Golden Spotlight: Chip Kelly And His Oregon Ducks Offense
by Avinash Kunnath on Nov 11, 2010 5:15 AM PST
in California Golden Bears Football
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(For more on Oregon's defense, go here)
For all the talk of Oregon's up-tempo pace wearing down defenses on gameday, the real benefit may be coming during the weekdays. Chris Brown of Smart Football tweets:
I think the likely biggest advantage Chip Kelly gets from his tempo and his practice tempo is just more reps, i.e. more practice than others
I have to agree with this sentiment. It's a pretty revolutionary tactic to take advantage of limited practice hours. People forget that unlike the NFL, NCAA football has very short practice sessions, and it exacerbates the problems that college coaches face in trying to get players to absorb playbooks and execute their offenses. With the way Kelly runs shop, there's more time to run more plays and get better execution from their personnel. The result has been a ferocious 55 points per game.
You'll see that while Oregon's offense lapsed at times last year as they struggled getting up to the speed Kelly demanded of his players; with so many returning starters and a year to adjust to this pace, there's been no let-up this season. Cal had to stop practice earlier than usual on Wednesday simulating Oregon's up-tempo pace purely due to the intensity of the pace. I don't know if it'll pay off this year (I'm guessing it won't; one week of this type of practice is barely enough and runs the risk of gassing our players out), but it'll be a good test run for next season.
It'll be something to think about adapting next year--not the Oregon offense itself, but a hurry-up pace to get more reps in for offense and defense (I'm sure as I speak already half the college football teams around the country are planning to do this to catch up.). Not the offense itself isn't a marvel to watch, but I'm sure if Oregon wasn't going this fast, they'd be much more containable. The next few years will bear out whether Kelly can sustain this level of success when everyone else begins adjusting to this type of scheme.
Statistics
Rushing offense: 307 rushing yards per game (4th), 6.33 rushing yards per carry (4th), 35 rushing touchdowns (T-1st), 47 tackles for loss allowed (42nd), 11 fumbles lost (107th).
Passing offense: 5 sacks allowed (tied for 7th), 260 passing yards per game (30th), 8.5 passing yards per attempt (tied for 20th), 63.8 completion rate (32nd), 23 passing touchdowns (tied for 9th), 6 interceptions (tied for 22nd), 158 passer rating (14th).
Total offense: 567 total yards per game (1st), 7.2 yards per play (tied for 5th), 27.9 first downs (1st), 54.7 points per game (1st), 65 touchdowns this season (1st), 48.78% on 3rd down conversions (19th), 87.76% red zone conversion rate (26th), 67.35% touchdown rate in the red zone (29th), 58.82% on 4th down conversions (40th), 179 plays of 10+ yards (4th), 60 plays of 20+ yards (tied for 3rd), 32 plays of 30+ yards (tied for 3rd), 20 plays of 40+ yards (tied for 1st).
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Personnel
Quarterback
Darron Thomas is a much more complete quarterback than Jeremiah Masoli. He might not sell the reads quite as well as Masoli did, but for a sophomore the guy has the offense down pat. Thomas isn't as quick a runner as Masoli, but he still gets his pretty quickly with defenses intent on limiting LaMichael James.
More importantly, Thomas is a much better passer than Masoli, and it's put so much pressure on defenses to figure out to handle both facets of the offense--if they focus on stopping the run, they risk Thomas throwing the ball down their throats. Thomas has an exceptionally good pump-fake to draw defenders inside only to have them beaten deep, something that killed Cal's defense last season. It was his main weapon in dispatching the Furd.
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But how much will Thomas run this week with Nate Costa out? David Piper from Addicted to Quack recognizes the inherent danger that a true freshman is now Oregon's backup for the remainder of the season.
We all remember 2007, when we were ACL'd out of a shot at a national title. Nate Costa was our insurance policy, and we had the comfort of knowing that should something happen to Darron Thomas, Nate would be able to come in and still play at a high level. Now, we have Bryan Bennett backing up DT. And while Bennett has by all accounts been impressive in practice this season, he's a true freshman that hasn't taken a snap in a game all season. You don't really want to have to throw him in a game in the middle of a national title chase.
Here's the terrifying stat for Oregon fans: Not since Kellen Clemens in 2004 has Oregon had the same quarterback start every game. Time to start knocking on that wood.
Running back
With the Cam Newton controversy swirling, not only is number one coming to town, but additionally your frontrunner for the silliest sports trophy in America. Although I honestly feel Thomas is just as valuable to the offense as LaMichael James, this year the spotlight is squarely on the second-year starting tailback's shoulders.
I remember thinking when LeGarrette Blount was suspended and the freshman James was installed in that this was a blessing in disguise. Blount was not well-suited for being the primary tailback at the pace Oregon runs at. James revels in it. He is the perfect match for Chip Kelly's offense, mixing speed and toughness, hitting the inside holes and getting the edge on the outside just as capably. He can break tacklers. He can stick away from everyone. He can spin away from contact without losing much of a step. He is the best running back in college football by a pretty sizeable margin.
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With James surging to the Heisman candidacy, his partner-in-crime Kenjon Barner has taken a backseat. Barner got severely concussed in Pullman, but seems to have recovered well enough that he'll be able to handle secondary duties. Barner occasionally bounces off of contact, but he's much more of a speed demon who likes running fast and away from defenders. Senior Remene Alston Jr. has been pluggable and does pretty well at the goal-line--all five of his touchdowns have come in the red zone.
However, neither of these tailbacks has proven to be as dynamic in Kelly's attack as James has been. He's been the legs that's kept Oregon's offense running at its electric rate.
Wide receivers/tight ends
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Jeff Maehl is the senior go-to receiver, as you can see by catches like the ones above. He's strong, capable, athletic, and adaptable. Without Maehl, it'd be much harder for Oregon's passing game to complement the run game as well as it currently does, because he really makes the big plays that help get Thomas grooving and confident in-game.
Maehl is starting to get help from junior Lavasier Tuinei, who's has two seven catch weeks against Washington and USC and added five more against the Furd. Both of them should be targeted early and often. True freshman Josh Huff is the big play threat (what is it with all the true frosh threats in the Pac-10? Allen, Woods, Huff...), getting five catches for 67 yards against the Furd and only one catch against USC...but for 57 yards. Tight end David Paulson has done his best to replicate Ed Dickson, but he simply isn't Ed Dickson. Thus the Ducks have again resorted to play-action and pump-fakes to get receivers open against coverage.
Ultimately though, the biggest contribution from the receiving corps has been in downfield blocking to seal the outside edges for James or Thomas on running plays. They have been pretty efficient there.
(It's funny, because despite the fast pace and number of plays the offense runs, Oregon has been unbelievably healthy this season on offense, with no major injuries other than Costa. Well, ok, funny for Oregon. It's exasperating for us.)
Offensive line
Not an athletically amazing unit, but these guys deserve plenty of credit for executing their schemes very well and making things easier for their skill players. It's a very experienced front, with all five starters from last season's unit back. Center Jordan Holmes anchors the unit, and they have two seniors with plenty of playing time under their belt at the tackle spot (Bo Thran on the left, C.E. Kaiser on the right) that have kept Thomas from experiencing any significant edge pressure.
Since Oregon doesn't huddle, Thomas must constantly communicate with his five offensive linemen in order to avoid a breakdown. The Ducks have had great success against most defensive fronts they've faced this season, something second-year offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich feels has been a complete group effort.
"The front has to know it, the tail back has to know it, hopefully the quarterback knows it," Helfrich said of the different protection schemes. "And then your receivers need to be dialed into that, too."
Thomas approaches the offensive line before every play, asking what his guys are noticing and signaling to them players he feels might be blitzing.
"All the down guys, and Darron, we're looking down field trying to see what the defense is doing," Oregon senior Jordan Holmes said. "Seeing if they're tipping blitzes and stuff. Sometimes we don't see it, sometimes we do. If we see it we'll tell Darron and he'll make the adjustments."
That give-and-take starts with the tackles on the outside, stationed in two-point stances with a better line of sight. They relay what's seen down the line where it eventually reaches Holmes before the ball is snapped - all of this in a matter of seconds.
Tomorrow, we'll go into scheme, Xs and Os, and discuss the various plays the Oregon offense runs. Time to get prepared for the video arcade.
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In 2008, Oregon rolled into town with an amazing running game anda poor passing game. We had those sick LBs and that, combined with the rain, helped us contain the Oregon running attack enough for a victory. Last year, we hoped for the same. However, Masoli, who had previously shown minimal passing ability that year, all of a sudden became Joe Montana. And we got crushed.
If we are to turn this team into the 2008 team, itll be tough. Thomas appears to be a good passer. A much better passer than Masoli was in 2008 (which you’ll remember they removed Masoli in the last 2 minutes of the games to put in Roper for desperation passes in the monsoon).
I think Thomas can be rattled. We just need to get pressure. The Cal D did a great job of getting pressure last week against WSU (although Tuel showed the ability to wiggle free at times). But that was WSU. This is Oregon. Could be much tougher.
The only real way to slow this O down is for the Cal O to have long, sustained, time killing drives a la Big Game 2009. We had those long 13 14 play drives that just ate up clock and kept an explosive Stanford offense off the field last year. We need (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) to do that this year to have any chance.
In our blowout losses like USC and OSU this year, our O went 3 and out 3 and out 3 and out and just kep the D on the field. I know we hav ea good D. But this is a great O. And if its Oregon O v. Cal D for 80% of the time, it doesnt matter how good our D is, they’ll get tired, worn down, and itll be a LONG day.
CGB's Jimmy Carter
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
I think Thomas can be rattled. We just need to get pressure.
I wouldn’t count on this, Oregon was down by 13 at TENN, down double digits to ASU on the road, down by 21 to the Tree, all those games ended up being blowouts. Oregon has been down by double digits in most of its contests this year and the one constant that I’ve seen has been Darren Thomas. I really fell in love with the kid during the TENN game, I was very impressed by his poise, especially in the pocket, throwing the ball. I watched as he took hit after hit and stood strong in the pocket and delivered the ball.
I’m very biased, being a life long duck fan, but i’d like to see and example of where DT was rattled in a game this year.
Quack Quack Bitches!
by Quack Addict on Nov 11, 2010 10:44 AM PST up reply actions
also, doesn’t Oregon’s QB get rid of the ball in .5 seconds on passing plays? They eliminate the pass rush and I love it.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
Actually no......Thomas actually holds onto the ball a little too long sometimes.
But he has this knack of throwing the ball a split second before he gets hit.
I think we were only down by 18 as our biggest deficit to Stanford.
But, yeah, I wouldn’t count on Darron getting rattled. I guess you could say he was “rattled” at the start of our game last week. He missed several throws by throwing over the receiver’s heads. But I don’t know if you are gonna see him have a meltdown due to the crowd or defensive pressure?
by NICKPAPAGEORGIOTHEDUCK on Nov 11, 2010 5:13 PM PST up reply actions
You can't rattle Darron Thomas
Against the Huskies last week, he took all kinds of cheap shots, from deliberate facemasks to being drilled after sliding for a first down to a forearm in the throat from Mason Foster while laying in the endzone after a touchdown run.
That was their game plan: Punish him for running.
Didn’t work.
Ok, clearly, when I said “rattled” it was interpreted in different ways by different people. Here is what I mean:
If Cal can get consistent pressure, they can force him to make bad decisions.
Easier said than done.
It does not relate to hurting him in a running play. It does not relate to him being down by many points and getting upset.
CGB's Jimmy Carter
www.CaliforniaGoldenBlogs.com
I disagree. I don’t think we can reach Thomas enough to rattle him; strength is his ability to slip by defenders and then either accurately throw the ball on the move or run for a first down. I honestly think a more Gregory-like defense is needed, although a happy medium between our two most recent defensive coordinators would be nice. IMHO, we need to contain him with a solid, disciplined zone defense while blitzing a LB or two, occasionally a CB, in an attempt to stop the run. Basically, our defensive line needs to continually beat their offensive line, a feat which I think is possible. Make him stay in the pocket and pass the ball. While Thomas is a good passer that can’t be taken lightly, he’s no Joe Montana. We’ll give up yards, but what’s important is we won’t give them the big plays and in effect slow down their offense and keep the points from rocketing into the 40’s by the 2nd quarter.
Pendergast being an NFL guy, I wouldn’t be surprised if he started using hybrid formations, not having down linemen or having just the DT with his hands down and continuously giving various looks that make it hard for Thomas to make his reads. If we go to our 3 DE looks like we did last week, this is also very plausible.
But I do agree that for any chance, we need our offensive line to play career games in order for Vereen to have an efficient running game that runs down the clock and rests our defense; more importantly, that keeps the Duck’s offense off the field.
Huge benefit of DT vs. Masoli.
Masoli would put his head down and run as soon as any pressure got close. DT will stand in the pocket and make his reads and throw in the direction the pressure is coming from (IOW where the open receiver is). It has resulted in, among other things, an 82-yard TD catch by James against WSU and a 25-yard pickup on 4th and 9 against UCLA. The WSU TD is hilarious because you can tell the safety was ordered to blitz and you can literally see his “oh SHIT!” moment when he starts towards Thomas and sees James slip right by.
by BigGreenWreckingMachine on Nov 11, 2010 2:30 PM PST up reply actions
David Paulson
I wouldn’t discredit him. Yes, he’s no Ed Dickson, but the guy is clutch. I’m too lazy to look it up, but I’ve seen somewhere that over 80% of his receptions have gone for first downs. He’s a very capable target and a nice safety blanket for Thomas. I would bet on a solid game from him this Saturday. It won’t be 11 recs for 148 yds and 3TD solid, but enough to do some damage.
DJ Davis is another guy you don’t want to leave out. He’s one of the edge blocking WRs that is very strong. He also has some good speed and has been known to be a deep threat in certain routes.
I’d look for a fair amount of bubble screens, especially if the Cal DBs give them space. I think this game will start out with Oregon establishing the Pass game to set up the Run game. The formations will be repetitive, but that is the beauty of the Chip Kelly offense. Lots of options out of the same set.
i can't believe you survived on this blog --
by axemen23 on Sep 2, 2010 9:06 PM PDT
They have a up and coming Tight End too?!?!?!?!?!
DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMEEEEEEEEDDDDDDDDD
"Remember the Maine! TO HELL WITH STANFORD!"
Yup. I predict a massive game for David Paulson (the Silent Sledge)
"If you can't copy 'em, don't imitate ''em."
YOGI BERRA
should we pull a Harby
and have defensive players fake injuries to slow down their O?
ASU.
That was a pathetic display. What a shock, being an Erickson-coached team.
by BigGreenWreckingMachine on Nov 11, 2010 12:47 PM PST up reply actions
I would if I were you guys. Bottom line: It works
The system is screwed in that area but you have to play within it in all other regards so I say lay on the field and flop around so the other guys can catch their breath.
by NICKPAPAGEORGIOTHEDUCK on Nov 11, 2010 5:17 PM PST up reply actions
Hopefully we don’t have 3-4 guys 10+ yards from the LoS this year, no OLB’s on WR’s, and star CB’s on #2 TE’s like last year. Absolutely terrible. If we avoid that this year it will already be a success.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
I’m so depressed; who’s frickin’ idea was this post????
Oh, I get it; now, if we keep it within 50 points we’ll feel good about ourselves. Thanks; I feel incrementally less like we’re Frodo taking the ring to Mt. Doom now. Whew!
I'd like to smell the Roses before I die.
Pretty solid write up except...
…calling the O Line “not exceptionally athletic” is wrong. They are extremely athletic. They are the best conditioned line in football. No question. They are the culmination of 3 years worth of conditioning and Kelly tempo practices.
USC tried to play catchup with two weeks to prepare, and their guys were totally gassed, while our O-line was fresh and firing off the ball.
Not to say that I’m not concerned because the Bears have had the Ducks number of the past several seasons, it seems. But this is a new team: Kelly, Thomas, James.
I expect Cal’s defense to be stout…for a while.
I expect Cal’s defense to be stout…for a while.
Thanks; we all take that as the compliment it was meant to be.
I will say this; if you beat us you DAMN well better win out and go the BCS Championship game. I’ll be rooting hard for you. If you lose the Civil War I will never have sympathy for your team again.
I'd like to smell the Roses before I die.
It was a compliment...
Cal’s defense is fast and talented….but as we saw against Nevada, they weren’t very disciplined. I expect them to be more disciplined now, but when they get tired, they will fade and their mistakes will cost them.
I just hope Tedford has enough class to not fake injuries.
That’s what I meant to say (which is to say I wasn’t trying to be sarcastic).
The Nevada defensive debaucle was, IMO, a coaching issue that should have been modified at half time, if not earlier (like the second time we chomped on the RB and the QB ran downfield…..). But you’re right about tiring out a defense with the impressively fast pace of your offense. Win or lose, the Bear will not quit.
As for Tedford’s class, I have great faith in his sportsmanship.
I'd like to smell the Roses before I die.
…apart from when he tried to ice Nevada’s kicker with 3 straight time outs. I have to say, I loved it.
I hope that next time he only uses two of the timeouts, so that the opposing kicker will be wondering as he kicks it the third time whether or not the TO will be called.
by atomsareenough on Nov 11, 2010 6:50 PM PST up reply actions
I have no idea if you or Avi is right, but conditioned does not equal athletic.
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
What they aren't is big
They aren’t the largest O-line in the conference and especially not in the nation, but they are athletic. They have to be to play in this system. They are asked to spread the DL out and move from side to side very quickly to open holes for James and Barner. And it’s actually they’re quickness combined with their strength that allows them to be so successful against bigger DL’s. Where they have trouble is traditional run blocking that requires overpowering a DL because they aren’t as big as traditional O-lines. And as flyduck said, they are very conditioned, which constitutes at least some level of athleticism.
"It's not about style. It's about winning the game. That's it." - Chip Kelly
by Duckfanatic10 on Nov 11, 2010 10:40 AM PST up reply actions
All I know is that I’ve had excellent conditioning at various points in my life . . . but I sure haven’t ever been athletic. Alas!
The #1 greatest threat to America: BEARS
What it seems like from my POV is that they’re all OT whose jobs are to contain the defensive line. Traditional OL in run blocking schemes run over the DL and open holes, but it seems Oregon’s goal is to hold them back, let DT/LMJ make their reads, and it’s a big gain. This would also explain why they’re all a bit smaller, faster, more athletic, etc.
Our O-Line is more quick and fast than big and strong.
Of course, this is in comparison to other O-Lines in the country. When I see them up close, they still look big and strong.
It’s spelled "S-H-U-F-E-L-T-A-L-I-T-T-L-E-T-I-G-H-T-A-T-T-H-E-H-E-E-L"
This.....Oregon O-line isn't going to blow you off the line for the entire game but they are exceptional at pulling
and blocking in space.
They gang up on people, 4 legs against 2 legs (they don't like to lose.)
When they move in concert with another lineman, it’s kinda like ‘Dancing with the Hogs’ and they are very athletic, even graceful, like a team of bouncers at the local watering hole.
"If you can't copy 'em, don't imitate ''em."
YOGI BERRA
I think conditioning is key
You can be athletic, but does it matter if you can only be athletic for 5 minutes? The Ducks O-line is good sized, but built for speed in order to operate in space.
They are both athletic and well conditioned, which is why they can grind down opponents.
Since Oregon doesn’t huddle, Thomas must constantly communicate with his five offensive linemen in order to avoid a breakdown.
Could be an opportunity for Coach P’s elaborate blitzing schemes to cause confusion in Oregon’s OL upfront?
http://twitter.com/solariseCGB
Kiffin tried zone blitzing and we simply let Maehl find holes in the secondary...
Leading to a huge game on his part. It’s “pick your poison” with this offense. I’m thinking your best bet is to hope your front seven is good enough and disciplined enough to stop James/Thomas in the run game. The fact that ya’ll are playing at home should keep this game close for quite a while.
"It’s great with these group of guys. There is no panic in them." --Chip Kelly, Clearly NOT talking about members of ATQ.
by M. Fletcher on Nov 11, 2010 10:37 AM PST up reply actions
5 sacks in 9 games.
If you blitz, the idea (as is common practice throughout football) is to throw the ball to where the extra man came from. It works pretty well. Remember, the entire point of the Oregon Spread is to get fast athletes open in space. Blitzing can actually work to our advantage.
by BigGreenWreckingMachine on Nov 11, 2010 12:40 PM PST up reply actions
Diciplined sound defense
each defender has to play their gap, their responsibility. Many teams are good at this, the point at which they fail is when they can no longer keep up, mental and physical fatigue is the defense’s undoing. It only takes one person on the defense to be out of position for a big play for the ducks. You have to tackle in space and trust your teammates.
It’s really not a different formula to stop the ducks, they just excel at spotting that one player that’s out of position, not ready, weaker than the rest of the defense. You have to play every play this way, the one play you take off, is the play that goes 76 yards for a TD.
Quack Quack Bitches!
by Quack Addict on Nov 11, 2010 1:10 PM PST up reply actions
I don’t think “gap assignment” is Cal Defense’s strong point.
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
No no no it is!!! We guard the areas where there is a “gap” in that there will not be any offensive players there at any time. But we guard them.
CGB: Quality is our Dignity; Service is our Lift.
by Spazzy Mcgee on Nov 11, 2010 10:49 PM PST up reply actions
Yes.
Revisit Washington in the first half. Discipline is key. A defense has to resist the temptation to over-pursue and they have to make tackles. What makes the offense explosive is that they can score from anywhere on the field, on any play. James hits holes so fast that he often is in the secondary before the play fully develops. One missed or half-hearted tackle can be the difference between a 3-yard gain or an 80-yard touchdown.
by BigGreenWreckingMachine on Nov 11, 2010 1:15 PM PST up reply actions
They also gave a lot of looks up front, where they would shoot the gap, stunt, exchange, and give a lot of different movements.
But that didn’t work for very long.
The keys are to be discipline, contain, play their assignments, not to miss the first tackle, and don’t over pursue. (USC was so worried about the speed of LMJ, they would rush to the outside, and LMJ would just cut up to the inside).
It’s spelled "S-H-U-F-E-L-T-A-L-I-T-T-L-E-T-I-G-H-T-A-T-T-H-E-H-E-E-L"
Well, it's all about discipline, right?
Not missing tackles, not over-pursuing, playing their assignments. Those all have to do with playing disciplined defense. But those things also have a tendency to break down as a defense tires, which is especially problematic against a team that generally isn’t breathing hard even in the 4th quarter.
by BigGreenWreckingMachine on Nov 12, 2010 1:34 PM PST up reply actions
Man I remember heckling Maehl in 2008
The student section (which was real loud for a game in the monsoon) kept heckling him with “Number 23 is a bitch!”. I swear it had an effect on him. I don’t think he made a single catch and he kept getting flustered and at one point mimicked something to us in anger.
I wish we can do that again.
In other words, Go Bears!
Since Maehl is white and a WR, does that mean he’s a ‘possession receiver?’
"We lose to Stanford in many sports, but if you want to make a Cal team quit, bring a weapon."
--Coach Clark
Heh.
I think he’s too tall to be the “little white guy” receiver in the Stokely mold.
by BigGreenWreckingMachine on Nov 11, 2010 12:41 PM PST up reply actions
I think he’s referring to the tendency of analysts/reporters to classify all white receivers as “possession receivers” or “making the most of their limited talents” even if that’s not the type of player they are at all.
Sorry if you knew what he was talking about.
Yeah, I think that Maehl learned a lot from that game. I wonder if that will ever happen again to him?
"If you can't copy 'em, don't imitate ''em."
YOGI BERRA
by Famous Duck on Nov 12, 2010 12:30 PM PST up reply actions
I contributed to this
It was so awesome…first time I’ve actually seen a Cal crowd rattle someone.
He was so pissed, got off his game and we won!
When was the year when Dixon through a pic on the first play? That was awesome as well.
by Another Failed Tedford QB on Nov 11, 2010 11:14 AM PST up reply actions
Pace/Tempo
“It’ll be something to think about adapting next year—not the Oregon offense itself, but a hurry-up pace to get more reps in for offense and defense (I’m sure as I speak already half the college football teams around the country are planning to do this to catch up.). Not the offense itself isn’t a marvel to watch, but I’m sure if Oregon wasn’t going this fast, they’d be much more containable. The next few years will bear out whether Kelly can sustain this level of success when everyone else begins adjusting to this type of scheme.”
I wouldn’t be so sure of this. Texas Tech ran a somewhat similar practice system under Mike Leach for 10 seasons that emphasized extensive reps and increased conditioning.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/04/magazine/04coach.html?_r=1&pagewanted=print
Did not exactly start a revolution in practice habits of other teams. What makes it such an effective practice system for the Ducks is that since their scheme is relatively simple they can trade increased reps for installation time.
What makes it effective for the Ducks
is that there is no “conditioning program”. Practice is conditioning. While the basic concepts of the system are relatively simple, there is a very complex layering effect to learn. But when you don’t waste time doing wind sprints, you can master the offense, level by level.
The idea of speed and endurance over power is interesting for an offensive line.
1. It reminds me a bit of the Paul Westhead Loyola Marymount basketball teams (Hank Gathers, Bo Kimble and the 1989-90 team averaged 122 per game). As a skinny runner, I loved it. But Westhead learned that the system only worked when his athletes were as good or better than the opposition. Nonetheless, the idea of using practice time to have the guys run intervals with resistance parachutes still has a lot of appeal. And of course, the game is fun to watch.
2. Part of what was interesting to hear is that since the plays develop so quickly, the linemen don’t have to beat their man; just get in the way for a second or two. This makes up for lack of mass and power.
3. The USC win for Oregon was very big – USC has the talent to blow up plays and exploit the lack of size on the line. Wasn’t enough.
4. I agree with the main article, seems like lots of pressure is best choice, even if it has its flaws, too. Let’s hope for more UCLA and less Nevada.
5. I reckon the experience of Oregon’s squad helps – executing at this speed may be tougher for newcomers.
Jason Hafemeister
You just nailed it.
People focus on the speed and don’t pay attention to the execution. Oregon RARELY makes mistakes on offense as far as execution. Very few missed handoffs, bad reads, false starts, illegal formations/procedures, etc. The speed and the resulting higher number of reps lead to a very high level of execution.
by BigGreenWreckingMachine on Nov 11, 2010 12:45 PM PST up reply actions
I would also be interested to know
How many holding calls have brought Duck plays back? Out of all the penalties in Football, holding is, to me, the biggest game changer. It can change a 1st down to a 3nd and 20 in the blink of an eye. I think there was a good point made by Jake88, the plays develop so quickly that there isn’t need to ‘hold on to’ your man for an extra second. Get in his way and then watch the play fly down field.
Quack Quack Bitches!
by Quack Addict on Nov 11, 2010 1:16 PM PST up reply actions
I would actually say you are not correct here.
Oregon has had quite a few penalites. Several holding calls or false starts and an extremely high number of fumbles with a few bad handoffs mixed in. In fact most of those stats are listed above. For example we are 107th out of ~120 teams in the country in fumbles lost. There is something else going on.
by NICKPAPAGEORGIOTHEDUCK on Nov 11, 2010 5:29 PM PST up reply actions
Some holding calls, a very few false starts.
And if you remove the fumbles lost by ST, it’s not all that many. Not only that, the fumbles we’ve had on offense have had less to do with executing the play and more to do with the dropsies (ahem LaMichael ahem). You can’t pick out a couple instances here and there and say a team is prone to that particular mistake. A few holding/formation/false start penalties at the start of the season are normal. I’m trying to remember that last false start called against us (outside of garbage time).
by BigGreenWreckingMachine on Nov 12, 2010 1:39 PM PST up reply actions
I encourage those of you who get to go to the game to get there early (at least 45 minutes) and watch the Ducks warm up. It's worthwhile.
One of my favorite ‘drills’ (reference to Paul Westhead’s team above) is the 3 man weave. I’ve never seen anything like it on the football field. I’ll be interested in knowing what you guys think about it.)
"If you can't copy 'em, don't imitate ''em."
YOGI BERRA
I’m sure the post-game thread will start off with our impressions of the warm-up weave….. : )
Or, how much we’ve been drinking to deal with the results of the day; one of the two.
I know there’s no such thing as all the fans of a team being classy, but Oregon fans are pretty good (WAY better than OSU fans…..). Thanks for keeping it that way.
I'd like to smell the Roses before I die.
Am I the only one who instantly thoght of this?
California
Quack Quack Bitches!
by Quack Addict on Nov 11, 2010 1:46 PM PST up reply actions
Play Classy, Bears!
Say it like Ron Burgandy signing off: "Stay Classy, Bears!"
by PlayClassyBears on Nov 11, 2010 7:29 PM PST up reply actions
That includes the fans. No Douchebaggery!
I was horrified to see that our fans were so rude to the Colorado folks. When did we get so many douchebags? When we started winning?
Say it like Ron Burgandy signing off: "Stay Classy, Bears!"
by PlayClassyBears on Nov 11, 2010 7:30 PM PST up reply actions
I love that word, ' Douchebaggery.' And, I hope that our visiting fans are classy becuz you guys "Mos def" are the class of the Conference.
"If you can't copy 'em, don't imitate ''em."
YOGI BERRA
by Famous Duck on Nov 12, 2010 12:34 PM PST up reply actions
Cal Fans are the classiest in the Pac-10.
I know you don’t want to hear this, but Furd fans are right there with you. I’ve always enjoyed road games in the Bay area.
"It’s great with these group of guys. There is no panic in them." --Chip Kelly, Clearly NOT talking about members of ATQ.
Tree Fan?
They went the “thug/Compton/questionable academic eligibility” route the SECOND that game was over. These folks and the crew over at CougCenter are top-notch though.
by BigGreenWreckingMachine on Nov 11, 2010 3:03 PM PST up reply actions
I knew a furd fan once.
"If you can't copy 'em, don't imitate ''em."
YOGI BERRA
by Famous Duck on Nov 12, 2010 12:35 PM PST up reply actions
Ha...I thought about that dig right after I posted. :)
"It’s great with these group of guys. There is no panic in them." --Chip Kelly, Clearly NOT talking about members of ATQ.
I have a brilliant plan
Cal D divides into two squads… 1q squad, 2q squad. 1q squad plays 3rd quarter, 2q plays fourth. Meaning each guy only has to play 1/2 game.
IT’S BRILLIANT!
In all seriousness, our biggest hope is that Oregon lays an egg. After crushing us 42-3 last year you’d have to think there might be a little bit of overconfidence in them. If we get a dominating home performance and Oregon is not executing on all cylinders, there’s a remote chance of an upset.
We need lots of TO’s and a 2009 @Stanfurd-esque running game to keep the explosive Oregon offense on the sideline as much as possible.
I would give us a puncher’s chance… but more likely we will be shooting to lose by less than 30 and failing.
Brilliant!
"If you can't copy 'em, don't imitate ''em."
YOGI BERRA
by Famous Duck on Nov 12, 2010 12:37 PM PST up reply actions
How deep is your guy's D-line and linebacking corps?
I really think that is the key to slowing down our offense.
by NICKPAPAGEORGIOTHEDUCK on Nov 11, 2010 5:31 PM PST reply actions
D-line is pretty deep
LBers are not. We have three good ones and only one is probably healthy. Who knows how we’ll play our defensive packages this week.
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Nov 11, 2010 6:02 PM PST up reply actions
Forecast calls for clear skies
Email: bearsnecessities@gmail.com
by Avinash Kunnath on Nov 12, 2010 1:14 PM PST up reply actions
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Golden Bears Football Schedule
| Fresno St. | Sat 09/03 | W 36 - 21 |
@
Colorado
|
Sat 09/10 | W 36 - 33 |
| Presbyterian | Sat 09/17 | W 63 - 12 |
|
@
Washington
|
Sat 09/24 | L 23 - 31 |
|
@
Oregon
|
Thu 10/06 | L 15 - 43 |
|
USC
|
Thu 10/13 | L 9 - 30 |
|
Utah
|
Sat 10/22 | W 34 - 10 |
|
@
UCLA
|
Sat 10/29 | L 14 - 31 |
|
Washington St.
|
Sat 11/05 | W 30 - 7 |
|
Oregon St.
|
Sat 11/12 | W 23 - 6 |
|
@
Stanford
|
Sat 11/19 | L 28 - 31 |
|
@
Arizona St.
|
Fri 11/25 | W 47 - 38 |
|
@
Texas
|
Wed 12/28 | L 10 - 21 |
