The GT Spread Option Offense

[Boomergump]

I have read so many threads on this board, and others, over the years slamming the offense. It limits recruiting. Nobody wants to play in it. It stinks in third and long. It is boring. It negatively impacts your defense. Nobody wants to practice against cut blocks. We need more balance. We will never be able to pass when we need to. The list goes on and on.

I am here to tell everybody that there is no way in Hades that we win last nights game WITHOUT this offense. I shudder to think what would have happened to us if UM had more than 7 possessions in the game last night. The ability to chew clock and keep the guys in green on the sideline with a properly executed option attack was our ONLY CHANCE (barring a half dozen TOs) to win that game last night. If we try to sling it around, or go hurry up, we get orange crushed. They couldn't stay in rhythm and they felt enormous pressure every time they had the ball because they knew they wouldn't be getting it back for a while.

Some may be happier to see JT breaking loose on long runs or seeing great routes and catches by Smelter, but, in my eyes, that was a thing of beauty last night. We did what we had to do. There will be other, more explosive games in our future, but against the "sun showers" on Oct 4, 2014, we don't win without pedestrian reliable execution of the option ground game, PERIOD.

 

[DTGT]

This is why I want CPJ as Tech's coach. He gives us the ability to win against superior talent.

 

[ATL1]

I agree with that.
Hopefully in the near future we can close the talent gap more but maybe its me but I feel we have enough talent to play any style.

 

[Techster]

I like our offense. I especially like that when it's humming, it's a boa constrictor that can strangle the life out of the other team. Our offense can at times be our best defense. When we got up two scores with 11 minutes left, knowing that our drives lasted 5+ minutes each all night...I said it was ball game. No way Miami was going to operate fast enough on offense and stop us in time on defense to get the possessions it needs.

That being said, I don't like it when we make a referendum about our offense (or defense) over one game. We beat Miami under Gailey in 2006 by playing opportunistic defense and limiting Miami's possessions on offense as well. Gailey, as we all know did not run the spread option, but he was a proponent of running the ball to control the clock and opening up the passing game...similar philosophy to CPJ.

 

[Animal02]

I have read so many threads on this board, and others, over the years slamming the offense. It limits recruiting. Nobody wants to play in it. It stinks in third and long. It is boring. It negatively impacts your defense. Nobody wants to practice against cut blocks. We need more balance. We will never be able to pass when we need to. The list goes on and on.

I am here to tell everybody that there is no way in Hades that we win last nights game WITHOUT this offense. I shudder to think what would have happened to us if UM had more than 7 possessions in the game last night. The ability to chew clock and keep the guys in green on the sideline with a properly executed option attack was our ONLY CHANCE (barring a half dozen TOs) to win that game last night. If we try to sling it around, or go hurry up, we get orange crushed. They couldn't stay in rhythm and they felt enormous pressure every time they had the ball because they knew they wouldn't be getting it back for a while.

Some may be happier to see JT breaking loose on long runs or seeing great routes and catches by Smelter, but, in my eyes, that was a thing of beauty last night. We did what we had to do. There will be other, more explosive games in our future, but against the "sun showers" on Oct 4, 2014, we don't win without pedestrian reliable execution of the option ground game, PERIOD.

I love this offense.....UM picked its poison stopping JT last night.....so we got the dives, the sweeps, and a few key passes. As JT matures the passing will only get better.......he still lets the ball sail on occasion. The next two years are going to be fun to watch as well.

 

[Boomergump]

I agree with that.
Hopefully in the near future we can close the talent gap more but maybe its me but I feel we have enough talent to play any style.

Playing with any style and winning with any style are two different things. However, I agree with Techster too, in so much as this was a single game. The counter argument against mine might be cherry picking a game where we failed to come from behind.

 

[UgaBlows]

It was a perfect game plan on CPJ's part

 

[ATL1]

Playing with any style and winning with any style are two different things. However, I agree with Techster too, in so much as this was a single game. The counter argument against mine might be cherry picking a game where we failed to come from behind.

Against GA Southern didn't they eat the clock against us.

 

[DTGT]

I like our offense. I especially like that when it's humming, it's a boa constrictor that can strangle the life out of the other team. Our offense can at times be our best defense. When we got up two scores with 11 minutes left, knowing that our drives lasted 5+ minutes each all night...I said it was ball game. No way Miami was going to operate fast enough on offense and stop us in time on defense to get the possessions it needs.

That being said, I don't like it when we make a referendum about our offense (or defense) over one game. We beat Miami under Gailey in 2006 by playing opportunistic defense and limiting Miami's possessions on offense as well. Gailey, as we all know did not run the spread option, but he was a proponent of running the ball to control the clock and opening up the passing game...similar philosophy to CPJ.

The '06 game was where the wheels fell off for Miami and their epic collapse began. Don't mistake the data point for the trend.

My opinion on CPJ is not based on the game last night, it is based on his collection of work since 1997 at Ga Southern. The CPJ haters are the short-sighted ones calling for him to be fired after a bad game or a bad season. Let CPJ plot our course; he knows how to win in a playoff environment.

 

[stinger 1957]

Having a QB so, so, so important in this offense, you can get by with a game mgr in other offenses if you're good with defense, ST's, running game etc., just hope we can keep getting good QBs. Having said that, think CTR and his coaches are doing a masterful job of coaching this bunch of defensive players and CPJ and his ball control help them maintain some confidence on defense IMO. Recruiting appears to be getting better and hopefully that is the case as has been mentioned earlier in this thread, it badly needs to.

 

[Techster]

The '06 game was where the wheels fell off for Miami and their epic collapse began. Don't mistake the data point for the trend.

That's exactly my point on not making one game a referendum. I'm a fan of this offense, and I'm well aware of its capabilities...but I'm not going to say only this offense would have won the game last night. That's hard to prove, especially in light of the past ...hence my example. Who's to say last night's game isn't the game where the wheel's fall off the Al Golden regime?

FWIW, I also think this offense would be a nightmare in a playoff environment as opposed to the BCS setup where teams have a month plus to prepare for.

 

[Animal02]

Meanwhile, wrexie is still whining about CPJ in the AJC comments.....

 

[DTGT]

...but I'm not going to say only this offense would have won the game last night.

I don't think anyone made that claim. However, I do think that the odds of GT winning are higher with this offense than with nearly any other offense.

 

[Techster]

I don't think anyone made that claim. However, I do think that the odds of GT winning are higher with this offense than with nearly any other offense.

Friedgen's offense was pretty darn stout back in the day with Joe Hamilton and George Godsey. GT was winning at a pretty good clip at the time as well. Remember, our defense wasn't anything to brag about at that time either.

 

[OldJacketFan]

Meanwhile, wrexie is still whining about CPJ in the AJC comments.....

Oh yeah, it's having it's predictable meltdown!!!

 

[steebu]

I am here to tell everybody that there is no way in Hades that we win last nights game WITHOUT this offense. I shudder to think what would have happened to us if UM had more than 7 possessions in the game last night. The ability to chew clock and keep the guys in green on the sideline with a properly executed option attack was our ONLY CHANCE (barring a half dozen TOs) to win that game last night.

Wholeheartedly agree. If we were a factory and had the athletes to compete (our D-Line looked pretty bad and inexperienced out there at times) then we could run whatever - but we're not a factory with the recruits and we can't forget that.

I think the biggest stat of the game that won't show up on paper - Miami's 2nd possession of the 2nd half came with 10 minutes left ... in the 4th quarter!

 

[MWBATL]

(1) ANY offense looks much better when it is being well, executed.
(2) Justin Thomas appears to be the missing piece that has turned us into an excellent offensive machine form an execution standpoint. he is made for this offense.
(3) ANY offense can look dreadful if it is being poorly executed.
(4) See the prior three years for proof of the above
It ia just AMAZING how much smarter CPJ has gotten now that he has a good QB

 

[Yaller Jacket]

Very true, Boomer. They made a liar of me when I have said that we cannot depend on short gains all game long because there is too much chance of one little slip up killing the drive. But the blocking was good, we managed to not turn the ball over even once, and had very few penalties. It also helps that we have a pass game and a third and long is no longer hopeless.

I was amazed at Miami's team speed. If I were a fan, I would be terribly disappointed that with that talent they has lost three times already. At times we blocked a play well and we appeared to be headed for a big gain. Defenders would appear with blurring speed and stop the play for 5 yards. On offense, their receivers were hard to stop after a catch. And if anything was wrong with Duke, I would hate to see him healthy! ( I say that because some were saying he doesn't look as quick this year as before his injury)

 

[gtg936g]

I think we can go further and say we lose that game without JT. Their defense has a lot of talent and speed but they were afraid of JT. Their gameplan was to let the D line try to take the dive with Perryman batting cleanup. I think they tried to force us to walk the ball down the field without turning it over to beat them. You always hear people say that to stop the TO you first have to stop the dive. Last night we saw why that is the case.

Perryman is a heck of a player, we had a hard time getting him blocked. Overall we beat them by executing our O and not making mistakes.

I do not know if Duke J was 100% or not, but if I were Miami I would have given him a lot more carries.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Wholeheartedly agree. If we were a factory and had the athletes to compete (our D-Line looked pretty bad and inexperienced out there at times) then we could run whatever - but we're not a factory with the recruits and we can't forget that.

I think the biggest stat of the game that won't show up on paper - Miami's 2nd possession of the 2nd half came with 10 minutes left ... in the 4th quarter!

I was very worried about the defense going into this game being able to get pressure on a young QB to help him make mistakes. But then I got to see the offense put a ton of pressure on the young QB for the defense by simply giving him less possessions and less time. Especially when Miami knows its best player is Johnson and that they also want to lean on the run, hence the clock will keep running for them on O as well. Tech did a great job game planning and I was pleased to see them look like they remembered how to run the offense after a bye week, instead of looking rusty.