Will we see a more aggressive offense under McElwain/Nussmeier?

[t-gator]

Hard to say. At CSU the first year it was almost all under center and then year 2 went to almost all shotgun when things took off there. I think the OC at CSU under Mac ran mostly shotgun some years previously.

Where do you get this info? Year 2 took off mainly because their qb was healthy.

 

[MidwestChomp]

I'm not even sure we ran a HS offense the last 4 years. We seemed to start to try a few new things and then always revert back to trying to run the ball between the tackles. Anybody remember when Weiss started the 2011 season with a lot of screens. We did alright and then abandoned it completely by mid season. 2013 we used an inverted wishbone in the first 2 or 3 games and had some success with Showers moving in and out of the backfield then completely abandoned it by the 4th game.....The only thing I can think is someone didn't want an offense that gave the defense anything to think about.

Have to agree with you on that. I've seen more creative on the offensive side of the ball with pee wee league football.

 

[cover2]

Interesting comments all. I wish I had something shocking to add, but I don't. I will go out on a limb and say that as important as the play of our patchwork quilt/OL is going to be, having some receivers that are legitimate threats to stretch and/or get loose in space may be more important. Robinson is a tangible threat, but beyond him it could be argued there is a bunch of kids that are developing still or will be more of the possession variety. That said, we'll have to be able to run the ball some and I think most would agree we should have a few backs that can accomplish this if we can get a push when we need it from the OL. If we can't run it enough to keep the opposition honest, particularly against conference opponents, the three and outs, red zone stalls, and turnovers will likely lengthen the game to a point our young and diminished roster will succumb to more often than not. Something close to a a 50/50 balance probably is unattainable, but I don't think it's needed either. We just can't be 90% one way (or another), forced or otherwise.

So, how do we run it this season? Probably not by going toe to toe and wedging it or being an ISO team, though we'll probably get a dab of that. I don't exactly know what Mac's formation system is with respect to his offensive package, but often teams that can't run behind a bunch of road graders (because they don't have them) will try and use formations to reduce the defenders in the box and/or gain a matchup advantage somewhere. Throw in a little G-scheme and you can have a chance for a little viability in your rush attack. I neglected to mention the threat a mobile QB can pose only because Treon seems to be it in that category and hopefully he has matured off the field to the point that his leadership is not retarded further or compromised. We'll have to see. Something tells me that we might not have that one dominant guy under center again, but I'll hope for it anyhow.

As I read back over this before posting, I'm struck that it seems oddly familiar with what was postulated during the WM era each year where offense was concerned (this shti has been going on too long, hasn't it?). Seven or better wins would be great this year, but if we can just establish a little bit of a consistent threat offensively, I think Mac's recruiting and replenishing of all the team's positions will mean better days. Don't get me wrong, I liked and still want us to have a tough defensive team, but there ain't much Christmas cheer in trying to sugarcoat a bunch of close losses suffered by saying at least you hit that other bunch in the mouth.

 

[soflagator]

Law you are on record saying you don't like defensive head coaches because OCs get hired away a lot and you have to keep starting over. You've said you like having offensive head coaches because when the OC gets hired away you still more or less keep your system together. We have an offensive head coach now but for some reason we aren't going to run his system here?

Basically what he's saying is that he can clearly not choose the glass in front of you.

Good to see you, Knox.

 

[SoberJohn]

I don't know what this post is about. The problem is not being "more aggressive" on offense. Roper was very aggressive, but it doesn't take that long to figure out that you're wasting your time being "aggressive" if you don't have the players to properly execute the plays. How often did we see vertical routes last year, with receivers open to boot, only to see Driskel miss the open man? If he was accurate, how often did the receivers fail to catch the pass? How often did 'being aggressive" lead to punts and turnovers? It's not the play calling, and it never has been, it's the failure to execute the play. Muschamp was correct to reign in UF's offense last year, it was obvious that being 'aggressive" was getting UF beat. The biggest victory UF has had over the past two years is over georgia, and I question your acumen if you think that UF would not have found a way to lose if they had been 'aggressive' in that game. The Gators were very 'aggressive" in the LSU game, yet that same aggression got them beat. It's not the x's and o's, it's the jimmys and joes.

 

[GatorJ]

I don't know what this post is about. The problem is not being "more aggressive" on offense. Roper was very aggressive, but it doesn't take that long to figure out that you're wasting your time being "aggressive" if you don't have the players to properly execute the plays. How often did we see vertical routes last year, with receivers open to boot, only to see Driskel miss the open man? If he was accurate, how often did the receivers fail to catch the pass? How often did 'being aggressive" lead to punts and turnovers? It's not the play calling, and it never has been, it's the failure to execute the play. Muschamp was correct to reign in UF's offense last year, it was obvious that being 'aggressive" was getting UF beat. The biggest victory UF has had over the past two years is over georgia, and I question your acumen if you think that UF would not have found a way to lose if they had been 'aggressive' in that game. The Gators were very 'aggressive" in the LSU game, yet that same aggression got them beat. It's not the x's and o's, it's the jimmys and joes.

Damnit Schulz!

 

[TN G8tr]

I'm wondering if the coaches will roll the QB out and or use a moving pocket with more pass/run options to keep teams from blitzing the bejeesus out of us especially on 3rd down. We heard the former staff talk about this with JD but for some reason it just never happened.
The down side of trying to keep young QB's in manageable 3rd down situations is a tendency to call conservative plays on 1st and 2nd down. Lets hope these guys can keep opposing defenses a little more off balance without asking the offensive line to do things they are not capable of too soon....What that is

Crete they're going to have to roll the pocket with Grier, no choice at time but do so. I have no doubt that Mac knows this and will have to do just that. Mac knows and has said he'll have a system that works for the personnel he has rather than the rabbid, foaming at the mouth idiot previous to him that said we have to have a LOS team.

 

[TN G8tr]

Interesting comments all. I wish I had something shocking to add, but I don't. I will go out on a limb and say that as important as the play of our patchwork quilt/OL is going to be, having some receivers that are legitimate threats to stretch and/or get loose in space may be more important. Robinson is a tangible threat, but beyond him it could be argued there is a bunch of kids that are developing still or will be more of the possession variety. That said, we'll have to be able to run the ball some and I think most would agree we should have a few backs that can accomplish this if we can get a push when we need it from the OL. If we can't run it enough to keep the opposition honest, particularly against conference opponents, the three and outs, red zone stalls, and turnovers will likely lengthen the game to a point our young and diminished roster will succumb to more often than not. Something close to a a 50/50 balance probably is unattainable, but I don't think it's needed either. We just can't be 90% one way (or another), forced or otherwise.

So, how do we run it this season? Probably not by going toe to toe and wedging it or being an ISO team, though we'll probably get a dab of that. I don't exactly know what Mac's formation system is with respect to his offensive package, but often teams that can't run behind a bunch of road graders (because they don't have them) will try and use formations to reduce the defenders in the box and/or gain a matchup advantage somewhere. Throw in a little G-scheme and you can have a chance for a little viability in your rush attack. I neglected to mention the threat a mobile QB can pose only because Treon seems to be it in that category and hopefully he has matured off the field to the point that his leadership is not retarded further or compromised. We'll have to see. Something tells me that we might not have that one dominant guy under center again, but I'll hope for it anyhow.

As I read back over this before posting, I'm struck that it seems oddly familiar with what was postulated during the WM era each year where offense was concerned (this shti has been going on too long, hasn't it?). Seven or better wins would be great this year, but if we can just establish a little bit of a consistent threat offensively, I think Mac's recruiting and replenishing of all the team's positions will mean better days. Don't get me wrong, I liked and still want us to have a tough defensive team, but there ain't much Christmas cheer in trying to sugarcoat a bunch of close losses suffered by saying at least you hit that other bunch in the mouth.

Great the see you Cover, and good post as always.

 

[Gator Fever]

Where do you get this info? Year 2 took off mainly because their qb was healthy.

No they didn't look the same in year 1 at all and Grayson had a lower QB rating than the other QB playing under center. It took off when they went to shotgun in year 2. Someone said that was his plan to transition to shotgun the 2nd season and they thought he might do it here but with Nuss I am starting to think that might not be the case.

 

[Okeechobee Joe]

More aggressive offense? That is a given. One of the parameters that Foley had for the McElwain hire was that he must run a more aggressive offense -- the kind of offense that would be pleasing to Gator fans and is synonymous with Gator football. The other part of the equation is will the offense be more efficient in putting points on the board and winning games.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Yeah, that was the parameter for Chimp coming back last year also.

 

[MJMGator]

Haven't read the whole thread, but there's literally no way to have a less aggressive offense than we had under WM.

 

[Swamp Donkey]

Haven't read the whole thread, but there's literally no way to have a less aggressive offense than we had under WM.

He is right. I've never heard of a team refusing to take possession or consistently punting on any down except 4th.

 

[WobbleGator]

Law you are on record saying you don't like defensive head coaches because OCs get hired away a lot and you have to keep starting over. You've said you like having offensive head coaches because when the OC gets hired away you still more or less keep your system together. We have an offensive head coach now but for some reason we aren't going to run his system here?

Please post more Knox.

 

[WobbleGator]

would you want it any other way?

Yes. Change it up a bit.

 

[t-gator]

Please post more Knox.

Please post less wobble

 

[WobbleGator]

Please post less wobble

This will probably be your most liked post.

 

[Gator Fever]

Haven't read the whole thread, but there's literally no way to have a less aggressive offense than we had under WM.

Edit: Not less but similar. Nuss has ran it almost 60% of the time his last 3 years as an OC and if our line is as bad as some think it may be they may lean on the run a lot. I hope Mac makes him do more short TE stuff and passes to the backs instead of just running it more however.

 

[Concrete Helmet]

Edit: Not less but similar. Nuss has ran it almost 60% of the time his last 3 years as an OC and if our line is as bad as some think it may be they may lean on the run a lot. I hope Mac makes him do more short TE stuff and passes to the backs instead of just running it more however.

Sounds like you want them to run the CW offense?

 

[Gator Fever]

Sounds like you want them to run the CW offense?

lol - I guess you have a point there. Well that new back has some size at least and we have a real TE now if he can stay healthy.