Why the Flexbone would work for Mizzou
by RPT on Apr 1, 2010 8:30 AM CDT
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PrintNOTE: April Fools.
Time to begin the switching of gears to football season!
I come here to praise the fullback, not to bury him.
As I sat at Reliant Stadium in December and watched the Midshipmen run roughshod over Missouri, I pondered to myself: Why not us? So for the past several weeks, I've researched and considered the possibilities of installing a flexbone offense at Missouri.
Gary Pinkel, Dave Christensen and David Yost have done fantastic things for the Missouri offense since adopting the spread in the early 2000s. As a semi-early adopter, Missouri developed an identity and set itself ahead of the curve. Now? Missouri is merely a part of that curve. It's time for a change.
The Big 12 has become a pass-happy league, so defenses have become adept and accustomed to facing spread offenses. That mental advantage Missouri had a few seasons ago no longer exists now. Missouri can once again gain the mental advantage by spending the spring and fall installing this new system, a system that has been proven successful at Navy and Georgia Tech, perennial bowl teams.
But, you say, what about Mizzou's current talent? Observe:
What do we have here? We have our nimble and solidly built QB headed under center. Behind him, a north-south runner in Derrick Washington who, like Kyle Eckel or Jonathan Dwyer, always seems to fall forward (a GREAT trait in a flexbone fullback). In the slot wing, you have the speedy DeVion Moore, who would be fantastic speeding around corners. On the other side sits newly-numbered Kendial Lawrence, featuring many of the same traits as Moore. Throw in Jerrell Jackson as the weakside wideout, and you've got yourself a Flexbone monster. You know Gabbert has a cannon. Why not make the safeties come up to the line of scrimmage and let him bomb over top four or five times a game?
We're going back to the future, folks. The Big 12 was built on three yards and a cloud of dust. As the rest of the conference goes airborne, it's time for Missouri to be the innovators once again. The future of Missouri football: Three yards and a cloud of Field Turf.
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I know we've been pretty big spread proponents...
…and the spread obviously still has its merits…but I’m inclined to agree to this. It’s pretty clear that if Mizzou wants to stay ahead of the curve offensively, they’re going to need to continue to adapt. Based on the adaptations they’ve made in the past, it wouldn’t at all surprise me to see something like this come about.
Rock M Nation
I'm on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/billconnelly1
My X and O strategy knowledge
is not nearly as developed as many of you guys… so let me just throw this out there. Possibility? SPREADBONE!
"This team is just one unit that gels so good. We need everybody, but we don’t need nobody." --Mr. Coffee
"We don't just necessarily wanna go to the dance... we wanna DANCE."-- CMA
by Other Side of the Pillow on Apr 1, 2010 9:02 AM CDT up reply actions 2 recs
Ahem
Well, it appears that the spreadbone for college is already in development. (HT: Chris at Smart Football)
Because Paul Johnson (while a bit of a douche) is an offensive wizard.
Pigskin Punditry
"Put. That coffee. Down. Coffee is for closers." ~ Blake (Alec Baldwin), Glengarry Glen Ross
Well...
thanks for single-handedly derailing the OSOTP for OC campaign. I’ll return to my regularly scheduled mediocrity.
"This team is just one unit that gels so good. We need everybody, but we don’t need nobody." --Mr. Coffee
"We don't just necessarily wanna go to the dance... we wanna DANCE."-- CMA
by Other Side of the Pillow on Apr 1, 2010 10:59 AM CDT up reply actions
Spreadbone! i love it!
Seriously RPT has a point, and that is the Big XII defenses are built to defend the spread.
More emphasis on speed, less on size.
CB are now Safties
Safties are now linebackers
LB’s are now DE
DE are now DT
DT are now OL (to take up space in pass protection)
This is how the player model has shifted over the last 10 years or so. To easily shift into a Flexbone, or “Spreadbone” (I still love that) would put Mizzou at a direct size advantage, not to mention the X’s and O’s advantage due to the fact that Spread D’s run primarily out of the Cover 2/Cover 3 package.
I currently don’t see any reason TO switch, but if it happened, it could succeed.
but running the ball is sooooooooooo boring...
I don’t particularly like watching games where one team runs the flexbone because of how boring they can be, but if the flexbone will win Mizzou ballgames, then I’m all for it.
Great Oden's Raven I love Mike "The Predator" Dixon!
check out the link that D-sing posted above
you can’t tell me that is a boring offense.
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by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Apr 1, 2010 11:41 AM CDT up reply actions
Like any offense when it's clicking
it can’t be boring.
See if you can scrounge up GA Tech games from the last couple of years where they put points on the board. That offense is fascinating to watch.
It’s actually part of what made the bowl game this year hard for me. I hated us getting beat.
But I love watching that offense when it’s firing on all cylinders.
Pigskin Punditry
"Put. That coffee. Down. Coffee is for closers." ~ Blake (Alec Baldwin), Glengarry Glen Ross
Very true, though Navy was taking it to Mizzou
by the 3rd quarter I was done yelling at the TV about a missed block, or a high pass by the Tigers. I instead sat back, and marveled at what I was watching from the Navy offense.
It started me thinking, that even though football is ever evolving, it is in fact cyclical. Watching some old Michigan DVDs from the 1920s (my dads team), they ran “The Wild-whatever”, they did some pitches that you could liken to an option.
One play stood out. Two RBs, and a QB, lined up at a 45 degree angle facing the line.
X (a)
X (b)
X ©
B (the QB) got the snap, and headed towards the line, pitched the ball to C (RB1) while A (RB2) took one step backwards and towards the middle of the field. C then pitched the ball back towards the middle to A, and followed B (QB) into the hole (I believe it was in between the RG and RT) while A followed both through the hole.
B (QB) broke through the hole and locked the first LB, C picked up the ILB coming from the other side, and A (RB with the ball) made it to the secondary.
It happend so fast, that we watched that play probably 15 times. It was interesting. Though I doubt with the speed of Defenses now it would be applicable.
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by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Apr 1, 2010 12:07 PM CDT up reply actions
what you were watching
was a single wing offense execute the Buck Lateral
when done correctly, three different backs handle the ball
it is a thing of beauty when executed properly
the speed today wouldn’t necessarily stop it b/c the early plays that set up the Lateral are just your garden variety power, up the middle plays
then you have the fake dive where they go to the line and then pitch for a sweep
then you fake the dive, pitch foor the sweep, then lateral back like what you saw on that play
it is basic series football
thanks, that is cool
I had never seen that before…….my lack of football knowledge is showing. /hides in shame
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by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Apr 2, 2010 10:54 AM CDT up reply actions
I posted this over on Tigerboard
I can’t wait for the meltdown
by jschooltiger on Apr 1, 2010 9:23 AM CDT reply actions 2 recs
See...
…when I first read the title of the post, I was going to hammer you for even suggesting it. But you make totally salient points, and (like in basketball) Mizzou would be really hard to gameplan for.
"Don’t want to spend my night waiting in line unless it’s for more beer."
--EssBee, on LoneStarBall, Jan. 21, 2010
Is Gabbert built for the Bone?
He has a cannon, no doubt. And, when on two working legs, he has good speed. But does he have enough speed to make LB’s and safeties commit to him running a triple option?
In my awful and uninformed opinion, I feel that this is something more for our Franklin years.
Formerly known as Mizzou Grad
http://twitter.com/Ausgiano
That's what got me most excited.
Look at the QBs we’ve got in waiting, especially Franklin. It’s kind of like how we ran the spread with Brad Smith; he wasn’t BUILT for the spread, but we had to get it in for future generations. There could be some growing pains, but A) Gabbert’s good enough to handle any offense, and B) when Franklin is ready, the offense would be HUMMING.
"Don’t want to spend my night waiting in line unless it’s for more beer."
--EssBee, on LoneStarBall, Jan. 21, 2010
to belabor the point
Pinkel earn a lot of cred for fine tuning the spread into three minute drives of destruction. In earning that he alienated a fair amount of people. Though most of those have returned (sans the ‘WE NEED A FULLBACK RAWR’ folks), I think if we did this fairly massive shift in philosophy now may just re-alienate everyone.
Further, would we have the line to do this? It’s my understanding that our OL develops the quick pass-blocking through massive splits. And bulk. A properly run bone needs everything bunched in the middle to properly open up the wings (I think).
Again, I’m uninformed and counting cells. So my brain is not really working properly.
Formerly known as Mizzou Grad
http://twitter.com/Ausgiano
I think you're correct (but I don't know much of Xs and Os)
However, I think Gabbert would be a fine triple option threat. Not a speed threat, but a run you over, take on a LB and a CB type of threat.
Then, what Uribe posted below, put on the field the speed QBs and Gabbert at the same time, and pick a poison!
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by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Apr 1, 2010 11:44 AM CDT up reply actions
Remember that play you always talk about, RPT?
The Stephod McJohnson with TWO FREAKING QUARTERBACKS IN THE BACKFIELD? Mizzou should run that with Franklin and Gabbert. Confusion and exploded heads will ensue.
Chicago White Sox Examiner — IT'S A JEEP THING YOU WOULDN'T UNDERSTAND
I like this.
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by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Apr 1, 2010 11:35 AM CDT up reply actions
Mind; Blown!
I really like this shift however. Great points all around. I think we might have started to see this shift with the Hoch Light addition.
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by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Apr 1, 2010 11:35 AM CDT reply actions
DAMNIT RPT!!!!!
I figured the Rafters post was April Fools, I was guessing KC88 coming over was Foolsy, not sure about ghtds response. ( I actually thought that was a super Fools on Tepper)
However, this Flexbone post. Good call. You got me on this.
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by MarioVanPeebles Republic of China on Apr 1, 2010 1:05 PM CDT reply actions
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