the running back.

At the snap, you'll see the Michigan defense in great position across the field, the backers have their heads on a swivel... covering bodies and not air. The left corner (#3) does a nice job on sinking with his head in the backfield, just waiting to smack the first flat threat on this 2nd and 6 play.



Tell your team to 'Win This Play' every time they're in the huddle, no matter how simple or complicated the scheme.

Keep spreading e'm!

--Mark

www.SpreadOffense.tv (video sharing platform)

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Spread Offense Q&A with Head Football Coach Art Briles of Baylor University

I found a nice article that includes a Q&A with Art Briles of Baylor. The entire article link is below, but here's some exerts in regards to his discussion on the spread offense.

Your spread offense really served as a catalyst in the state of Texas. After they saw the success you were having in the 1990s, dozens of schools changed their offenses and patterned them after yours. Where did you come up with your version of the spread? Did you have any influences when you designed your offense?

I appreciate you saying that, because honestly we were some of the first people to start throwing it around and spreading it out. I just kind of came about it through trial and error. I had my first head coaching job back in 1984 in Hamlin, Texas. That first year, we made it to the quarter-finals and got beat on penetration. So the next year, I understood that if we didn’t spread the field and give our guys space to create plays in, somebody with better talent was going to shut us down and beat us. We started it in 1985, spreading in the ball around. We were in the shotgun, throwing it and running the zone read. It just kind of evolved through the years. We fluctuated with our personnel and with our philosophy, and with the defenses we were facing. I think it’s fun; I like how everything has evolved in the game of football. I’m excited about what the future holds, because it’s been a fun journey watching the way everything has transpired on both sides of the ball.

How much has your particular brand of the spread changed since you started running it?

Quite a bit. To some extent, we’re a little more screen-oriented now than we were then. We had more of a vertical passing game then, because we got more single [coverage] matchups than you get now. I’ve always liked a real mobile quarterback. We’ve always had our best teams that way. Even having Kevin Kolb at Houston. He’s fixing to be a star quarterback for the Eagles. You know, Kevin’s a mobile guy. He’s one of only three quarterbacks in college football history to throw for 400 yards and rush for 100 yards in a game. He had that capability; we just didn’t pull it out of them that much because he’s such a precise passer and we had other weapons around him. I like a guy who’s mobile. I like a guy who can move around and make things happen, and create plays for other people. Fortunately, we have a guy like that in Robert at Baylor.

The spread really took off in the college game early in the 2000s. Offenses enjoyed a lot of success for several seasons, but last year, it seemed like defenses found a way to at least slow down the spread. Do you think the spread is here to stay in college football, or will it be like the wishbone or West Coast offenses that were en vogue for a while before fading away?

I definitely think it will continue to change, but I also think it’s here to stay. I think the game has become a lot faster from the standpoint of putting people in space and letting them make plays. I don’t think that we’ll consistently see people lining up with a full house backfield, handing the ball to a guy who’s running downfield. I think that part of the game is definitely valuable. You can have some advantages doing that today, because people don’t recruit defensively to stop teams that pound the ball at you. But I don’t think the spread offenses are going anywhere for a while.

You left Stephenville to become running backs coach at Texas Tech. That was the same year Mike Leach arrived in Lubbock. What was it like working with Mike? How similar is your offensive philosophy to his?

We were on the ground floor of the Texas Tech process. Spike [Dykes] had done a great job there for many years. I think at that time, they had been to a bowl nine of the past ten years. That situation has continued there since then. The thing about Leach and his philosophy – like with Hal Mumme at Kentucky, Al Wesland at Valdosta – is it’s set, it’s patternized, and you do what you do. The thing I was impressed about was they had what they had, they believed in it, and it was successful for them.

Article link: http://www.foxsportssouthwest.com/04/23/10/QA-with-Baylor-Head-Football-Coach-Art-B/landing.html?blockID=221983&feedID=3742

Keep spreading e'm,

Mark

www.SpreadOffense.com

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Wheel Route out of a 2x1 Spread Offense

In a previous post I highlighted the lead read play that Coach Rod loves to run to the open side out of the 2x1 shot gun spread offense formation.

In the video below, you'll see Michigan run a nice wheel route pass play off of lead read action in the same 2x1 set. In this situation, Michigan is right outside of the red zone and the down and distance is 2nd and 8.

To me, it looks like the Wisconsin 'Will' backer is covering 'air' instead of players and he gets caught out of position.





It's a simple, yet nicely executed play action pass by the Wolverines.


Keep spreading e'm,


--Mark



Sunday, April 11, 2010

Facing a Fast Flow Defense? Keep Them Honest With A Reverse

Lets face it .. defensive coordinators at all levels are getting pretty damn good at slowing down the spread offense. I mean just take a look at how well the spread offense was defended last year at the college level compared to the previous 4 years and you can see much improvements to the philosophies and execution in defending the spread offense.

At the core of any defense philosophy is aggression, getting to the football, and pursuit angles which leads to eventually bringing the ball to the ground as quickly as possible.

That being said, a well balanced spread offense needs to have in its arsenal a counter, misdirection, or reverse play for just about every important base play in your scheme.

So for example if your base spread offense run plays are zone and zone lead (with a QB read), Power, and Sweep (especially a QB sweep with a solid dual threat QB) - you need to have counter or reverses off of all of these plays to keep the defense honest.

As a coach, you have to explain to your team that these are not 'trick plays' or gimmicks that will be run maybe once a game. These are important plays that need to be executed and practiced in game speed in order to get the best results.

As coaches, you need to be able to communicate real time during the games and have your 'eyes in the sky' up in the booth scouting the defense for over aggressive, fast flow defenders who are setting themselves up for a misdirection or reverse. Also, don't be afraid to use these plays more then once in a specific series, back to back, or whatever. If at the end of a game your stat's show you ran 12 mis-direction or reverses and you won the game... who cares! I'll take the W!

Remember, there are two ways to slow down a defense - Get them to 'over think' on the field, and wear them down physically. In the perfect world, you want to do both as the game progresses.

Here's an excellent video of Auburn catching the 2009 national champs Alabama 'fast flowing' on defense last year.




Now no one studies defending the modern day spread offense more then Coach Saban and his staff at Alabama, but like any aggressive defense, his guys got caught fast flowing on this play.

Notice also this play was ran in the opening drive of the game by Auburn, when the defense is even more 'geeked up' (a slang term for 'over excited') and looking to knock someones head off.

Keep spreading e'm!

--Mark

www.SpreadOffense.com
www.SpreadOffense.tv (video sharing platform)

Friday, April 2, 2010

Cut Back Adjustment On The Zone Read - Michigan Spread Offense

I've always enjoyed breaking down Rich Rodriguez's spread offense, especially in the run game. I truly feel Michigan is on the brink of turning it around, and even in 2009 it wasn't the offense that let down the team as much as the defense.

I found two videos below showing a variation of the zone read run concept that really makes it difficult to defend Coach Rod's zone read.

In this first video in a 2009 game versus Penn State, you'll see the traditional zone read play to the tight end side of the formation, which is actually the weak side of the offense, opposite trips.

Penn State's defense looks they're in a classic Ron Vanderlinden Stack Cover 3 defense versus the trips formation.



Now in this play, Michigan is in the same offensive formation as above (and Penn State is in the same defensive alignment), but watch the difference in the zone read play.



Look at the right tackle on the offensive line, instead of zone blocking and trying to cut off the defensive linemen like in the first zone read play above, he blocks out or 'fans' the defensive end to set up the nice cut back run by the tailback. What's great is not only the cut back by the tailback, but the concept that the QB still needs to be respected by the Eagle linebacker (which is what Penn State calls him... he's really the Sam, #11), keeping him on the perimeter and hesitant to squeeze down hard on the tailback, honoring the QB read keep that the traditional zone read presents.

Keep spreading e'm!

--Mark

www.SpreadOffense.tv

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Exotic Double Zone Blitz Look On 3rd and 5

I found this nice defensive look by Michigan versus Purdue in their 2009 game. Purdue's offense is in a 3rd and 5 situation, mid-field and they come out in a 3x1 (with TE) shot gun spread formation.

Michigan is in a 4-3 "2 high" look pre-snap... but watch all the action once the ball is snapped by the defense.



Michigan runs a double zone blitz on the right side, the open side of the offense, and basically bring the kitchen sink to the field (or strong side) of the play.

I diagrammed the look below.




















Some really exotic stuff here by Greg Robinson, Defensive Coordinator at Michigan.

Keep spreading e'm,

Mark

http://www.spreadoffense.tv/

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Zone Read Lead To The Open (Weak) Side | 2x1 Formation

One of Rich Rodriguez's favorite plays out of the classic 2x1 shot gun spread offense is the read lead run play to the open or 'weak' side of the set. As a result of the formation and Coach Rod's preference, this play is often run to the short side of the field or the boundary.

I found a great video of this specific play from last years Michigan vs Purdue game.



I know when Coach Rod was at West Virginia, he and Calvin Magee (Offensive Coordinator) loved running this play with Pat White, Steve Slaton, and Owen Schmitt.

Below is the play diagram for your reference. You'll see this is your classic outside zone blocking play, but what makes this play tough to defend a lot of times is the defense over defending to the 'field' and/or strength of the formation.


As a coaching point, it's important to stress to your quarterback (especially if he's a dual threat QB who can run well) that he still needs to read that backside end and if that end knifes down or collapses hard on the zone lead he should keep it and progress to the strong side of the formation where he has the #2 receiver running a bubble screen or pitch option.

Keep spreading e'm!

--Mark



Tuesday, March 9, 2010

SpreadOffense.com - Downloadable Playbook's











By popular demand, we present our first addition spread offense playbook's (offense and defense) for coaches and players.
These playbook offers over in depth running and passing plays out of the popular spread offense on the offensive side of the ball, and a detailed 'how to defend' the spread offense on the defensive side of the ball.

You'll see breakdown's and diagrams of specific offensive formations, pass protections, run blocking techniques, and defensive looks seen most often versus the spread offense in football.

This spread offense playbook will be beneficial to the beginner, intermediate, or advanced football coach -- from Pop Warner to the Pro's.

Gain immediate access to this playbook right now from your computer, there's no waiting for it to arrive in the mail.

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Defending the spread offense in football has become a difficult task. We have assembled what we feel is the best defensive playbook to get you on the path to successfully defending the spread offense.

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Keep Spreading E'm!

--Mark

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Now Is The Time Coaches!

It broke 50 degrees today in NJ on this 4th day of March, 2010... and I got that feeling of football for some reason. Even though snow is still on the ground from the 20 inches we got last week, you can tell that the tide of the 2010 football season is on the horizon.

We got the NFL combine that wrapped up, Major League Baseball is in its second week of spring training, college spring ball is right at the front door, and during my football coaching days I always got this itch around now that it was time to pick it up a notch with our off-season stuff.

I pulled out my old favorite football quotes notebook (which I have saved now on my computer) and the first one, and my favorite still is:

"Victory is reserved for those who are willing to pay its price" - Sun Tzu

To me, this quote wrapped up everything that off-season football preparation was all about... I couldn't put it into better words then Sun Tzu did in 6th century BC times.

My first year ever coaching high school football was 1993. That year, our team went 1-8. We had 5 seniors, 16 juniors, and 15 sophomores on the varsity team.

Immediately after our last game that year, a core group of about 25 kids made a commitment not to be embarrassed anymore, as I did ... not only as there football coach, but the guy running the off-season strength program.

Four days a week this core group of guys showed up in the weight room with a lot of enthusiasm, did everything that I told them to do, and continued to get better. They paid the price!

As the guy who had to be there at everyone of these sessions in the off-season, I too had to pay the price as a coach. It meant sometimes disappointing my wife (which was actually our first year married), missing family functions, etc.

In the end... the hard work and commitment paid off! That season (1994), we went 7-3 and made it to the NJ Group 1 state finals, hosted at Giant Stadium. The team we beat in the semi-finals (a triple overtime win) was a team from our league that we hadn't beaten in 13 years, they had a 21 game winning streak snapped that day, by the same team they demolished 38-0 the year before. We actually played them opening day in 1994 and lost 17-6, just itching for another shot at them in the playoffs.

The euphoria after that win was intoxicating, the smiles on the faces of this collective group that gave the ultimate sacrifice to turn it around from 'worst to first' was unforgettable.

That's what it's all about coaches... paying the price now for victories in the fall. No matter what situation you're in now... trust me, it can be turned around if the commitment is made.

Keep spreading e'm!

--Mark

www.SpreadOffense.com

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Running Barefoot Is Great Conditioning For Football Players

I know this is a bit off topic... but if you're reading this blog you're likely a football coach or player who is looking to get better.

We all know how important that off-season training is for building strength, speed, power, flexibility, and injury prevention.

I picked up a book today at the book store ("Born to Run: a Hidden Tribe, Superathletes and the Greatest Race the World has Never Seen" ) and it reminded me of my days working at the Parisi Speed School in NJ.

Martin Rooney (Twitter account: @martinrooney1), the lead trainer and NFL combine preparation coordinator at Parisi's first introduced to me the concept of training athletes barefoot to help improve the strength and flexibility in their feet and lower extremities.

I came home and Googled the concept to try to find out a little more... and I found this interesting article that just came out today.

Go to: http://www.thepilot.com/news/2010/mar/03/rubber-gloves-for-the-feet-trendy-running-shoes/

Keep your athletes conditioned and injury free (and obviously be careful doing any barefoot running training - it should be done only on clean artificial surfaces or exceptionally well groomed natural grass) ... and keep spreading e'm!

--Mark

www.SpreadOffense.com

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Defending The Spread Offense with a 30 Zone Blitz - Cover 4


We recently posted a new article on our main site diagramming a 30 Front Zone Blitz with a Cover 4 (quarter, quarter, half's) versus a 2x2 shot gun spread offense.
This is a nice scheme when the defense has the offense in a throwing situation (needing 7 yards or more for a first down).

To view the entire article, go to:

http://www.spreadoffense.com/ssp/3_4_cover_4_zone_blitz_vs_spread


Keep spreading e'm!


--Mark


www.SpreadOffense.tv (video sharing platform)

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Tim Tebow Looking To Improve His Throwing Motion and Delivery

Just as you expected, Tim Tebow is doing whatever it takes to become a successful NFL quarterback, and this video shows him working to make himself better.

You gotta love the 'Rambo' beard that Tebow is sporting during his re-building process... "He drew first blood, he drew first blood..."



Keep spreading e'm!

--Mark

www.SpreadOffense.com

Friday, February 19, 2010

Videos: Nevada Pistol Offense In Action

I found a nice series of videos with slow motion shots of the Nevada Pistol Offense in action. The pistol offense was created by longtime and current head coach of the University of Nevada Chris Ault, and first implemented in 2004.

Coach Ault has credited the inspiration for his invention to the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers' performance at the Fiesta Bowl versus the University of Florida, where they ran the option from a spread offense and crushed the Gators, 62-24.

Tommie Frazier was the quarterback for the Cornhuskers in that game.. one of my personal 'dual threat' quarterback all-time favorites.

Read Option - Dive (RB)



Read Option - QB Keep



Half-Back Smash (outside zone)



Counter Reverse - Pitch



Read Option - Dive (RB)



Keep spreading e'm!

--Mark

SpreadOffense.com

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Clemson Football In 1999 - Coach Rod's Spread Offense

I found this great video below of Clemson University during the 1999 season. The Offensive Coordinator at Clemson was Rich Rodriguez, now the head coach at Michigan.

The quarterback for Clemson at the time was Woody Dantzler, who was just a fantastic dual threat quarterback.

You'll notice the last touchdown of the video shows Dantzler running the 'Tebow play action' play, where the quarterback runs play-action with himself, faking a QB ISO into the interior line (freezing the middle linebackers), then pulling back into the pocket for a seam pass.

This really proves that Rich Rodriguez is one of (of not 'the') pioneer of the current spread offense we see so much now in high school and college football ten years later.

You can bet Urban Meyer and Dan Mullen borrowed that one from Coach Rod way back from 1999.



Keep spreading e'm!

--Mark

www.SpreadOffense.tv (video sharing platform)

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Video: Blocking Techniques By The Center

I found this short video below that gives some good insight on how the center should block (or at least his thought process) when the left guard is pulling (left to right).

I personally always thought the center is the most important position on the offensive line. This is not only your ignition point, but usually your communicator to the other linemen in regards to fronts, blitz looks, etc...


How an Offensive Line Center Does a Choke Block -- powered by eHow.com

Keep spreading e'm!

--Mark

www.SpreadOffense.com

Thursday, February 4, 2010

The Pro Spread Offense Will Be The 2010 Super Bowl Offense of Choice


Back in the summer, I wrote an article on the Long Tail Of The Spread Offense, and the various styles of the spread offense we see throughout all levels of football.

Well on Sunday, Super Bowl XLIV will feature two pro style spread offenses. Both Indianapolis and New Orleans run a multiple set, pro style spread offense that features a lot of throwing the football and timely runs and screens.

You'll be seeing two of the best quarterback's in the NFL executing these offenses, with precision passing and exceptional route running by both teams receivers.

What I love about both of these teams is how they attack the seams in the passing game... that area on the NFL field between the numbers and the hash marks.

Don't forget about the offensive lines... both these teams have excellent O-Lines that give these quarterback's enough time to throw.

Enjoy the game... and keep spreading e'm!

--Mark

www.SpreadOffense.com

Friday, January 29, 2010

Senior Bowl 2010 - Tebow Grabs The Spotlight

We are on the eve of the 2010 Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama. The game will kickoff Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 4pm (ET)/3pm (CT) and will be nationally-televised by the NFL Network.

A lot of the buzz as you can imagine has been around Tim Tebow, the dual threat spread offense quarterback out of the University of Florida. Tebow will be one of three quarterbacks for the South team, coached by the Miami Dolphins staff.

It'll be interesting to watch Tebow in action as he begins his professional career. During the week leading up to the game, we've heard a lot about Tebow's passing ability, his 'non-traditional' NFL arm release, his ability (or lack of) to take a snap from under the center, etc...

All I know is this... the guy is a WINNER who works hard and will always do the right thing. You give me a bunch of those guys on my team, and we'll be very successful.

Here's a video I found on Tim Tebow leading up to the Senior Bowl this Saturday.



Keep spreading e'm!

--Mark

www.SpreadOffense.tv (video sharing platform)
www.SpreadOffense.com (main website)

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Urban Meyer: Execution and Personnel Trump The System You Run

I found this great video (and interview by Todd McShay of ESPN) below of Urban Meyer after the 2007 BCS National Championship Game vs Ohio State.

I have always said that the offensive system you run is only as good as the players running it and their execution. The same is true at NASA in regards to aerospace, Goldman Sachs in regards to investment banking, and so on, and so on.

Now a lot of you reading this don't have the advantages that someone such as Urban Meyer has, being able to recruit the top football players in the country. So what's your plan? How are you going to make those players you have better players who 'execute' on the football field?

Well my friends... that is what makes the winning Pop Warner, high school, and lower level college coaches so good?

What I used to do is do my best as a coach to control what I can control... meaning I couldn't change the genetics of my 5'9 165 lb QB, but I could make him faster and stronger (off-season conditioning), smarter, create a good game plan for him, and as prepared as possible for the games.

See the video below... and keep spreading e'm!



--Mark

www.SpreadOffense.com

Monday, January 25, 2010

SpreadOffense.com - Business Plan and Investor Introduction Deck

Two years ago I began the website SpreadOffense.com and like any other new endeavour I was optimistic, yet unsure how it would be received by the public.

I'm happy to announce that it is now time to take this endeavour to the next level, as the response and feedback I've received over the last 2 years has convinced me to 'Go For It'!

I present to my loyal fans, coaches, and players the SpreadOffense.com Business Plan. As you will see in the presentations below, we are looking to rapidly expand the franchise both online and offline.

My goal is to bring on either one individual (be it a single person or company) or a group of 2 to 4 people to join me as an investor and more importantly a strategic partner to help the business grow.

I invite you to read my plan below, send me feedback, or forward it on to anyone you feel might be interested in partnering with me based on my vision to help 'spread the word' about the spread offense in football.

If you personally cannot invest, but may know of someone (individual or a group) who would consider it, please feel free to contact me (mark at spreadoffense.com) as I'm willing to offer a referral fee to you in company equity for any leads that become investors.

Business Plan





Investor Introduction Deck





Keep spreading u'm!

--Mark

www.SpreadOffense.com

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Spread Offense - Speed Option To Trips

I found this great video below of the University of Michigan executing a speed option out of a trips, open (3x1) spread offense formation.

Two things to notice:

1) Watch the offensive line really sell the zone play left on the snap, this freezes the inside backers and gets the front 6 of Iowa moving left.

2) The perimeter (stalk) blocking by Michigan is very good (notice I didn't say 'excellent', or the play would have went for an even longer gain) on this play, I can't stress enough the importance of blocking by your receivers on all run plays out of the spread offense, this is critical for success. It must be worked on in practice just as much as catching the ball.



Keep spreading e'm!

--Mark

www.SpreadOffense.tv (video sharing platform)

Thursday, January 14, 2010

What's Next For Pat White Of The Miami Dolphins?

Pat White, the 2nd round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins in 2009 out of West Virginia University had an up and down rookie campaign. He showed certain flashes of that explosive dual threat athlete that we all watched during his days at West Virginia, like in the first New England Patriots game.


In that game, White frequently substituted for Chad Henne at QB in the 2nd quarter, and lead the Dolphins to a touchdown drive, mixing in some nice pistol spread option plays that showcased White's ability to get to the perimeter alley on the speed option (one play he ripped off a 33 yard run) and on the final play of the drive execute a perfect option pitch to Ricky Williams for a red zone touchdown.


In other action throughout the year, White came into games during some very important moments, like in the final drive of the Dolphins/Jets first game, where he ran a QB draw for an important first down, and the Tennessee game, where he came in on an important game tie-ing two point conversion and executed the wildcat for the score (handing off to Ricky Williams) with under a minute to play.

A lot has been made of Pat White not completing a pass this year out of 5 total attempts, but on the flip side he also did not throw any interceptions. Now to the 'fan' of football, this may sound terrible, but to a 'coach' of football, I'd rather see a guy not throw an interception and not complete a pass as opposed to say completing 2 of 5 passes, with 2 picks!

Pat also never turned the football over in his 13 game appearances in 2009, with the only 'bad' play I saw being an option pitch in the 2nd New England game that was deflected when he got hit, resulting in a 15 yard loss as Ricky Williams fell on the ball.

I think it's obvious that the Miami coaching staff likes Pat's work ethic, intelligence, athletic ability, and knowledge of the situations he was being placed into, as knowing Tony Sparano, he doesn't take anything for granted in regards to player preparation on the field.


I personally feel that the following needs to happen with Pat White in the future to ensure success in the NFL.

1) Get Bigger - I know Pat was quoted as saying he's been trying to gain body weight since birth, but it is critical that he come in next year at 6'0 205 lbs (as opposed to the 190 lbs he is now). Obviously he needs to maintain his speed, agility, etc... with the added muscle. Basically he needs a nutritionist and the Miami strength program to help him accomplish this.

2) Call Steve Young - 'If' Pat is going to remain as just a quarterback, he needs to spend some quality time with Steve Young, the ex-BYU Cougar, Tampa Bay Buc, San Fransico 49er and hall of famer. Some may forget, but Young had it rough when he entered the league out of BYU. In addition, he's physically the same as Pat White (6'0-6'1 ish, great runner/scrambler, lefty thrower, strong football IQ, nice guy, etc..).

Use the off-season to get with Young for days at a time, learn his techniques, field tactics, training methods, throwing motion as a fellow lefty, throwing on the run, situational stuff, field general ship, etc...

Parcells worked with Young during his ESPN stints, I'm sure he could make it happen.

3) If #2 (being a full-time QB) is not in the plans... If the Dolphins feel the QB experiment is over, then Pat needs to work in being a 'slash' guy. Watch film of Josh Cribbs, Brad Smith, get bigger (as #1 explains above), get reps catching passes, punts, kick-offs, taking reverse hand-offs and pitches, continue throwing the ball, etc..

I think it's safe to say that the 'wildcat' position is here to stay, I still feel Pat could be the "WildCat in HD" that the league still has not seen. Pat White can throw the football, I think you'll see that next year.

The ironic part of it all is that Ronnie Brown (of the Dolphins) in my opinion is the best WildCat runner in the league, he has such a sense for that position, especially on the runs. Pat has a great guy to learn off of.

Finally, as some of you may know Pat took a nasty helmet to helmet hit in the final game vs the Steelers. Nothing was dirty about it at all, Ike Taylor was just playing hard, and Pat was tripped up prior to contact, placing him in a vulnerable position.

He seems OK, and you couldn't find a better time to get that injury, with the off-season starting the next day.

Below is a nice interview with Pat White by Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel website.






Keep spreading e'm!

--Mark

http://www.spreadoffense.com/

Friday, January 8, 2010

Shotgun Spread Offense Wing-T Football

I know I've posted it before, but when I started coaching back in 1993 we were a Delaware Wing T team on offense. I really still love that offense, all the misdirection, guards pulling, down blocks, fullback play, waggle play action, wing counters, etc...

Well, I found this awesome video below from Coach Pat Murphy who is running a really nice combination shot gun, spread wing t at his school.

See for yourself... this is a defenses worst nightmare!



See more of Coach Murphy's videos by clicking here.

Keep spreading e'm!

--Mark

www.SpreadOffense.com

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Dan LaFevour - Watch His Last College Game In The Spread Offense

SpreadOffense.com wants to give much deserved recognition to Central Michigan quarterback Dan LaFevour, who had a fantastic career for the Chippewas.

This dual threat QB out of the Mid-American Conference is the only player in NCAA history with over 12,000 passing yards and 2,500 rushing yards (he could break 3,000 yards rushing in the bowl game) and is currently third all time in total offensive yards. He also holds the FBS record for total touchdowns with 148.

If you haven't seen LaFevour play, you have one last chance Wednesday night (January 6, 2010) in the GMAC Bowl. The game is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM (ET) on ESPN. CMU will take on Troy, champions of the Sun Belt Conference.

Here's some video of LaFevour in a game versus Eastern Michigan this past season.




Keep spreading e'm!

--Mark

www.SpreadOffense.tv

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Thank You Tim Tebow - From SpreadOffense.com

When I think of the name Tim Tebow, the first thing I think of is 'genuine'. He's a bishop, teacher, world class athlete, humanitarian, role model, scholar, and just plain old good guy all wrapped into one skin. Not to mention, a dual threat quarterback who runs an amazing spread offense for a nationally prominent college football program over the last 4 years.

We all know the accomplishments, the stats, the records, the trophies, the good will missions, etc... over that span. Will we ever see that again, the 'whole package' like I explained above... I highly doubt it.

I guess we can consider ourselves blessed, to have witness it and been around for this special time of Tim Tebow at the University of Florida.

My hope is on Friday in the Sugar Bowl vs Cincinnati, we could see one last jump pass, one last stiff arm, one last bomb for a TD to Cooper, one last bulldozer-ing of a defender, one last inside shovel option pass to Hernandez, one last Gator chomp after a big run, one last explosive speech in the defensive huddle on the sideline, one last biblical eye black, and finally ... one last Gator win for #15.

Enjoy the video, a tribute to Tim Tebow:



Keep spreading e'm.. and Go Gators!

--Mark

www.SpreadOffense.com

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Most Influential Spread Offense Games Of The Last Decade

When you think of the spread offense over the last decade (2000-2009), there have been some specific games and moments that have helped solidify this offensive style as the most dynamic and exciting offense over the past 10 years. In addition, on the defensive side of the ball there have been a few important stops against spread offenses that have helped define the need for a new style of defense.

Lets take a look of some of these moments and games over the past decade:

1) Appalachian State University vs the University of Michigan -September 2007

The 2007 Appalachian State vs Michigan game was held on September 1, 2007 at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

It pitted the #5 ranked Michigan Wolverines against the two-time defending champions of the Division I FCS (1-AA), the Appalachian State Mountaineers.

In what was hailed as one of the biggest upsets in all of sports, the Mountaineers shocked the Wolverines 34–32. It was the first win by a team in Division I FCS team over a ranked team in Division I FBS (formerly Division I-A) since the NCAA split the divisions in 1978. The game has been referred to by one sports writer as the 'Miracle in Michigan'.

Appalachian State ran a potent spread offense, lead by sophomore quarterback Armanti Edwards. Many college football experts credited the spread offense system that ASU ran as the ultimate equalizer and the reason for the win.

The game made the front page of The New York Times, which called the game "one of the biggest upsets in college football history" and drew a comparison to David and Goliath.




2) University of Pittsburgh vs West Virginia University - November 2005, December 2007

November 2005 - The 98th version of the Backyard Brawl saw WVU dominate a much slower PITT team 45-13, as admitted by head coach Dave Wannstedt: "They're just faster then us out there, we need to get faster in order to compete".






Pat White rushed for a record 220 yards and two scores, while Steve Slaton rushed for 179 yards and two scores in the game for the potent WVU spread offense.


December 2007 - The 100th edition of the Backyard Brawl had national implications, with West Virginia ranked #2 in the BCS, all they needed was a win over there rival PITT to get into the BCS Championship game vs Ohio State. The Mountaineers were a 4 touchdown favorite in the game.

With the Mountaineers dominating the two previous match-ups in 2005 and 2006, Dave Wannstedt and his defensive staff engineered a great game plan, boxing in the high powered spread option offense of West Virginia, not allowing any big plays as in previous years.

After the 13-9 upset victory, Wannstedt reflected back on the comments he made after the 2005 game, "I guess we finally got faster".






3) University of Oregon vs University of Michigan - September 2007


This game was Michigan's worst defeat since 1968, a 39-7 loss in Ann Arbor. Dennis Dixon threw for 368 yards and a career high 4 touchdowns passes, he also rushed for 76 yards and one touchdown.

The Ducks led 31-7 at halftime, and faced little opposition in the second half. According to Oregon coach Mike Bellotti the game was a "good win because I think there were some questions about how Michigan was going to bounce back, and whether we would be competitive. I think our players took that to heart." This game caused Michigan to open the season with two home losses, both to spread offense teams featuring dual threat quarterbacks.




4) West Virginia University vs University of Georgia - Sugar Bowl, January 2006

The 2006 Sugar Bowl featured the Big East champions, the West Virginia Mountaineers and the SEC champions, the Georgia Bulldogs. The game is thought to have raised the Big East's profile in the wake of losing 3 members to the ACC, and being called by some in the media as 'The Big Least'.

The game was played in Atlanta as the Louisiana Superdome was still unfit to host a game in the months after Hurricane Katrina. Georgia was favored by 2 touchdowns, and had a home field advantage playing in Atlanta.

Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese proclaimed the win the most significant football victory in conference history because it gave credibility back to the revamped league.

True freshman Steve Slaton, now with the Houston Texans in the NFL rushed for 204 yards and three TDs in a 38-35 win for WVU.




5) University of Florida vs University of Oklahoma - BCS Championship, January 2009


Tim Tebow's two touchdown passes and Percy Harvin's two-yard run led the Florida Gators to their second BCS National Championship in three years. The Gators defeated the Oklahoma Sooners, 24-14, in front of a record crowd of 78,468 in Miami.

Urban Meyer became the first coach to win two BCS championship games, and one of only five coaches in NCAA history to win two titles in his first four years at a college.

Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford, two high profiled spread offense quarterbacks combined for four interceptions in the game despite throwing for just eight combined over the course of the regular season.





6) New England Patriots vs New York Giants - December, 2007


In their final regular season game, the 15-0 Patriots traveled to Giants Stadium, trying to win a record 16th game of the season. With the game scheduled to air on NFL Network, not available on some cable providers, the NFL arranged a three-way simulcast of the game with CBS and NBC, the first time an NFL game was broadcast on three networks, and the first national simulcast of any NFL game since Super Bowl I.

The high powered pro spread offense of New England lead by Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and Wes Welker won a hard fought 38-35 game. In this game, Randy Moss set the record for most touchdown receptions in a season with 23, and Tom Brady set one for touchdown passes with 50.

These teams met again in Super Bowl XLII a month later, with the Giants upsetting the Patriots 17-14.





7) Texas Tech University vs University of Texas - November 2008


Number 5 ranked Texas Tech led the Texas Longhorns for most of the game, and by as much as nineteen points at one point. Texas rallied to take a one-point lead with less than 2 minutes remaining in the game.

Graham Harrell's last pass of the game was to wide receiver Michael Crabtree who caught the ball near the right sideline and somehow broke away from two Longhorn defenders to scamper in for the winning score with second left to play. The extra point gave Texas Tech a 39–33 lead with one second remaining.




8) University of Texas vs University of Southern California - BCS Championship, January 2006


The University of Southern California (USC) entered the game with a 34 game winning streak, the longest active streak in Division I-A, having won the 2004 BCS National Championship.

Texas brought the second longest active winning streak into the game, having won 19 straight, and also entered as Rose Bowl defending champion, having defeated Michigan in the 2005 Rose Bowl. Their combined 53 game win streak was an NCAA record for teams playing each other.

Vince Young, possibly the most dynamic dual threat quarterback in NCAA history accounted for 467 total yards (passing and running) in the championship game, which is the best performance ever in a BCS Championship game.

Facing 4th and 5 from the 9 yard line on the games final drive, Young received the shotgun snap and found his receivers covered. He then scampered towards the right sideline and received a critical block from WR Justin Blalock as he won the footrace to the end zone. The score, Young's third rushing touchdown of the game, gave the Longhorns a one point lead with 19 seconds left in the game. Young successfully reached the end zone again on the following two point conversion, giving the Longhorns a 41–38 victory.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Looking Back At The Decade Of The Spread Offense - Coaches

It would be hard to argue that the spread offense hasn't been one of, if not the most influential aspect of American football over the last decade (2000-2009). From the beginning of the decade to the present, the concept and execution of spreading the football field in order to create mismatches in both the passing and running games has changed the game forever on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.


Lets take a look at the decade and some of the major coaching influences on the spread offense.

1) Rich Rodriguez -West Virginia (2001-2007), Michigan (2008-present)

In 2001, Rich Rodriguez was named head football coach of his Alma Mater, West Virginia University. In Rodriguez's first season, the Mountaineers went 3-8. The 2002 team registered the greatest turn around in Big East football history with a 9-4 record, with back-to-back road wins against ranked Virginia Tech and Pitt, and a Continental Tire Bowl berth. The Mountaineers finished second in the nation in rushing with 283 yards per game out of the spread offense that Rodriguez created at Glenville State College, and refined at Tulane and Clemson as offensive coordinator under Tommy Bowden.

Rodriguez was one of the most successful coaches in West Virginia University history. He lead the first consecutive Top 10 finishes in school history, four consecutive New Year's day bowl appearances, the school's first BCS bowl win over SEC champion Georgia in 2005, three Big East championships, eight wins over Top 25 teams, twenty six straight weeks in the Top 25, a 30-6 record from 2005-2007.

It could be argued that Rodriguez invented the 'zone read' concept out of the spread offense, which places a dual threat quarterback into a read situation out of the shot gun, with a split second decision required on whether he keeps the ball or hands it off at the mesh point with the tailback running a zone play, depending on what the backside defensive end on the line of scrimmage does on the play. This play alone has spread in popularity amongst hundreds (if not thousands) of college, high school, and junior football teams throughout the United States over the decade.

The triple option has since been added to the zone read, see Coach Rod explain it here back in 2007.

2) Urban Meyer - Utah (2003-2004), Florida (2005-present)

In his first year at Utah, Meyer was named the Mountain West Conference football Coach of the Year, posting a 10–2 record. He also earned honors as The Sporting News National Coach of the Year, the first University of Utah coach to do so. Meyer's success can be attributed to his spread offense system. At Utah, Meyer's base offense displayed three, four, or five wide receivers and showcased the quarterback in the shotgun formation. With the Utes, he introduced the concept of motion into the backfield from perimeter skill players and turned it into an spread option attack, adding elements of the traditional run oriented option offense.

In 2004, Meyer led the undefeated Utes to a Bowl Championship Series bid, something that had not been done by a team from a non-automatically qualifying BCS conference since the BCS' creation in 1998. He remained at Utah long enough to coach the team to a Fiesta Bowl win over Pittsburgh, capping off the Utes' first undefeated season (12–0) since 1930.

In 2005, Meyer was hired as the head football coach of the University of Florida. Immediately, people in the media and some football coaches claimed that the style of spread offense Meyer ran at Utah could never make it in the tough SEC, known for its great defensive speed.

Urban Meyer has compiled a record of 56-10 since 2005 at Florida, winning two national championships and two SEC championships in that period. The Sporting News has just awarded him college football coach of the decade.

3) Joe Tiller - Purdue University (2000-2008)

Joe Tiller was the head football coach at Purdue University from 1997 to 2008. During his tenure with Purdue, Tiller led the Boilermakers to ten bowl games in twelve years. Prior to Tiller's arrival in 1997, the Boilermakers had played in only five bowl games.

He was the first to use the spread offense in the Big Ten, a more pass oriented spread then run. Under Tiller and his spread offense, Purdue annually had one of the best offenses in the Big 10.

4) Mike Leach - Texas Tech (2000-present)

Under Mike Leach, Texas Tech has been known for its high-scoring, pass oriented spread offense. In a 2004 game vs TCU, the Red Raiders fell behind 21-0 late in the 2nd quarter, later to put on an offensive show and eventually win the game 70–35.

Texas Tech ended the 2008 regular season with 11 wins and 1 loss, the best in school history. The season also marked the first win over a #1 ranked team (Texas). The Red Raiders, along with Oklahoma and Texas, shared the Big 12 South division title. On December 2, 2008, the Associated Press named Mike Leach the Big 12 Coach of the Year.

Mike Leach is a disciple of Hal Mumme, known for developing the Air Raid offense.

5) Mike Martz - St Louis Rams (2000-2005)

Mike Martz became the head coach of the Saint Louis Rams on February 2, 2000 after Dick Vermeil retired immediately after winning Super Bowl XXXIV. He led the Rams to a 10–6 regular season record in 2000, but they lost in the 1st round to the New Orleans Saints 31–28.

The 'Greatest Show On Turf' went on to post a 14-2 record in 2001, before losing in Super Bowl XXXVI to the New England Patriots on a last second field goal.

Martz's spread offense relied on getting all five receivers into pass patterns that stretched the field vertically and horizontally, setting up defensive backs with route technique, and the quarterback throwing to a spot where the receiver could make the catch and turn up field for large 'run after catches' or RAC.

Pass protection was critical, because at least two of the five receivers would run a deep in, skinny post, comeback, speed out, or shallow cross pattern. Mike Martz credits the offensive system as being influenced by Sid Gillman and refined by former NFL coach Don Coryell of the San Diego Chargers.

6) Chip Kelly - University of Oregon (2007-present)

Chip Kelly's potent spread option offense attack was an instant success at the University of Oregon. In 2007, his first season with the Ducks as Offensive Coordinator, they led the Pac-10 in scoring (38.2 ppg) and total offense (468 ypg), and also amassed the most yards in the history of Oregon football.

In March 2009, Chip Kelly was named head coach of Oregon, his first head coaching job at the collegiate level. Kelly became the first Pac-10 football coach to win an outright conference championship in his first season, sending the University of Oregon to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1995.

On December 7th, 2009 Coach Kelly was named Pac-10 Coach Of The Year. He is the second Ducks coach to earn the honor, the other one being Rich Brooks , who won the award twice.

Chip Kelly's spread offense is a favorite here at SpreadOffense.com, check out some of the video clips of the Ducks at Spread Offense TV

7) Gus Malzahn - University of Arkansas (2006), University of Tulsa (2007-2008), Auburn University (2009 - present)

Gus Malzahn is known as one of the innovators of the wildcat offense, and has been described as one of the games most innovative offensive minds, not just in the college ranks, but in all of football.

Malzahn joined Houston Nutt's University of Arkansas staff after the 2005 season, as offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. Malzahn was part of the Razorbacks 2006 successful season in which they won the SEC Western Division championship, and installed the 'WildCat/WildHog' formation with the help of quarterbacks coach, David Lee.

In January, 2007, Malzahn received an offer from the University of Tulsa to be co-offensive coordinator (with Herb Hand, formally of West Virginia the other coordinator) and Assistant Head Coach. During the 2007 at Tulsa, Malzahn emerged as one of the premier offensive minds in college football, as Tulsa ranked first in the nation in total yards per game, ahead of Texas Tech and Hawaii, and with a more balanced spread offense attack.

The 2008 Tulsa Golden Hurricane offense was the nation's most balanced spread offense attack, ranking 5th in the nation in rushing and 9th in the nation in passing.

On December 28, 2008, Gus Malzahn was named offensive coordinator of Auburn University.

Gus Malzahn's spread offense is also a favorite here at SpreadOffense.com, check out some of the video clips of Malzahn's offenses in action at Spread Offense TV


8) Josh McDaniels - New England Patriots (2005-2008), Denver Broncos (2009-present)


Josh McDaniels will go down in spread offense lore as the offensive coordinator who lead the New England Patriots 2007 offensive squad to 67 touchdowns (50 passing and 17 rushing) and 589 total points.

The New England Patriots in 2007 became the first NFL team to pass more than half the time from the shotgun spread offense formation. That offense was perhaps the most dynamic single season group in NFL history.

9) David Lee - University of Arkansas (2003-2006), Miami Dolphins (2007-present)

David Lee was named “Innovator of the Year” in 2008 by the Sporting News for introducing the “Wildcat offense” to the National Football League.

Bill Parcells, the VP of Football Operations for the Miami Dolphins hired Lee to be the Dolphins quarterback coach for the 2008 season, where he still holds that position.

In college, Lee worked with Gus Malzahn in 2006 at Arkansas where they installed the 'WildCat or WildHog' formation, showcasing Darren McFadden in the single wing formation.

Currently with the Miami Dolphins, David Lee works closely with Offensive Coordinator Dan Henning and Tight Ends Coach George DeLeone to implement the Miami WildCat formation.

This formation features Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, and Pat White as the 'wildcat' or single wing back accepting the snap.

10) Greg Davis - University of Texas (2000-present)

Greg Davis is currently the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the University of Texas. In 2006, he was awarded the Broyles Award for the nation's top assistant coach for the 2005 season which included a national championship victory in the Rose Bowl over USC.

In that season, Vince Young established himself as one of the most dynamic dual threat quarterbacks in NCAA history, and Coach Davis implemented many zone read concepts into the Longhorn offense, using Young's dynamic running and passing ability out of the spread offense.

One of Davis's best known skill sets is his ability to coach the quarterback position. During his 11 years at Texas, Davis has developed Chris Simms, Major Applewhite, Vince Young, and Colt McCoy.

In the next two posts, we will look at some of the biggest players and individual plays in the last decade dominated by the spread offense.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Spread Offense vs West Coast Offense

I found this interesting video from the coaches over at the BigTen Network. Of course a lot of things need to come into play when developing an offensive philosophy as a coach, including personnel, assistant coaches, the league you play in, and others.

I always like to use Steve Young, the great QB from BYU in college and the 49ers in the NFL as an example of having a QB who can excel in both offenses. Now Young never played in the modern day spread offense that uses the dual threat QB on designed running plays, but there is no doubt he would have excelled, just as he did in the West Coast Offense.




Keep spreading u'm!

--Mark

www.SpreadOffense.com

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Ndamukong Suh Is The Kryptonite Of The Spread Offense

The Big 12 conference saw its offensive production and scoring numbers drop in 2009 compared to 2008. In 2008, Big 12 teams averaged 35.6 points per game across the conference.

In 2009, nine of the league’s 12 teams have seen their scoring averages fall, and eight of those have dipped by at least 4 points per game.

Now one area you have to look at is the quarterback position, Graham Harrell (Texas Tech) and Chase Daniel (Missouri) both graduated, and Sam Bradford (Oklahoma) has been out of commission since opening day with a shoulder injury.

The only returning quarterback out of the 'big 4' QB's from 2008 was Colt McCoy.

“Graham and Chase graduated and Sam got hurt,” McCoy said, outlining the star quarterbacks lost from last season’s record run of scoring.

“Every year is going to be different. It’s not normal to have a year like last year,” said McCoy, whose Longhorns rank second in the nation in scoring. “I think we had four or five guys we were talking about the Heisman every week, all in the Big 12. That’s rare in any conference.”

Well this year, two players will represent the Big 12 in New York City Saturday night at the Heisman trophy presentation, those being McCoy, and Ndamukong (his first name translates to: 'House Of Spears' - Nice!) Suh.

Suh, a defensive tackle out of Nebraska is a rare combination of size, strength, smarts, and speed on the defensive side of the ball.

Here's some of Suh's stats in 2009:

Total Tackles: 82
Solo Tackles for loss: 16
Sacks: 14
QB Hurries: 21

Big Suh is a 3 technique defensive tackle, and the stats above are just incredible from that interior defensive position. He is so versatile, that he can easily play the 1 or 5 technique positions also.

Here's a video on Suh, courtesy of ESPN



In last Saturday's Big12 championship game vs Texas, he sacked Colt McCoy 4 and a half times and tied a school record with seven tackles for loss.

In a year when defenses around the country made great strides in slowing down the spread offense, Big Suh gets our vote at www.SpreadOffense.com for the 2009 Heisman trophy.

Keep spreading u'm,

Mark

www.SpreadOffense.tv (video sharing platform)

Friday, November 27, 2009

Thanksgiving Weekend Tidbits - Spread Offense

Happy Thanksgiving to all our loyal readers out there, I hope this holiday season brings you much joy. Remember the 3 F's, Faith, Family, and Football!

1) Isn't it great to see Vince Young back starting at quarterback for the Titans and playing at such a high level in the NFL?! There was a play on Monday night that caused me to have a flash back of the the 2006 Rose bowl game. Brian Cushing (USC), now with the Houston Texans was chasing Vince Young (Texas) down the sideline on a scramble, and it was like 'Hey, I've seen that before!"

2) Tim Tebow plays his last game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, or “The Swamp" Saturday at 3:30pm vs Florida State. Urban Meyer has shown a lot of emotions this week in press conferences when Tebow's name has been mentioned.

To see videos of Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators over the years, Click Here

3) Nevada takes on Boise State Friday night for the WAC championship (10:00pm on ESPN2), immediately following the 'Backyard Brawl' with Pittsburgh traveling to West Virginia (7:00pm on ESPN2).

Nevada (8-3, 7-0 WAC) is the first team in NCAA history to have three 1,000-yard rushers in one season. The Wolf Pack lead the nation with an average of 373 yards rushing per game. No one else is within 60 yards of them. Nevada is known as the inventor of the 'pistol formation', a spread offense extension that has really become popular though all levels of football.

To see videos on the pistol formation run by various teams, Click Here

Have a great rivalry weekend folks!

Keep spreading u'm!

--Mark

www.SpreadOffense.com