Utes will run a more West Coast Offense this season
by JazzyUte on Feb 8, 2011 5:57 PM MST
in Football
Email
Print
Kyle Whittingham, in an interview with Jan Jorgensen and Kyle Gunther, admits that Utah football will be moving more toward the West Coast Offense this season with Norm Chow taking over the offensive play calling duties.
The program had been invested in the spread option, in some instances, anyway, since the Urban Meyer days, but with Jordan Wynn being more a Pro-Style quarterback and Chow's roots in the West Coast Offense, this move really isn't a surprise.
Whittingham did discuss the potential of keeping some aspects of the spread, but admits it's about utilizing the quarterback's ability as best as possible and in this instance, the West Coast Offense probably is tailored more toward what Wynn is capable of doing than the offense Utah ran last season.
I'm actually not upset with this change. It's not like the Utes have been a true spread option team anyway, so this move isn't abrupt. They've been working in a more hybrid offense really since Andy Ludwig took over the offensive coordinator duties back in 2005 and, outside of a year or two, it's had mixed results.
I also think it's important to note that with Whittingham and Chow committing to a change in offense this spring and summer, it tells me they are confident Wynn will be ready to go in September.
But regardless of Wynn's condition, it'll be interesting to see how the changes impact the team this spring.
27 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Between the additions of Davis and Chow
it seems like both have extensive backgrounds in non-spread offenses/designs. A WCO is what they know, and what they’re most comfortable with.
Hopefully it’s effective.
I personally hate West Coast offenses
They tend to be dink and dunk 2 yard passes with a TON of stalled drives. See Nebraska. Hopefully however they go keep some deep threat and option in the offense and don’t go full out West Coast. I’m now officially sliding toward pessimism. It’s a habit what can I say.
that's like saying the spread is awesome
because Oregon and Auburn both used the spread to get to the BCS title game.
There are multiple variations on every offensive style, and nothing is foolproof, nor is anything guaranteed to fail.
Multiple variations of suck is still suck. West Coast was the spread of the 90’s, it was effective at first and then people learned how to stop it, now it’s largely abandoned. No it’s not guaranteed to fail, but neither is the veer, maybe we should drudge that up too. Or better yet, the single wing, then all the guys coaching 10 year olds can come to study our offense. IMHO if your not innovating you have to have the better athletes to win. Something that we definately DON’T have. At least not yet.
This is exactly what one of my concerns with hiring Chow was. Going back to old, less effective systems because it’s comfortable.
Sticking to the spread is definitely the answer.
There was a ton of innovation and success last season, especially in November. And running the spread has done wonders for UNLV and USU.
You need athletes for ANY offense to succeed. Care to compare how Malzahn’s spread looked in 2009 compared to 2010? How about Oregon’s spread in 2009 compared to 2010?
Offensive styles don’t score points or win games; teams do.
If you listened to the interviews earlier in the week they were talking about developing an offense.
Going to the west coast is not developing an offense. It’s taking a rusty one off the shelf. Sure, teams win games not systems and other such obvious and stale adages. But schemes DO allow you to maximize your ability to compete with bigger, faster athletes. If that wasn’t the case, everyone would run the same offense. That’s why teams (generally the smaller slower teams) are constantly coming up with new ways to attack defenses, to give you an advantage and allows slightly less athletic teams to minimize the difference. Our offense last year perfectly illustrates my point. It worked against teams that were not as athletic as us, but since we were fairly predictable and stale in our offense it bogged down when we met teams that we didn’t have that advantage over.
I’m not saying we should stick with the spread, just that the west coast is WORSE than the spread. We brought in a no doubt expensive coach that people around here keep thinking of as a ‘guru’ and ‘genious.’ And now his solution is to go to a predictable offense that ANYONE can defend, and do it in a more athletic conference? That’s just stupid. We still don’t have the players to compete with the athletes from USC and to say otherwise is sticking your head in the sand.
Now I know Wynn isn’t a mobile quarterback, but installing an offense for a guy with less than half of his eligibility left is very short sighted at best. Tailoring an offense that you already have toward a guys strengths is crucial, but Wynn is going to have exactly the same amount of experience in the west coast offense as Tyler Schreve has. Fine if you want an open QB competition, not so great for competing for a south division title in our first year. :(
Chow and Davis are WCO guys.
They’re going to maximize what Utah can do with a “stale” (heavy quotations) style of offense. They would be able to coach a spread offense, but not as effectively.
How many teams in BCS conferences run a spread offense? Oregon, Oklahoma, Indiana, Michigan (used to), Florida (used to), Texas(?), Auburn, Texas Tech(?), Baylor. Florida and Auburn benefited from once-in-a-lifetime Heisman-winning QB’s (along with uber-talented offensive lines), but struggled without them. Texas had Colt McCoy, and looked awful last year with Gilbert. Indiana and Michigan didn’t have defensive support, but both regressed as the season wore on.
Anything Utah can accomplish with the spread, they can accomplish with the WCO. Both require a strong, disciplined offensive line; a QB that makes good decisions; and receivers that can block and catch. The spread has been prevalent for almost 10 years; it’s not going to catch anyone off-guard.
Anything Utah can accomplish with the spread using Jordan Wynn, they might be able to accomplish eventually with the WCO, but it will likely take 3-4 years.
There fixed it for you.
I don’t care if Chow and Davis are WCO guys, WCO wasn’t effective in Chow’s last several tenures and they were all in the same position we are, they lacked as we do, the elite athletes needed to be sucessful with this type of offense. If you don’t do something schematically to even things out between our players and those of the better teams in our new conference there’s no way you can beat them.
The WCO could be effective somewhere like USC where you have an embaressement of talent and incredible depth. We’re not USC, we’re more like UCLA and I wouldn’t be suprised in the least to see our results end up similar to thiers. Again this is NOT a defense of the spread, (which I’ve said 3 times now please pay attention) but the WCO is worse than the spread. Here’s the bottom line, we need to innovate not go backwards.
We have to make a splash in our first few years in the Pac or our recruiting will suffer. This kind of change puts us back several years in our understanding of the offense and seriously jeopardizes our ability to compete out of the gate. Two or three losing seasons in the Pac turns us into an Iowa State of the Pac. Always an ok team, but never a serious title contender.
You should practice using Pac-12-specific comparisons.
In this case, you would be the ASU, Washington, or Cal of the Pac-12. Also, who the crap is Iowa State?
Dear Pit Crew,
If my ears aren't ringing, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG.
by Brass-billed on Feb 13, 2011 9:04 AM MST up reply actions
*slowly raises hand*
If it helps, I think Norm Chow kinda sucks. The Bruins haven’t exactly been at the top of their game in recent years.
And I’d agree with the notion that while teams win games, different schemes exist to best utilize the players you have. Oregon’s no-huddle, quick-snap, spread option certainly isn’t for the beef-eating gap-pluggers you’d find on a smash-mouth team like Wisconsin, but the speed and athleticism of our players allow it to work to great effect, getting blocks on the second level and spreading the other team all over the field.
I can’t remember the strategical specifics of the game at Autzen in ‘09, but I caught what little of the Vegas Bowl I could bear to watch. I’m sure you guys have rehashed this more than a few times, but watching the dropped passes in that game was like taking a punch to the gut. Both teams were so rusty out of the gate that it was the Utes for the taking!…but the ball kept falling to the turf. Don’t get me wrong, I expect the Utes to play everyone in the South Division tough, and should vye for the Pac-12 South title, but you’ll seriously need to step up your game, especially if you’re switching to a pass-heavy offense.
Also, while learning the specifics, looks like the WCO was introduced to college ball by….ouch….friends of yours?
Dear Pit Crew,
If my ears aren't ringing, YOU'RE DOING IT WRONG.
by Brass-billed on Feb 13, 2011 9:01 AM MST up reply actions
You realize of course don't you
That the Wildcat is the Single Wing,
and that the Triple Option is the Veer.
Granted both of those are evolutions thereof, but at it’s core, that’s all they are.
All innovation starts with something old. Who’s to say that what Utah does with the WCO isn’t an innovation of it.
And just for the record
I despise the Bill Walsh West Coast Offense. If that is what we end up with, forget I said anything.
There are 2 things I'm afraid of getting...
1. The Bill Walsh offense.
2. An amalgimation of so many different conflicting offensive strategies that instead of confusing a defense, it hampers itself.
As for your comments, sure the wildcat is the single wing, (sort of) but teams use it what 3-4 times a game? No one would dream of running it full time.
Looked at from the right way, you could say the triple option is the successor of the veer and that the spread is the successor of the triple option. At it’s core the 3 option is about forcing the offense to defend every player and the whole width of the field. Spread takes that idea one step forward and forces them to defend the length of the field in addition to every player and the width of the field. The principle they’re based on is sound because all it takes in one person missing thier assignment on D and a big play can happen. Only extremely disciplined defenses can stop it if it’s run right. (Which unquestioningly we haven’t been doing for some time now.)
The other problem, (you know asside from the WCO being completely ineffectual) is that Wynn is not going to be around for spring ball. How on earth is he going to get the reps required to master a new offense with just fall to work with? If we go full out west coast, we will regret it. My only hope is that them saying that they are going west coast they mean that they’re going incorporate some elements of it (oh please let it be few of them) in their basically spread offense.
I think our offense has been your #2 fear for six seasons now...
We haven’t had an established offense at all since Whittingham took over. I’m not exactly complaining, because we’ve seen great success, but I would love to settle into an offense that actually works, instead of trying this, that and the other.
In 2005, we ran a pure spread. Johnson was very versatile and there wasn’t a dramatic difference between that offense and what we saw in 2004 – just less impressive & explosive .
In 2006, we ran a hybrid for the first time. Not a surprise, since Ratliff wasn’t a spread quarterback. But this kind of proved that the offense would move away from that since Ludwig recruited Ratliff.
When running the spread in ’06, we mostly relied on Eric Weddle. The remainder of the offense was spread and under center.
In 2007, we phased in more aspects of the spread with Johnson. But even then, it wasn’t nearly as consistent as in 2005. Lots of power running and lining up under center, with less spread.
2008 was really the year we turned away from the spread. There were aspects of it, but most of the offense that year was a mixture of the spread option and the basic pro-style sets. In fact, in the Sugar Bowl, we ran what many could consider the 1980s Bill Walsh offense in a hurry up and it worked.
In 2009, there was more spread aspect in the offense because Cain was a running quarterback – but it wasn’t effective and when he was replaced by Wynn, that offense faded.
It’s faded in and out over the last six seasons. We haven’t set on one offensive style since Whittingham arrived and I think it’d do this program good to finally establish a consistent offense.
Not one that goes back and forth between pro-style and the spread option. It’s too inconsistent and it’s caused a lot of issues the last few years.
So I can’t really see any downside here because I can only think the offense will improve.
Great move
Wynn isn’t mobile enough to run the type of spread the Utes need on a regular basis. I think this is a fantastic move
I agree with Jazzy..
Utah hasn’t run a true spread option since Urban and Dan Mullen left for Florida. The hybrid approach worked with Johnson because of his speed, but doesn’t seem to fit now. The move to the WCO makes sense and I’m looking forward to seeing it action with Wynn/Chow. Although watching that ‘04 team execute that spread option with such precision was probably some of the most exciting football I’ve ever watched.
Just seems like an obvious move...
Given Chow and Davis coming on board and Wynn’s skill set.
"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates
Personally, my head was going to explode if Wynn ran one more "option"
Technically, it’s only an option play if there’s a chance that the guy with the ball might actually keep it instead of pitching it. Wynn never kept, even when the coverage indicated that he should. I’m not sure the coaches even wanted him to ever consider keeping. And based on his speed when scrambling (the lack thereof), maybe it was good that he wasn’t calling his own number in the option. But why call the play in the first place?
I keep accidentally eating my pets. Maybe I should get something less appetizing, like a cat instead of a Twinkie.
Sort-of-daily sort-of-funny sort-of-thoughts at danoftheday.com
wynn can't run at all. i was at the tcu game while he tried to scramble away from a three man front and still got tackled by two guys.
The University of Utah is off to the Pac-12 Conference and will be in the South Division. Hopefully we will get to the first ever Pac-12 Championship Game. Jon " Bones " Jones gets his chance for the UFC Light Heavyweight Title when he faces off against Shogun Rua.
by wolfmanshowlforever on Feb 10, 2011 4:57 PM MST up reply actions
i like the idea of running half and half. west coast offense some of the time and spread some of the time
The University of Utah is off to the Pac-12 Conference and will be in the South Division. Hopefully we will get to the first ever Pac-12 Championship Game. Jon " Bones " Jones gets his chance for the UFC Light Heavyweight Title when he faces off against Shogun Rua.
by wolfmanshowlforever on Feb 10, 2011 4:58 PM MST up reply actions
I think they'll get it all sorted out and be a surprising offensive power.
They had amazing moments last year without a true offensive mind directing the action and now they have someone who has a track record of building some offensive juggernauts. I foresee a lot of screens and shovel/Utah passes and plenty of running. In the end, something had to be changed and they’ve made those changes. Time will tell, but I’m optimistic. After all, the coaching staff knows better than I what is most likely to be the best fit.
I think its a great move
because (obviously from the name) I’m a Duck fan, and the WCO is easier to defend than the pistol or spread option. Bellotti, the Ducks former coach, ran the WCO (Ludwig was an assistant) and had good success with it until it began to get stale. Even though he was a WCO guy, Bellotti was smart enough to see the writing on the wall and brought in Gary Crowton to install a spread offense. Luckily for Duck fans (you know what I mean from watching BYU implode with Crowton in charge), Crowton moved on to LSU, where he single-handedly destroyed their offense, and the Ducks found Chip Kelly.
So from this Duck fans perspective, bring on those quick slants to the receiver, the slow developing sweeps, and multiple dump offs to the running backs. Welcome to the Pac from this former UT resident
^ exactly what I'm talking about.
the WCO is easier to defend than the pistol or spread option. Bellotti, the Ducks former coach, ran the WCO (Ludwig was an assistant) and had good success with it until it began to get stale.
If you want to incorporate some things from under center and some quick slants etc into the spread that’s one thing. Going full out WCO has fail written all over it.
I doubt we'll see a return of Walsh's offense (ie. full out WCO).
Those days are done. The Packers under Holmgren utilized the shotgun with the WCO. 5 and 7 step drops have replaced the original 3 steps to combat the increased defensive speed. Point is that things are always evolving. There are still benefits to the WCO. Example: one good way to beat fast defenses is to make them over-commit and attack ’em in the vacated middle. The WCO is good for that.
We all know that Whitt likes the running game too much to turn his team into a “pass first” outfit. Going off of Whitt’s comments last year, I think they’ll be seeking a very balanced attack with some “Air Coryell” and Walsh WCO tactics complementing the run game. He definitely learned a thing or two from watching TCU demolish his defense two years in a row. With his years coaching against Air Force, Whitt also understands the option game better than most and obviously respects it tremendously. I could see that becoming a larger part of the offense as well. I’m sure they’ll keep a version of the wildcat (ala “The Asiata Package”) in there as well once they find the right back for it. I could see all of that effectively replacing the spread because it would keep the defense guessing, and isn’t that really the whole point?
Also, don’t forget that Boise State, the Wunderkind of the NCAA, uses a version of the WCO. Yeah, I think Whitt learned a great deal from his losses last year.
by Smoke Bellew on Feb 10, 2011 8:49 AM MST up reply actions
Everything I have heard indicates there will not be large, wholesale changes
I have heard specific mentions of Utah generating more of a power run game by going under center more and having a play-action element to the game. I have also heard the coaches mention that they want to continue to stretch the field vertically. In the 1280 interview, Whittingham talks about a West Coast “flavor” and says Utah will be using “elements” of the WCO – doesn’t sound like a complete changeover to me.
And as Smoke Bellew mentioned, Whittingham is a firm believer in a balanced offense. What Utah really struggled to do at the end of the season was run the ball, and it sounds to me like they are trying to incorporate elements of the WCO that they believe will improve the run game. I don’t think Whitt’s team will ever be past-first.
Some more good listening on this subject are interviews 1320 KFAN did with Whittingham (here) and Chow (here).
I keep accidentally eating my pets. Maybe I should get something less appetizing, like a cat instead of a Twinkie.
Sort-of-daily sort-of-funny sort-of-thoughts at danoftheday.com
The truth is we need a change.
We don’t currently run a spread offense. We haven’t really ran a spread offense in 5 years.
However, the last two years, the offense has gotten less and less effective. Part of it was Wynn, part of it was the OL, and a large majority of it was the Offensive Coordinator and playcalling.
I don’t wan the Bill Walsh WCO that was dinking and dunking, and resulted in the creation of the equally terrible Tampa 2 defense.
However our offense has to change. And adding in a few elements of the West Coast offense could be exactly what is needed. Especially if the elements that are brought in are 1. More use of the TE’s, and 2. Passes out of the backfield.
Our TE’s last year were big in games. Especially on that streak down the middle of the field. We need to find excuses to get them more involved.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
- Urban Meyer
"Wow. Wow. Wow."
- Daryl Johnston after Utah took a 21-0 lead on Alabama in the 2009 Sugar Bowl
Related FanPosts on Block U
Related FanShots on Block U
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
