Offensive Balance

[Hawgzinbowlz]

CBBs offensive balance rule of thumb is 200YP + 200 YR. That is a standard that has proven successful over time with CBB but we need to have the offensive balance capability to pass when the box is overloaded and do it so effectively that the box is forced to be unloaded. The SEC defenses are too good to blindly run, run and run some more without an effective/efficient passing game that retains TOP and scores TDs. CJC never quite got that done. Hoping for a Robb Smith moment on offense.
I'm optimistic that CDE brings efficient/effective play sequencing, that fits the down situation.
Our '13 game with Auburn, our first drive and we are on Aubbie's 16 yard line with a 3rd and 4. CJC calls a fade in the left corner of their end zone, from an injured QB. The ball was not catchable in the field of play. Hocker gave us 3, and against Malzahn, 3 won't work. After this play CJC never convinced me he could take us to Atlanta. Average OC, which won't cut it for what CBB is assembling here, and I was open to be convinced that CJC could get it done. I'm hoping that CDE has multiple plays that are higher percentage and will get us 4+ yards to keep the chains moving, and that he calls one of those plays in a similar situation.
Maybe CBB has pulled another rabbit out of the hat.

" GO HOGS "

Post Script : Glad that CBB is a run first/physical coach and what that projects about the toughness of our program.

[jkstock04]

No, it's NOT a circular argument.  If players are being developed, they get drafted.  If players get drafted, more talented players come.

It's basic [CENSORED] logic.

What do you bring to this board other than belittling and cussing people out? It's quite remarkable you are allowed to continue posting here.

[Pork Twain]

What do you bring to this board other than belittling and cussing people out? It's quite remarkable you are allowed to continue posting here.

These darned kids these days.

[bigbadhog]

Muskee, you are hitting all around the problem last year but just missing it. You're right we didn't need to throw against TT, so we didn't. What we did was to try to run a couple of dumb trick plays. The simple truth is, and you know this, that to get better throwing the ball you have to throw the ball!

There is no substitute for live game experience. Game repetitions, building confidence and learning how other defenses react to the play are all necessary to building a good passing game. So no, I don't believe that you just keep running the ball because they cannot stop you. You work on your overall offense because someday you just might need it!

We rushed for 461 yards at TT and for 95 against LSU, so it would appear that we averaged 278 yds/gm, which is a fantastic rushing average. Without some semblance of a passing game, and the fact that LSU was totally inept on offense, we would have been in trouble in the LSU game.

The Wishbone is dead, I know GT, because DC's finally figured out that if they play assignment defense it can be stopped. (I think had MSU not lost their DC that game may have turned out a bit differently) Without the ability to throw the football any run game can be stopped, the threat of the pass forces the defense to play just a bit differently.

A good OC will watch film, find the blitz tendencies and set-up pass plays to take advantage of the vacated space. He will design routes to the RB to slow down those ultra-aggressive DE's flying in off the corner. He will move his best receiver around in an effort to gain a miss-match. The best OC's will scout their own tendencies and run different plays from formations that we tend to run a lot.

My hope is that Enos will come in and fine tune our offense to take advantage of our rushing strength to build a passing game that can compliment our run game and maybe even make it better. Watch what JWill and Collins do when the LB's and Safeties have ot back-up just 2 yards!

Well said, but most here will continue to claim we pass effectively enough.  The truth is we don't and probably won't under BB...

[bigbadhog]

So he is a run first coach?  Big deal.  Jimmy Johnson, Pete Carroll, Nick Saban, Jim Harbaugh, and a host of others are/were run first coaches.  All had/have a ton more success than your boy.  They believe in running to control the game, passing efficiently and great defense.....same as Bielema.

I wouldn't call Jimmy's Miami teams run first.  Example LR 1987 51-7 (38-0) at the half and Michael Irvin dancing in the end zone at will.  Even mentioning BB's name with the others you listed is a huge stretch.  Pete Carroll at USC was truly balanced.  We will never have more than an "efficient" passing game with BB and we are not even there yet.  Ranking over 100 in the NCAA is passing is not balanced as much as you want to say that it is...

[bigbadhog]

Sure, but don't act like Bobby Petrino wasn't more committed to the pass than the run. In his 4 seasons here, there was 1/2 of a season when the running game and the passing game were clicking on all cylinders.

Against Bama in 2010 Arkansas had 64 rushing yards and 357 passing yards.
Don't tell me that's balance.
Against Bama in 2011 Arkansas had 17 rushing yards on 19 attempts and 209 passing yards. Don't tell me that's balance.
Against LSU in 2011 Arkansas had 47 rushing yards on 28 attempts and 207 passing yards. Don't tell me that's balance.
Hell, against Texas A&M in 2011 Arkansas had 71 yards rushing and 510 yards passing. Is that balance?

Of course it's not balance. They had to throw for 500 yards because they gave up 35 points in the first half.

Against Auburn this year, Arkansas had 175 yards passing and 153 yards rushing.
Against Texas A&M, Arkansas had 200 yards passing and 285 yards rushing.
Against Bama, Arkansas had 250 yards passing and 89 yards rushing.
Against Georgia, Arkansas had 299 yards passing and 126 yards rushing.
Against Miss State, Arkansas had 238 yards passing and 163 yards rushing.
Against LSU, Arkansas had 169 yards passing and 95 yards rushing.
Against Ole Miss, Arkansas had 152 yards passing and 159 yards rushing.
Against Mizzou, Arkansas had 133 yards passing and 155 yards rushing.

That was a balanced offense in every plain meaning of the word except for your BS definition.

The thing is, offense isn't as important anymore. Offense was everything under BP because the defense sucked. Now our defense is the focal point of the team. You'll notice that our SEC wins were also the games where the offense had the least yards.

This is real football, not video game football. Defense matters. Defense wins championships.

I have nothing against a good defense and certainly agree that it is important in winning.  Also important is being able to pass the ball and not handicapped when the defense stops the run (See 1984-2007).  Loved watching Florida's Fun & Gun offense paired with a great defense.  Let to 6 or 7 SEC championships in the 1990's.  In 2010 (under that passing coach) KD led SEC running backs in rushing.  Don't hold your breath on BB ever having the QB with the most passing yards in the SEC.  He is not that flexible with his offense...

[Pork Twain]

I wouldn't call Jimmy's Miami teams run first.  Example LR 1987 51-7 (38-0) at the half and Michael Irvin dancing in the end zone at will.  Even mentioning BB's name with the others you listed is a huge stretch.  Pete Carroll at USC was truly balanced.  We will never have more than an "efficient" passing game with BB and we are not even there yet.  Ranking over 100 in the NCAA is passing is not balanced as much as you want to say that it is...

2014 Arkansas
Passing 5278
359 for 2444 (39%/46%)
Rushing
557 for 2834 (61%/54%)

1987 Miami
Passing
335 for 2556 (44%/58%)
Rushing
426 for 1863 (56%/42%)

So they ran it 56% of the time, but it only accounted for 42% of their yardage.  We passed for 112 less yards than that team but ran for 971 more yards.

Needless to say most on here would have been calling for his head with those numbers.

/sarcasm

http://www.totalfootballstats.com/Team_College.asp?id=98&Season=1987

Why are you so set on painting this in a negative light?

[Chief Mac]

I have nothing against a good defense and certainly agree that it is important in winning.  Also important is being able to pass the ball and not handicapped when the defense stops the run (See 1984-2007).  Loved watching Florida's Fun & Gun offense paired with a great defense.  Let to 6 or 7 SEC championships in the 1990's.  In 2010 (under that passing coach) KD led SEC running backs in rushing.  Don't hold your breath on BB ever having the QB with the most passing yards in the SEC.  He is not that flexible with his offense...

Point of fact, Florida's defenses were not great until the year they won the national championship.  Before then, the fun and gun was terrorizing the SEC but getting beat down by teams like Nebraska in bowl games

[Chief Mac]

I wouldn't call Jimmy's Miami teams run first.  Example LR 1987 51-7 (38-0) at the half and Michael Irvin dancing in the end zone at will.  Even mentioning BB's name with the others you listed is a huge stretch.  Pete Carroll at USC was truly balanced.  We will never have more than an "efficient" passing game with BB and we are not even there yet.  Ranking over 100 in the NCAA is passing is not balanced as much as you want to say that it is...

Despite what you THINK, all those coaches share the same philosophy that Bielema does. Deny it all you want, but your opinion is simply not rooted in reality

[Jek Tono Porkins]

I have nothing against a good defense and certainly agree that it is important in winning.  Also important is being able to pass the ball and not handicapped when the defense stops the run (See 1984-2007).  Loved watching Florida's Fun & Gun offense paired with a great defense.  Let to 6 or 7 SEC championships in the 1990's.  In 2010 (under that passing coach) KD led SEC running backs in rushing.  Don't hold your breath on BB ever having the QB with the most passing yards in the SEC.  He is not that flexible with his offense...

Nice try. Knile Davis may have been the leading rusher in the SEC, but Arkansas was #9 in the SEC in rushing yards that year. We were first in passing though.

Under BB it is not at all implausible that in his best year of offensive production, we have the #1 rushing offense in the SEC and at least the #9 passing offense.

[PonderinHog]

Nice try. Knile Davis may have been the leading rusher in the SEC, but Arkansas was #9 in the SEC in rushing yards that year. We were first in passing though.

Under BB it is not at all implausible that in his best year of offensive production, we have the #1 rushing offense in the SEC and at least the #9 passing offense.

Cam Newton was actually first in rushing in 2010, IIRC.

[bigbadhog]

Cam Newton was actually first in rushing in 2010, IIRC.

My post read KD led SEC "Running Backs" in rushing...

[870hogfan]

My post read KD led SEC "Running Backs" in rushing...

You're like a broken record aren't you?

[Pork Twain]

He is very good at ignoring facts that dispute his opinion.

[Jek Tono Porkins]

My post read KD led SEC "Running Backs" in rushing...

Technically you were correct, but it didn't prove the point you were trying to make.

[Pork Twain]

Technically you were correct, but it didn't prove the point you were trying to make.

Unless his point was that our rushing attack amounted to one player and that was good enough for 9th place in the SEC.  I bet CBB will have our passing game as at least >9th in the SEC.

[rickm1976]

Enos was brought in to solidify offensive balance.  This hire will finally make BA what everybody hoped he'd be some day.

I sure hope you're right.

[Josh Goforth]

One aspect I see that has been overlooked is the amount of deep drops from under center. His bread and butter is a 5 step playaction with a half fake to the rb to slow down the pass rush. Then he has 1 or 2 receiver routes in most cases where the QB makes a single side of the field read and if his first option isnt open he hits the check down. It is a simpler more effecient passing game but the big question will be if BA can execute and if Arkansas can get a one on one matchup where they can win. If not I think we will see lots of check downs and throw aways.