Running Right vs Running Left

[Boomergump]

All these OL discussions, specifically relating to replacing Shaq, got me thinking. Generally speaking, our offense goes to the side that the numbers dictate, if the QB does his job right with the pre-snap reads. We often hear about how we don't know what direction the play will go or who will get the ball when the play is called. With that in mind, it confuses me a bit because I am of the considered opinion that we ran right more often last season than we ran left. I am too lazy to compile the actual stats, but if that is true, what gives? Either we called more plays to run behind Shaq, or defenses were just dumb enough to line up in such a way that our pre-snap reads took us right. I mean, if you were the opposing DC, wouldn't you want to line up in such a way that funnels us left, placing Shaq on the back side of plays more often? What do you guys think? Am I imagining this? If it is true that we called more plays right, then it kind of magnifies the significance of getting that vacancy filled with another dominant force.

 

[ilovetheoption]

My guess is that if the defense aligns "neutral" you go to the direction the play was called. I'm guessing that at this point, most defenses would rather play it straight up and try to rally and make a play than to pick a side and have the offense pop a big one. So, if the defense is neutral, you'll tend to call it behind your best blocker.

Just a theory.

 

[B Lifsey]

We counted Shaq twice

 

[LibertyTurns]

I'm no expert but at the Orange Bowl there was a period where I would have bet the house we wouldn't run to the left. It was either occasionally up the middle or more frequently to the right. Everyone in the damn stadium knew it, the broadcasters knew it, even my wife knew it. Worst of all the poor bastards on Miss St's defense knew it. They were begging for help from their buddies. I imagine it was like being in the gallows hoping the guillotine would malfunction because that was the only way you could survive.

The other game that comes to mind was the Mutt game where I swear I saw a defender actually run away from the play to our right because he was so tired of being hit by our offense. I'm surprised that dude didn't fake an injury instead of embarassing himself the way he did. It would have been more of a manly thing to do.

 

[JorgeJonas]

I've written this before, but it seems as though Johnson places his best offensive lineman at RG. Uzzi manned the position before Shaq, and it looks like he's trying to get Devine to take the position now. I don't know if it's because our QBs have all been right-handed, and thus the pitch would be more natural, but that's at least my guess. As someone else pointed out, though, that would run contrary to Johnson's comments about mass before grass.

 

[GlennW]

On the other hand, if I'm not mistaken, the 1st running play of the 2nd half of the Orange Bowl had Synjyn Days go to the LEFT side and he ended up tip-toeing down the sideline for a TD. Gotta keep'em honest, right?

 

[danny daniel]

My guess is that if the defense aligns "neutral" you go to the direction the play was called. I'm guessing that at this point, most defenses would rather play it straight up and try to rally and make a play than to pick a side and have the offense pop a big one. So, if the defense is neutral, you'll tend to call it behind your best blocker.

Just a theory.

I agree. Most offenses are not symmetrical. Ours is normally symmetrical. Some defenses line up unsymmetrical and some symmetrical (hash mark position has some impact). I suspect we more often run right against symmetrical defenses, hence the bias toward running right.

 

[danny daniel]

I agree. Most offenses are not symmetrical. Ours is normally symmetrical. Some defenses line up unsymmetrical and some symmetrical (hash mark position has some impact). I suspect we more often run right against symmetrical defenses, hence the bias toward running right.

Another theory: After you run right the ball is on or near the right hash mark. If the defense is covering the field with unsymmetrical defense we run right because of counting the numbers. If the defense is symmetrical our bias is to run right. "caution flags breed more caution flags".

 

[dressedcheeseside]

I wonder if having a right handed qb is part of the equation. Rolling and throwing to the right is a lot easier than to the left if you're right handed.

 

[takethepoints]

I think it's a matter of running to the wide side of the field if the numbers dictate it. The more space you have the better chance the options have to work. But, as was said above, this depends on what the D is giving us.

In the OB, MSU never truly adjusted to the unbalanced line/belly dive sequence we ran in the second half. We ran that unbalanced to both sides and also ran other plays off the same set. I don't think this was because of Shaq as much as it was how the play was set up. But it is a called play, after all, and with Shaq and Braun we could run it to either side with hardly a hi cup.

Sum total, such as it is, of my "insights". Glad Coach knows what he is doing; I often don't.

 

[Skeptic]

On the other hand, if I'm not mistaken, the 1st running play of the 2nd half of the Orange Bowl had Synjyn Days go to the LEFT side and he ended up tip-toeing down the sideline for a TD. Gotta keep'em honest, right?

I thought once, and really still do, that we are a right-handed passing team, but about the time I had that figured out, I remembered the end zone fade routes to the left against Georgia and Clemson. Seems to be anecdotally that we run right more than left and the hash marks make little difference. Where Johnson sees an opportunity, he runs. Interesting because I was always, always, taught to run wide side if running wide, otherwise the sideline is used to lock you in. The Miami lineman years ago got it right: a very clever offense.

 

[danny daniel]

In the hayday of the true wishbone the defensive "word" was to force (D numbers to the wide side) the option to the short side of the field. I believe CPJ prefers to outnumber the D and will often run option to the short side if the D gives it to him with less numbers. I personally prefer the rocket toss and bootleg to the wide side and let us use our speed. IMO Offenses today are faster than the wishbone era and its harder to use the sideline for defense.

In the 70s, 80s, and 90s I always used an unsymmetrical D so I could neutralize the wide side of the field. People who tried the short side would be challenging by best OLB and DE who would "flop" to the short side pre-snap. It worked good then, but I did not have to face the CPJ option and blocking schemes!

 

[Skeptic]

In the hayday of the true wishbone the defensive "word" was to force (D numbers to the wide side) the option to the short side of the field. I believe CPJ prefers to outnumber the D and will often run option to the short side if the D gives it to him with less numbers. I personally prefer the rocket toss and bootleg to the wide side and let us use our speed. IMO Offenses today are faster than the wishbone era and its harder to use the sideline for defense.

In the 70s, 80s, and 90s I always used an unsymmetrical D so I could neutralize the wide side of the field. People who tried the short side would be challenging by best OLB and DE who would "flop" to the short side pre-snap. It worked good then, but I did not have to face the CPJ option and blocking schemes!

It doesn't seem to me that we had nearly the success on the jet sweep, or rocket toss, as in the past, and particularly when Orwin Smith ran it. Doesn't compute because while he had speed, he didn't seem to have what a couple of the guys last season had. It'll be interesting to see which of the burners can team up with Snoddy to get to the corner and get squared up again before they get ragdolled to the ground. Not a lot of size in the crop. The whole thing makes me really look forward to the season and particularly the first game. It will be ragged I bet, but we'll get a look at some people.

 

[danny daniel]

It doesn't seem to me that we had nearly the success on the jet sweep, or rocket toss, as in the past, and particularly when Orwin Smith ran it. Doesn't compute because while he had speed, he didn't seem to have what a couple of the guys last season had. It'll be interesting to see which of the burners can team up with Snoddy to get to the corner and get squared up again before they get ragdolled to the ground. Not a lot of size in the crop. The whole thing makes me really look forward to the season and particularly the first game. It will be ragged I bet, but we'll get a look at some people.

Maybe teams have gotten so aware of the rocket toss that they are too quick to move outside leaving the BB dive more open, such as in the OB. Hopefully a little Allen and Skov concern will give the ABs more room outside. Can't wait to see.

 

[OldJacketFan]

It doesn't seem to me that we had nearly the success on the jet sweep, or rocket toss, as in the past, and particularly when Orwin Smith ran it. Doesn't compute because while he had speed, he didn't seem to have what a couple of the guys last season had. It'll be interesting to see which of the burners can team up with Snoddy to get to the corner and get squared up again before they get ragdolled to the ground. Not a lot of size in the crop. The whole thing makes me really look forward to the season and particularly the first game. It will be ragged I bet, but we'll get a look at some people.

With the freshmen Cottrell's 190-195 lbs, Marshall is 200 or so. Returners Willis is 195, Snoddy is 190, Lynch is 180. Most CBs are in the 180-190 range. Size wise it looks like a wash. as I've always said about blocking, it's in the want to as much as anything else.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

We ran more to the right (based on my alcohol muddied memory) because it worked. Again and again and again.

CPJ likes to keep doing something till the other team can stop it. Brilliant move since it's one thing to get fooled; another to know what's coming and not able to stop it. I'll never forget the football practices in which I was told that a play was going to come through me and it did; successfully.

I think running to the right worked since Shaq was there. The other team couldn't cheat enough to the right because they had been drilled to follow their assignments and rely on their team mates.

 

[Declinometer]

We ran more to the right (based on my alcohol muddied memory) because it worked. Again and again and again.

CPJ likes to keep doing something till the other team can stop it. Brilliant move since it's one thing to get fooled; another to know what's coming and not able to stop it. I'll never forget the football practices in which I was told that a play was going to come through me and it did; successfully.

I think running to the right worked since Shaq was there. The other team couldn't cheat enough to the right because they had been drilled to follow their assignments and rely on their team mates.[/NM

 

[bravejason]

I think defenses have gotten disproportionately better at defending the rocket toss than other aspects of the offense. From the stands, it always looks to me like the AB runs a different motion when the toss is on versus when an option play is on. The AB's orbit is wider than normal.

As for running left vs right, I think its more natural for a righrhanded QB to pivot right than left. So, all else equal a run right is preferred. As others have noted, it is difficult to stack the defense to the right as a counter because it allows the offense to gain a numbers advantage on the left. The QB can swap the play from right to left with audible at the LOS so setting the defense up unbalanced is just asking for trouble. You might try to get cute and show unbalanced and then roll to the opposite at the snap, but that leaves you vulnerable to counters and runs the risk that you can't get to the other side fast enough.

From what I've seen, CPJ has no problems calling plays to the boundary. The defense likes to use the sideline as an extra defender, so it can force the play to the sideline via pre-snap alignment. When the offense is set up on the hash, the unbalanced defense isn't as risky since there's less room to defend on the boundary side. I would not be surprised if plays to the boundary were more common than plays to the field simply because defenses are looking to restrict the offense's room.

I too am curious to see what impact Skov has as a former traditional fullback. The best case scenario is that he forces the defense to commit both a lineman and a linebacker to dive play. I don't expect that Skov has the speed or agility to be an open field threat (otherwise he would have a tailback). I do expect he'll pretty fast through the mesh and the line. I also expect he'll have some pile pushing capability. He might be a decent pass blocker too.

 

[slugboy]

I don't know of any tendencies--I haven't seen where we run left or right, inside or out, more one way than another. One exception--seemed like we'd run the ball repeatedly in the middle with the B-Back and pound away if they couldn't stop it--but I don't think that favored one side or another.

In passing, we seemed to favor one receiver, but rushing seemed to be pretty spread out.