Readers take offense to column criticizing spread offense - Robert Shields

[Robert Shields]

Readers Take Offense to Column Criticizing Spread Offense

Robert Shields

I was caught off guard by the response to my article last week that predicted doom if the Hogs become a predominately passing team. First, I believe a couple of points of clarification must be made.

No one knows if the offense will become pass happy or stay on the ground until the season progresses in September. I only predicted doom if the Hogs become a pass-first, run-later kind of team. And as I stated, that would be a huge departure from the Program's history to establish the run to set up the pass.

I also said the Hogs are just an injury away from becoming one dimensional in the spread if one of the team's great tailbacks, Felix Jones and Darren McFadden, goes down. This is still very true and I got tons of messages telling me that was not the case because Michael Smith was also a great running back.

Talk of Smith is pure speculation, and the people who say Smith is their equal are deep into the punch. If Smith was better than either Jones or McFadden, he would have had his redshirt pulled off so fast he never would have seen the bench. I suspect he is not near the level of either of those two backs who did play and have much success last year.

There is fear that a running game in this spread offense may never get going. If the fullback is gone on a play and the tight end is primarily a receiver instead of a blocker, I am fearful there will not be adequate running support to get those backs going anywhere except right into the blitzing defense. Also, if the Hogs come out and throw on first down and fail, it is almost a certainty the next two plays will also have to be passes. This is not a formula for Razorback success or for success in any football program in the SEC.

See, the Hogs really do not need more passing – they need more effective passing, which was stated in my previous column. Maybe Gus Malzahn can make this happen and get the ball down field with a little more consistency. We all wait and hope on this high school coach to show his worth at the highest levels of college football.

There is hope on my part that maybe that Malzahn can bring some creativity to the running game – something besides the sprint draw or the stretch hand off. I can't remember the last time I saw a guard pulling to the opposite side. The pitch option is seldom used and the toss sweep happens as often as the bomb for a touchdown.

Maybe Houston Nutt has good reasons why these things do not happen during the game, such as in practice the pitch option and toss sweep always lead to the ball landing on the ground. Or if a guard is pulled, the defense ends up blowing up the backfield. If that is the case, it is symptomatic of poor recruiting of linemen.

If the Hogs are going to run the shotgun spread offense it better have very good offensive lineman for both running and passing. Because without a good blocking tight end and fullback, it all falls on the five offensive linemen up front to clear the path against SEC defenses that always try to stop the run first. And for passing there are fewer available in to protect the passer, so it's up to the five guys up front to protect against those fast defenders – not the Central High school type, but SEC type.


Basketball Season Coming Down to One Game Against Alabama

One last comment on last week's column. I got some responses about Nolan Richardson, even though he was not part of the column.

Put aside the Richardson personality traits that ended up wearing thin on most Hog fans. As this saga keeps playing out, Nolan starts to look more and more right. Maybe he had a reason to be angry. And maybe the fans had a reason to be angry, too. But I have a feeling a bunch of white-haired devils watched it all play out wringing their hands saying: "excellent."

Even though it is Razorback basketball, it is no longer Hawgball. This team not only struggles, but it is also very unlucky. This season is quickly boiling down to one game, and that is Alabama at Bud Walton Arena – a must win for the Hogs.

You can place LSU, Florida, and Tennessee in the NCAA tournament. The big question is if the SEC gets four, five, or a very unlikely six teams in the Big Dance. If it's four, the Hogs are out unless they find a way to get to Saturday and the semifinal round of the SEC tournament.

I believe the fourth team in will be Kentucky. Kentucky beat Arkansas so they have that over the Hogs since the NCAA selection committee does value head-to-head competition results. That leaves just one more spot if the most likely scenario of five SEC teams in the tournament plays out.

The Hogs have already lost to Alabama once in a game the Hogs very much had won before blowing a million-point lead with three seconds in regulation – then eventually fought back in overtime to blow another opportunity. A second loss to Alabama would mean the Crimson Tide would definitely get the nod over Arkansas. The Hogs must and should win at Bud Walton Arena when the Tide comes to town.


Send your prediction to fromthebench@yahoo.com.

[RealSmartGuy]

Smite for you again, just for writing that crap last week, and you truly don't have a clue about Gus or the Spread, Gus often has two backs in the backfield, motions to two backs, very rarely against a 7 man front will Gus have 5 people blocking, if they are showing a 7 man front, its throw all day long, have you ever even seen Gus's teams play, I don't think so, he takes what you give him, and does it at a pace that is almost frantic, those that wonder if we will be no-huddle better get ready, because its going to be rapid fire.  Please stop writing columns until you have watched Gus's teams play.

[jkstock04]

I also said the Hogs are just an injury away from becoming one dimensional in the spread if one of the team’s great tailbacks, Felix Jones and Darren McFadden, goes down. This is still very true and I got tons of messages telling me that was not the case because Michael Smith was also a great running back.

Talk of Smith is pure speculation, and the people who say Smith is their equal are deep into the punch. If Smith was better than either Jones or McFadden, he would have had his redshirt pulled off so fast he never would have seen the bench. I suspect he is not near the level of either of those two backs who did play and have much success last year.

Your still leaving out Peyton Hillis....what the hell is the deal with that?

[hogfan1]

I think Micheal Smith was hurt, wasn't he? 

And I haven't gone back and watched tape lately, but I did watch the McFadden run against GA just the other day, and I noticed the guard pulled on that play. 

[McKdaddy]

Why does Rey Fagsterio keep spewing his drivel as "Robert Shields?"

[hogsNbeer]

We should just wait til next year to see how close his column is to being accurate...Nobody can tell.....I don't care if you seen Springdale or Not...You just can't tell.......  Nobody knows how the SEC will affect a Gus Malzahn Offense spread or not...... Ludicrous to say anything else.....

[othermac]

We should just wait til next year to see how close his column is to being accurate...Nobody can tell.....I don't care if you seen Springdale or Not...You just can't tell.......  Nobody knows how the SEC will affect a Gus Malzahn Offense spread or not...... Ludicrous to say anything else.....

maybe you haven't noticed but shields does not need to actually see anything to know what is best. he was given that gift as a teenager, you know the gift, where the individual knows more than those that have been around for years(especially parents) even though he has not been exposed to the topic long enough to qualify as a novice, he just knows better than others. just ask him, although the only place he has ever seen game film on gus's offense was on channel 4's friday nite blitz, he has a better understanding than nutt who has been watching game film for what 25 years.

[Ugly Uncle]

Michael Smith was hurt.  I know for a fact he was the NUMBER 1 freshman running back before he got hurt.  McFadden shot ahead of Jones once the season started, but was lower on the depth chart than Smith and Jones before the Smith injury.  My source is a personal conversation with one of the Murry State Mafia.  Seems that by having a short, chance conversation with one of the coaches means I have done more research than the writer of this article.  Embarrassing for him.

[Hawgballer]

I also said the Hogs are just an injury away from becoming one dimensional in the spread if one of the team’s great tailbacks, Felix Jones and Darren McFadden, goes down. This is still very true and I got tons of messages telling me that was not the case because Michael Smith was also a great running back.

Talk of Smith is pure speculation, and the people who say Smith is their equal are deep into the punch. If Smith was better than either Jones or McFadden, he would have had his redshirt pulled off so fast he never would have seen the bench. I suspect he is not near the level of either of those two backs who did play and have much success last year.

Your still leaving out Peyton Hillis....what the hell is the deal with that?

It probably has something to do with Peyton not being a tailback.


Smite it!

[Topcat]

Kudos othermac, I think we have enough crystal balls on this board without Shield's comments. Don't go away mad Shields, just go away. 

[hogsNbeer]

We should just wait til next year to see how close his column is to being accurate...Nobody can tell.....I don't care if you seen Springdale or Not...You just can't tell.......  Nobody knows how the SEC will affect a Gus Malzahn Offense spread or not...... Ludicrous to say anything else.....

maybe you haven't noticed but shields does not need to actually see anything to know what is best. he was given that gift as a teenager, you know the gift, where the individual knows more than those that have been around for years(especially parents) even though he has not been exposed to the topic long enough to qualify as a novice, he just knows better than others. just ask him, although the only place he has ever seen game film on gus's offense was on channel 4's friday nite blitz, he has a better understanding than nutt who has been watching game film for what 25 years.

Just don't know why some people get all bent out of shape over a stupid article.... who gives a crap..... Football is football, you play the game on the field..... Who cares what people write agreeing or disagreeing with the reader.........Whether he knows what he's talking about or not.... It's just an article.... The are greater tragedies in the world...

[wishyjoshy]

The offensive thing to me is the fact that this garbage is called "an article."  When I hear that word I USUALLY assume that research has been done by an accredited member of the press.  This is obviously not the case with Mr. Markuson, I mean Mr. Sheilds.

First, I should get an email account at yahoo to prove my validity to the consumer, then I should right down some random thoughts about the kicking game and label it an article.

"Let's think about this for a sec, Robert, why would somebody label their thoughts an article? Hmmm, very interesting.
Here's the way I see it, Rob. A guy puts a fancy "article" label on his ramblings  'cause he wants you to fell all warm and toasty inside.
And 'Course it does. Why shouldn't it? Ya figure you put that little label under your pillow at night, the Article Fairy might come by and leave a quarter, am I right, Rob?
The point is, how do you know the fairy isn't a crazy glue sniffer? "Building model airplanes" says the little fairy, well, we're not buying it. He sneaks into your house once, that's all it takes. The next thing you know, there's money missing off the dresser and your daughter's knocked up, I seen it a hundred times.
But we all know what you wrote is a big piece of $h!t. That's all it is, isn't it? Hey, if you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it an article, I will. I got spare time. But for now, for all of the Hogvillian's, for your daughter's sake, ya might wanna think about letting a real professional do the writing and the 'research'."

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[lumphog]

Smith  WILL  be a star. I think he`s the fastest of the bunch.

[McKdaddy]

"Readers Take Offense to Ignorance" should have been the title of the column.

[hogsanity]

I took more offense to the undertone of the article than the words themselves.  THere was a definite tone of Gus sold you a bunhc of oklahoma oceanfront property by making you beleive the spread will work here.  That We can afford any injuries at Tb, even though the spread can make an average TB look good, and that the writer knew more about the offense than Gus or anyone else.  Yet, you could tell by what he wrote, he had seen little or none of the offense in action.

[McKdaddy]

Why does Rey Fagsterio keep spewing his drivel as "Robert Shields?"

Rey and Robert Shields are NOT the same person.

And JFen, Shields' columns are published in several smaller newspapers around central Arkansas.

Faldon, this is an old statement about the love Rey has for Shields.  We know they aren't the same, but will always imply so due to how Rey uses Shields' columns to prop up his own opinions--as if Shields can do no wrong.  I don't know where you've been the past 2 years that some of us have been saying this.

[Biggus Piggus]

More stupid mistakes from Shields, part 1,021:

1. I also said the Hogs are just an injury away from becoming one dimensional in the spread if one of the team's great tailbacks, Felix Jones and Darren McFadden, goes down.

You still didn't explain why if one gets hurt the other won't be able to run with the ball.

2. If Smith was better than either Jones or McFadden, he would have had his redshirt pulled off so fast he never would have seen the bench.

Uh, Robert, Smith was recovering from an injury last fall.  This isn't a very difficult fact to check.

3. If the fullback is gone on a play and the tight end is primarily a receiver instead of a blocker, I am fearful there will not be adequate running support to get those backs going anywhere except right into the blitzing defense.

Tight ends, when they are not running pass patterns on pass plays, have a strong tendency to block on run plays.

4. Also, if the Hogs come out and throw on first down and fail, it is almost a certainty the next two plays will also have to be passes.

Go back and look at the play selection of the past couple of years.  Tell me the Hogs were afraid to run on second and long.

5. See, the Hogs really do not need more passing -- they need more effective passing, which was stated in my previous column.

Was NOT stated.  Was what you SHOULD have stated.  What EVERYBODY ELSE stated for you.  Sloppy.

6. We all wait and hope on this high school coach to show his worth at the highest levels of college football.

Cheap shot.

7. I can't remember the last time I saw a guard pulling to the opposite side.

Try game 11, 2005 season, Robert.  Good lord.

8. If the Hogs are going to run the shotgun spread offense it better have very good offensive lineman for both running and passing. Because without a good blocking tight end and fullback, it all falls on the five offensive linemen up front to clear the path against SEC defenses that always try to stop the run first.

Robert does not have the slightest idea of how this offense works.  Basic idea is you don't let the defense put eight in the box the way they did to Nutt's simplistic offenses.  Force them to cover multiple threats inside and out, make the D tentative about where the ball is going, take away the D's aggressiveness.  Inject flexibility that takes advantage of mistakes and substitutions.  Have the ability to go with the ball where the D's weakest.  We've been way to easy to defend against + have been asking our linemen to do too much not too little.  They get more one-on-one matchups, they look much better.

[Biggus Piggus]

What's the most unlikely:

Our tailbacks averaged more than 5 yards a carry despite a miserably inefficient passing game.
Our passing game averaged under 6 yards a pass despite a great rushing game.
We went 4-7 while our tailbacks were averaging over 5 yards a carry.
We lost to Vanderbilt at home, McFadden carried once, and Nutt didn't get fired.

[FLKeysGuy]

"I was caught off guard..."

Really?  Why would it surprise Mr. Shields to be criticized for opining without first researching the issue?  Is he really that 'thick'?  Argh! 

Mr. Shields:  Sometimes it is better to remain silent and be thought of as a fool than it is to pen an article that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are one.

[Theolesnort]

While it is a stretch of the imagination to say that Smith is better than the other two running backs, it is also true that you can't find to much fault with a Fred Talley clone that Smith might very well be.

[wishyjoshy]

Scott,
I had no idea that the James Frey writes articles under the alias of Robert Sheilds in the Central Arkansas area.  Furthermore, who is the editor of these so called newspapers who allows an un-informed "writer" to have articles published in his newspaper?  I wrote an article for the Stone County Leader when I was in high school.  Should I expect my credentials in the mail any time soon?

[Biggus Piggus]

"Readers Take Offense to Goob Masquerading as Columnist"

[HognotinMemphis]

What's the most unlikely:

Our tailbacks averaged more than 5 yards a carry despite a miserably inefficient passing game.
Our passing game averaged under 6 yards a pass despite a great rushing game.
We went 4-7 while our tailbacks were averaging over 5 yards a carry.
We lost to Vanderbilt at home, McFadden carried once, and Nutt didn't get fired.

What did we average in the SEC in all those stats last year?

[excoach]

FullMetalPiglet : it appears again you have shown you stupidity towards the spread offense. let me give you a prefect example of a team who ran the spread this past year. West Virginia. do some research about them, buy Gus's books and read them before you post another stupid opinion.

[Robert Shields]

Irwin Rommel also wrote a book.  You can ask Patton about it.

[cubsfan5150]

It's funny that everyone is on Gus's nuts and he hasn't even co-ordinated a game yet.  I've seen coach once, against LR Central last year, and he didn't impress.  Of course Mustain got hurt, but that just goes to show that you have to have the players...  If we can't pass block better than we have in the past few years, this offense won't be worth a damn.  That being said, I hope we lead the nation in scoring, because I think our defense will be above average. 

[Rey Pygsterio]

There is so much comedy in this thread, I don't know where to begin. But the funniest line is this from JFen:

"The offensive thing to me is the fact that this garbage is called 'an article.' When I hear that word I USUALLY assume that research has been done by an accredited member of the press."

Accredited member of the press? If this is your issue, you may want to check the "accreditation" of a lot of media people covering the Hogs.

Are there some initials that are supposed to follow your name in a byline to show that you are accredited because I haven't seen any lately. Accreditation seems to be the least worry when considering the credentials of some media members covering the Hogs.

Honorable mention goes to this line from RealSmartGuy: "Smite for you again..."

Oooh! You are going to smite him! I haven't talked to Shields about it, but this "smite" may just convince him that the Malzahn offense will work wonders. Good argument... and funnier threat.

[othermac]

Irwin Rommel also wrote a book.  You can ask Patton about it.

so you are comparing yourself to irwin rommel?

[Biggus Piggus]

What's the most unlikely:

Our tailbacks averaged more than 5 yards a carry despite a miserably inefficient passing game.
Our passing game averaged under 6 yards a pass despite a great rushing game.
We went 4-7 while our tailbacks were averaging over 5 yards a carry.
We lost to Vanderbilt at home, McFadden carried once, and Nutt didn't get fired.

What did we average in the SEC in all those stats last year?

Tailbacks' yards per carry in SEC games = 5.2 (this includes Hillis, Howard, Dickerson, everybody)

Yards per pass attempt in SEC games = 5.9 (5.7 for quarterbacks only)

The Arkansas tailbacks ran for more than 5 yards a carry in five of eight conference games.  The three exceptions were LSU, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt (the latter in which McFadden and Jones had two carries between them).

The worst days for the Hogs in yards per pass attempt were Alabama (3.1), LSU (5.3), Mississippi State (5.4) and South Carolina (5.7).  Three of the four were by Casey Dick.

[othermac]

Irwin Rommel also wrote a book.  You can ask Patton about it.

so you are comparing yourself to irwin rommel?

No, he was not.

then comparing his writing a column to rommel writing a book?

[Biggus Piggus]

No, he was noting that Rommel (like Gus) wrote a book (about mechanized warfare), and Patton (like SEC defensive coordinators I suppose) showed in North Africa that he had read Rommel's book.

[othermac]

No, he was noting that Rommel (like Gus) wrote a book (about mechanized warfare), and Patton (like SEC defensive coordinators I suppose) showed in North Africa that he had read Rommel's book.

oh he was comparing himself to patton....thanks biggus, i need help keeping up.

[othermac]

No, he was noting that Rommel (like Gus) wrote a book (about mechanized warfare), and Patton (like SEC defensive coordinators I suppose) showed in North Africa that he had read Rommel's book.

oh he was comparing himself to patton....thanks biggus, i need help keeping up.

No, he was making the analogy of SEC defensive coordinators to Patton. He was not comparing himself to anybody.

even though he was picked apart in this thread for not knowing gus's offense

[wishyjoshy]

There is so much comedy in this thread, I don't know where to begin. But the funniest line is this from JFen:

"The offensive thing to me is the fact that this garbage is called 'an article.' When I hear that word I USUALLY assume that research has been done by an accredited member of the press."

Accredited member of the press? If this is your issue, you may want to check the "accreditation" of a lot of media people covering the Hogs.

Are there some initials that are supposed to follow your name in a byline to show that you are accredited because I haven't seen any lately. Accreditation seems to be the least worry when considering the credentials of some media members covering the Hogs.

Honorable mention goes to this line from RealSmartGuy: "Smite for you again..."

Oooh! You are going to smite him! I haven't talked to Shields about it, but this "smite" may just convince him that the Malzahn offense will work wonders. Good argument... and funnier threat.

How do you type when you are TEA-BAGGING Rob?

[GrizzledHogFan]

Sometimes it is better to remain silent and be thought of as a fool than it is to pen an article that proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are one.

That's a great line.  Is that original or borrowed?  Either way, I like it.

[hogwild84]

Here's my prediction:

1. You don't get away from the bread and butter.  DMAC and Jones are the biggest offensive threats, gus knows that, and they will be our number one option no matter if we install the spread.

2.  I see our offense being similar to a TN offense. Foundation is the run, play action off of that, then throw in some spread and mix it up with some run out of that.  I see us being more balanced to the effect to 200 pass yds/game and 200 rush yds/game in our "perfect" offense.

3. The no huddle will be used at times, not all the time.  I believe it will be used to keep the other team off balance and play our speed of game.

4. The most important thing we will address this season is the vertical passing game. Once we do that effectively, we will open up a lot more lanes for DMAC so he doesnt always have to create to the outside. Look how much better Adrian Peterson did his freshman year with an accurate vertical passer in White than this year with no passing threat. And I think DMAC is a lot better.

5. And finally, I've gotta say it again, Gus is smart enough to utlize our best players.  I honestly don;t think he's looking for 350 yds/game passing and 80 rushing.  Anyone with football knowledge knows that a powerful running game opens a lot more options in the offense, it's just that we need offensive minds in there like gus and alex to enstill confidence in our passing game so that we have a little "lightning" in our offense.  Being one dimensional running clock-hawging team (no pun intended) will not win you games when the other team is stopping the run.

And I have the utmost confidence these offensive masterminds will turn things around for us.  GHG!

[1967 Grad]

Amen brother, and carry on!!!!!

Biggest difference is that we won't know the next play coming, so maybe the Def Coord might have to do some work to figure it out. So figure this. Is it a quick dump to D-will or Monk....or is it a 15 yard curl to Cleaveland....or is it a swing out of the backfield to D-Mac or are we going for the bundle? Gives one pause to think. Lots of playmakers, lots of spots in this alignment.

Brother Reggie, get those wart hogs surly!!....cause the offense gonna be OK, if HDN got the memo on staying out of the way while 2 offensive minds get to work.

Go Hogs Go!!!

[ballhog™]

I know this has been mentioned, but if he thinks we don't pull the guards when we run then he hasn't been watching our running game very closely.  The counter trey was one of our bread and butter running plays with McFadden, where we pulled both the tackle AND guard.  That's football 101.  What does he think happened on the long TD plays against bama and georgia.

And please excuse my ignorance, but what is the pitch option?

[Razorback7]

Since its all about the offense in this thread I assume we all agree the Defense sucked most of the year?

[subliznime]

Well id say the defense was in better shape than the offense at seasons end climbing up from a dismal 107th or so in the nation in total defense after usc to 30 something ish. I mean we really came full circle in that department; remember it was the defense not the pathetic offense that kept us in the game at Baton Rouge   against the tigers.

[Chief Mac]

No, he was noting that Rommel (like Gus) wrote a book (about mechanized warfare), and Patton (like SEC defensive coordinators I suppose) showed in North Africa that he had read Rommel's book.

Funny thing about the book is that it is more about the "hurry-up, no huddle" mindset rather than a particular offensive set.  If some goobers would read the book they would know that Gus is about extending the game, more offensive plays and scoring quickly/often, thus putting pressure on the opposing team.  The object of the game is to have more points than the other team when the clock runs out.  The spread just happens to be Gus' prefered set. 

Some people need to read more (Gus' book) and then maybe we can have some type of discussion on what we may or may not see next season.

WPS

Chris

[hog caller]

@full Metal: don't forget Hillis can be a tailback also.  think your opinions are unfounded and pure speculation>

Gus has been sucessful every where her has been and when he talks to markuson and herring get cranked up we are going to be a tuff craker to crack. IMO. but i am willing to get my ticket and just wait and see before i make any type of prediction. and oh, by the way, you can run from the spread also.