That’s not really true, though, at least in anything more than a superficial sense – sure, you have to install the plays for the Air Raid, but installing them is like installing any other set of passing plays. The Triple Option is unique in that if your timing is even slightly off on the dive or the pitch option, the play can easily result in a disaster. The Option offense also absolutely necessitates that the entire OL knows who the read men are on the play to ensure that they remain unblocked. With the kind of time investment necessary to make sure all of that gets done, you basically have to make the option a staple of your offense.
That’s not really true of the Air Raid. Any of the individual plays that make up the Air Raid is ultimately just a play. There’s nothing that makes the Rub Screen or the Fly Sweep more difficult to run or install than any of a number of West Coast concepts like the Drive or the Spot play. Other systems take stuff from the Air Raid and vice versa all the time in a way that can’t be done with the Triple Option.
I have to disagree with about everything you’ve said about the triple option. The reason the military academies use it is because they don’t have a lot of time to practice. So their coaches run an offense that doesn’t take a lot of time to master. Who the option man is varies slightly based on the defense being run, but it isn’t complicated.
My high school team ran the Houston Veer and in college we ran the wishbone. It wasn’t hard to implement and in fact we were relieved when, as a high school sophomore, the HC put in the Veer for the last game of the season. It was a relief because we understood it. Very intuitive the linemen said and I believe it because they rarely missed an assignment running the Veer. Same with the bone a few years later in college.
I don’t know much about the Air Raid offense but I know QBs and receivers have to practice timing patterns a lot. I remember Keenum and threading the needle on some plays and wondering just how much practice it took to get the timing down like that. As an RB, give me the triple O any day. An hour and a half of practice each afternoon and your good to go.
I just read a bunch of stuff on option after UH Navy game.
Navy runs Veer. So this is what they do.
QB identifies 3 players to each side and numbers them 1 2 and 3. They want run the fullback or B back in the B Gap If have there choice between OG and OT. The #1 is the first down lineman either in or outside the B Gap. The #2 is player next to #1 on his outside or stacked behind him within 5 yards LOS. #3 is next outside player. As T Moar mentioned, this is about identifying who they are going to block and who they are going to option.
QB looks at D alignment and determines if they have a blocking advantage to either side…if they do, runs play to that side. If D is in a neutral alignment, he will run to wide side if ball on hash. This makes sense as they would prefer to have defense defend a larger area.
Once it’s snapped, the QB has his reads…first #1…hand B back or keep…on to #2, keep or pitch.
They also don’t always block it the same. They switch it up. They man block and change to zone. They have their stand up end block different guy once you think you have figured it out etc.
Paul Johnson of GT uses an “If, Then” system. If D shows this, then I do that”. He has an answer for everything, but has be executed with blocking and QB decision making.
If player execution is the problem then that’s a coaching problem. That is the main thing coaches do. They coach players to execute the plays as designed. If we have a execution problem then we have a coaching problem.
The X’s and O’s are interesting, but our problems go deeper. We have not had a back that can make something out of nothing since Kenneth Farrow. Our roster appears to be filled with backs that are not particularly elusive or creative when the play breaks down. Add to it that they go down upon first contact, or can’t move a pile in short yardage situations, and your running game is not as effective as you want.
So what are players responsible for?
What you fail to account for are the variables that the player encounters in a game vs practice situation.
Practice the coach can stand next to you and point out who to block or who to cover. In game there is no voice in your ear. Can you take instruction onto playing field and execute…identify your assignment, physically execute the block , tackle, throw, catch. How can a coach in booth or on sideline assist you with that?
Practice plays are run vs scout team. Game plays are run full speed vs a real opponent not following a script. They blitz, they audible etc. Game opponent actually tries to beat you.
You get a different opponent each week. An Offensive center will likely “execute” better vs an FCS nosegaurd as opposed to Ed Oliver. Coach can’t help you beat Ed Oliver…only strength and ability can help you there.
And if the guy your playing isn’t performing well chances are he’s better than what ever alternative you have, or he wouldn’t have been playing in the first place. Can’t get a free agent.
So what are players responsible for? I mean the game is played by “football players”
The difference in UH having a 10-2 or 9-2 season this year from what actually happened is because of many things but especially 2.
First was that UH once again had a P5 Rookie HC in Training. His inexperience showed when he tried to place a square peg QB into a round hole R/O O. Sadly UH lost to a bad TTech team because they knew that the QB run option was not an option in the UH O. A good HC with years of experience would have switched QB’s after the second turnover since there was an experienced QB option sitting on the bench. But the P5 Rookie HC in training did not make any QB change until the game was seemingly out of reach.
This rookie coach then replaced the QB with one who was average at best and prone to turnovers like the first QB. Fortunately the backup brought back the QB run option to the UH O. Unfortunately the touchdown to interception rate was still very bad. This was made worse when the only true R/O OQ available was cleared to play. The rookie HC felt he was not ready/experienced enough to run the O so he used him as a WR/RB. Note these were injury prone positions so not playing at QB due to injury must be ruled out.
Finally the rookie HC was forced to replace the now injured backup starting QB with the now healthy R/O QB who was being used as a WR/RB. UH then got its first win against a ranked opponent this season. UH has since only lost one game since the last QB change.
The UH D has been good to very good this season when one considers how bad to awful the UH O has been because of the QB play. The UH D held most of their opponents below their scoring average with Navy and Arizona having their season low against the UH D.
Again, if the rookie HC had started using the true R/O QB when the doctors cleared him to play, I would have expected 1 or 2 more wins. I was at the Tulane game and it had the feel of the UCONN game in 2015.
Good news, UH has not raised ticket prices yet for next season.
The rookie P5 HC in training has completed his first season and now has a bowl game that allows him the opportunity to make up last years loss with a win against a MWC team. Also next year the HC will be a sophomore and not only has an experienced R/O QB returning but a RS R/O QB returning and possibly 2 more R/O QB’s signed this month in early signing period.
This was UH’s second would of, should of, could of season in a row. It was also like last season,missed opportunities due to the HC. Last year the HC was more focused on his next job, this season the HC was focused on his present job but lacked the experience to make those game changes that a good experience HC would have made.
At least next season is very promising. After all UH has one more year with Ed Oliver playing D.
Yeah he received valuable and profitable experience toward his future P5 HC job. Unfortunately UH fans paid more in ticket/required donation prices so they could suffer watching HC learn on the job. How many fans like me were asking why does the HC not let Postma have a series in the first half of the Texas Tech game? Or ask during the Tulsa game if King can play WR why not use him at QB after Postma made another turnover?
Hey, would you not enjoy a job that paid you a million or so dollars a year while you were learning to be a HC. Oh, and if you become a very good HC you will be offered a job at a P5 school for double or more your salary. If you fail at becoming a P5 HC you have still made 2-3 million dollars or more as a P5 HC in training. Great gig if you can get it.
King missed all of spring and last two weeks of summer camp. He hadn’t had the reps to step into the QB role when cleared. He did already know the WR/Slot positions having seen some action last year.
He has skill for sure but you have to have the practice.
The a better way to look at it, for me, is that the Coogs are only 3 plays away from being 10-1. Imagine what will happen next year when thus years issues are behind.
Manster I am beginning to think you are either a family member of a member of the coaching staff or just blindly loyal to UH football. I have been watching UH football since the 90’s. I have either watched, listened to or attended every game in that time period. I have seen some bad football. This years OC and offense is below average for sure. You can sit there and analyze the play and point out that player A missed this or player B made a mistake or player C ran up the wrong gap in the end it’s up to the coach to minimize the mistakes and to correct repeated issues. The offense has not done that on a consistent bases this year.
Definitely up to the coaches to correct mistakes. I posted at length in another thread how that worked in my day, the era of Woody Hayes, Bear Bryant, etc. I’ve been told that those techniques don’t work on everyone. True. Those on whom it didn’t work back in the day didn’t play. Bottom line: Preaching in the film room won’t correct execution errors. Grass drills until you puke will. Maybe our staff does that, if so, we have a different problem.
Coaches are responsible for putting the players in the best position possible to be successful. This includes adjusting the scheme to fit the personnel, calling plays strategically, teaching techniques and teaching the players how they should react to variations thrown at them by the opponent.
Players are responsible for executing the plays and techniques taught in practice and making the right in play adjustments, while giving maximum effort and resolve on each and every play.
That said, neither of these groups fully lived up to their responsibilities, and over the whole of the season, I doubt the level of success for either group was any better than the other. Team includes the players and the coaches. It’s is a 50/50 deal.
I responded to your comment above…I wasn’t defending any coach. I believe our OC certainly had some questionable calls this year. My issue is about many fans philosophies on what’s coaching and what’s player execution. You accused me of a few things but still didn’t answer the question. I have coached and played and have known many coaches. From that I have an opinion on what’s coaching and what’s not. We can disagree but I have issue with blanket statements.
According to your philosophy, coaches should play the game on computer…players have nothing to do with it.
It will be interesting to see if he changes his approach if we get better players at Linebacker and the Corners, but I felt D’Onofrio adjusted his playbook to the skill level of the players this past year. I don’t think we had the caliber of players at these two positions to play the more aggressive defense we were used to with Orlando.
Note: I was often saying sometimes his name is Onofrio because there is no “D”. But looking back it was those times he went soft and got beat. Hopefully he has learned to be digressive and force the quarterback to make a decision rather than giving him time.
Manster, congratulations. Now you’re officially a family member. Welcome to the Cougar family. Of course you realize this doesn’t qualify you to pull teeth. But should you have some relatives with tooth-pulling experience you are now qualified to discuss extractions!!
Meanwhile, there a “few” of us who appreciate your insights and analysis.
