Editor's note: It's all about synergy, folks! The good folks at Blue-Gray Sky, the best pure college football blog around, have been kind enough to help us understand the Urban Meyer offense. We're so passionate, you see, that like the Irish folk-hero Cuchlain we lose consciousness in the fury of watching a game, turn our knees backward, grow to three times our normal height, and scream in a blind rage for three hours until we come to in a puddle of tears, rum, and coke. The guys at BGS seem to avoid this problem by going to clinics to actually figure out what they're doing down there.
So they're trading us an intelligent, well-researched post for one where we compare Charlie Weis to Elvis--read it here, or risk missing the most amateur writing to ever appear on their site. Never say we didn't get more out of a deal than we put in...take it away, Mike...)
Anyone got the heavy-duty sun block?
Mike risked near-Floridian heat to bring you this article.
Our recent look at facets of the Charlie Weis offense prompted a few questions from readers about what couldve been under the fallen Golden Child himself, Urban Meyer. Our good buddy Orson, from the Gator blog EDSBS, was another inquisitor who wondered similarly. We at BGS, always the adventurous type, eventually raised enough funds to attend a recent Urban coaching clinic in hell. While the heat was insufferable, heres a brief capsule on what Gator fans can expect and what Irish fans wont see until the Golden Child replaces Charlie at least fifteen years and six national championships from now...
The Urban Meyer offense is not a gimmick.
Far too often I have seen and heard Irish fans describe Urbans offense as a gimmick destined to fail outside of the friendly confines of weaker conferences like the Mountain West and the MAC. I couldnt disagree more with that notion and, in fact, I think broader aspects of Urbans offense are actually somewhat similar to Charlies pro-style attack.
By using multiple formations and motion, you can run the same plays with different looks for the defense.
We want to avoid the bad play by using an audible.
The first is something that I have ascribed to a Charlie offense from the day he was hired, and the second is one of its often-overlooked aspects. Charlie and Urban both put the offense in the hands, and much more importantly, in the mind, of the quarterback. Both Brady Quinn and Chris Leak, respectively, will be asked to read defensive fronts and coverages more often than they did under their previous coaches, and going out on a limb, both will be asked to make more game-altering decisions at the line of scrimmage.
Chris Leak, seen here pulling his right ear off, will have more audibles to make this season.
One more similarity before we move on in our most recent piece on the art of the call, we touched upon Charlies penchant for calling the same play until a defense stopped it. (Hmm...very Evil Genius of them-ed.) Keep that in mind, and take a look at what Urban had to say about Utahs 2003 game against Cal.
Identify your playmakers and find ways to get the ball into their hands [Against Cal] we went two straight series with three-and-out results. We put one of our best wide receivers in the backfield and direct snapped the ball to him three plays in a row. We went right down the field. It changed the tempo of the game.
So far, the philosophies sound similar, but
Defending the option aint easy.
Now were getting to the heart of his offense, and where I think many perceive gimmick. Nonetheless, running the option out of the shotgun spread is not a bad idea.
During his off-seasons as an assistant at Notre Dame, numerous defensive coordinators all gave Urban the same advice: preparing for an option attack was consistently their most difficult game plan. Very few teams run the option, and as a result, teams are not used to defending it. Furthermore, practicing against the option takes up valuable time in a 20-hour/week NCAA mandated practice schedule.
Additionally, defensive coaches told Urban that they found the empty set one of the more difficult passing packages to defend. There are built-in advantages for a quarterback with empty sets; the defense is forced to expose its intent more often than not. The same essentially holds true for one back, multiple receiver formations.
When the offense is spread out, its more difficult for the defense to disguise blitzes. With a fullback and a tight end, there are two more defenders in the box who are capable of blitzing. In the Meyer offense, which will utilize empty sets more often, the quarterback can read the defense more easily. Additionally, when athletic slot receivers are put in motion toward the backfield, the opportunity to run the ball out of a traditional passing formation re-emerges. Weis would call it something like position flexibility, although the option isnt really in his bag of tricks. Meyer can run all sorts of double and triple option utilizing receivers, backs and in when he has the right talent fit, the quarterback, too.
Andre Caldwell running wild this year from multiple positions could make DCs very nervous, even if he's wearing the blue pants.
What makes the attack all the more dangerous is that he can do this out of historically passing formations, and with the quarterback in the shotgun, its easier to get a good pre-snap look at what the defense might be doing. Finally, one of the disadvantages of the predominantly passing formations is that, not only are they sometimes weak running the ball, but also, there is absolutely no threat of play action (see Texas Tech). Not the case with Urbans spread attack. He wants to run the ball when the numbers are to his advantage, and pass it when they arent.
If the defense has one safety in the middle of the field against a double slot set, we say that equates to an equal set and we run the ball.
If the defense has two high safeties in the middle of the field, that equates to a plus one in our counting
we run the football.
The last look, which we will see more and more until we get more speed at wide receivers, is no safety in the middle of the field
that is a minus one and we have to run a speed option or throw the ball.
The receivers at Florida will have plenty of speed, so one of the things that college football fans should watch is to see how Urban decides to attack the man coverage with a loaded box. Throw in a little creativity with reverses and play action passes and the Gators will be an exciting team to watch on Saturdays.
Game, set, mismatch.
Check out the following quote.
In the spread offense, we create mismatches with the defense. Our best receivers are our inside receivers in our sets. We run the ball at the defense, which requires the defense to play linebackers. When they play linebackers, we force them into coverages which are our mismatches for them.
Urban said it, but it sounds like Charlie, doesnt it? Both coaches want to exploit personnel mismatches whenever possible. Charlies sweet play-calling in Super Bowl XXXVIII was a perfect example; he went with the spread sets until the Eagles stud middle linebacker Jeremiah Trotters pass coverage weaknesses were exposed too often.
Likewise, Urban isnt afraid to go back to the well to re-run successful plays. He has often stated that his base running play is one that his teams will run 15-20 times during the course of a game. What are some of those plays? Check out Gatorsports fun Meyer playbook. There are about eight to ten plays, and it appears that the site will add more plays during the course of the season. The sites worth saving, and if an Irish site were smart, theyd come up with a similar feature
Ultimately, Urban wants to run the ball (his former OC and current Utah head coach Mike Sanford recently discussed at a coaching clinic how Meyers ideal run-pass ratio was 65%-35%), but hes going to play to the strengths of his personnel. At Utah, with a mobile, strong-armed quarterback but an average receiving corps, it meant running the option. At Florida, with a pure passer at quarterback and a deep stable of athletic, versatile receivers, expect Urban to attack aggressive, man-to-man defenses with his quarterbacks arm, not his legs. Survival of the fittest, and Urban will adapt. Heres my favorite quote:
If your quarterback does not fit your offense scheme, you are in the wrong scheme We adapted our offense to fit our quarterbacks talents Do not run a West Coast offense if you do not have West Coast quarterbacks.
Everyone remembers Josh Harris, the quarterback at Urbans Bowling Green squad in 2003. But who can tell me the Falcons quarterback in 2002? Exactly. Urban tweaked the offense then to take advantage of a quarterback who couldnt run the option, and hes publicly admitted hes doing the same now. Hes inheriting a Gators offense with a quarterback better suited for throwing the ball in Chris Leak. The bottom line is that Urbans offense this year will be a hybrid of his 2002 Bowling Green schemes and his 2004 Utah schemes. Hell take the best of both that fit his Florida personnel, and hell probably add a few tweaks. Thats been his m.o. from day one; although I havent seen much reported about his pass offense, from what I have read and what Ive been told, its a hodge-podge of pass plays and concepts from the spread offenses at Louisville (Scott Linehan/John L. Smith), Northwestern (Randy Walker) and Clemson (Rich Rodriguez).
Most importantly, Urban will have the talent at running back and receiver that he lacked at both his previous stops. Expect to see a lot more reverses and a lot more options using a back and a receiver; as far as Leak, I dont believe that hell be allowed get hit running the option all that often. The Gator offense will be enjoyable to watch, although SEC defensive coordinators wont share that sentiment.
After Leak joins Alex Smith as a high NFL draft pick, I would surmise that Urban will return to a more option-oriented offense with better running quarterbacks like Gavin Dickey, Josh Portis, Cornelius Ingram and Jevan Snead. The triple option will return in a big way, just when defenses will have begun to think theyve figured out the Leak-ized version. Of course, to most Irish fans, itll always be just a gimmick, at least until Urban returns to South Bend to take his dream job.
(Editor's note: That will happen when Charlie Weis wins the Olympic High Jump and poses in Playgirl in the same year. If you just lost your lunch, you're welcome. Great job, Mike. We enjoyed it immensely. For the best damn Notre Dame website on the planet, visit Blue-Gray Sky. )