The typical FCS offense in 2017 is mostly run-oriented

[bonarae]

... well, the facts speak for themselves, according to this article. The FCS has six runners who average more than 10 yards per carry (the FBS has two). Discuss.

http://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2017-09-18/born-run-why-its-all-about-ground-game-fcs-football

[Colgate Raider Redux]

Colgate has been living by its read option "eat up the clock" running game for decades. But, we have to have qb's who can pass occasionally to create variation and momentum for our drives. Recruiting becomes very specialized in finding athletes for the role of qb and running back since it's unlikely kids have experienced this kind of offense in secondary school.

[BisonTru]

One common myth I found among NFL fans with Wentz going thru the draft was that the higher level competition must have more complex offenses. A lot of your more traditional pro-style offenses are more heavily run based than the spread up tempo stuff. My thoughts are almost the complete opposite of the myth. The FBS is recruiting the best ATHLETES in the country, but many might not be the best at grasping complex concepts. Where as FCS and even more so as you head down the levels of competition isn't trying to get a 5 star on the field but just get the best football players on the field. It would be very tempting as a big name FBS coach to run a simple plug and play offense to make sure you get your star athletes on the field, and that's why I think you see the explosion of spread up tempo offense more so at the FBS level than any where else.

On top of that on systems I think everyone in FBS is trying to compete against the Alabamas and usually with traditional pro style football the bigger better team wins where as an uptempo team can turn a game into a shootout and get an unexpected win. On the flip side you can get into the same situation with a team you should beat. Whereas the FCS there are many schools not competing against the whole country. The IVY is only competing against the IVY. The HBUs are only really competing against one another and even the NEC/Pioneer are really only competing to win the conference.

It also helps that the MVFC and CAA are somewhere between run-heavy to balanced and the Southern (third best conference IMO at the moment) is very much a run heavy conference.

[Go...gate]

Colgate has been living by its read option "eat up the clock" running game for decades. But, we have to have qb's who can pass occasionally to create variation and momentum for our drives. Recruiting becomes very specialized in finding athletes for the role of qb and running back since it's unlikely kids have experienced this kind of offense in secondary school.

Colgate's read option dates to the ascension of Dick Biddle to Head Coach in 1996. Before that formation, Colgate ran the Wing-T from 1976 through 1980 and, beginning in 1981, the Power I, which was used until 1995. From 1971-1975, Colgate ran the Wishbone under Neil Wheelwright. Prior to that, Coaches Hal Lahar (1962-67) and Wheelwright (1968-70) utilized the old Split-T with a man in motion.

[malibudude]

One common myth I found among NFL fans with Wentz going thru the draft was that the higher level competition must have more complex offenses. A lot of your more traditional pro-style offenses are more heavily run based than the spread up tempo stuff. My thoughts are almost the complete opposite of the myth. The FBS is recruiting the best ATHLETES in the country, but many might not be the best at grasping complex concepts. Where as FCS and even more so as you head down the levels of competition isn't trying to get a 5 star on the field but just get the best football players on the field. It would be very tempting as a big name FBS coach to run a simple plug and play offense to make sure you get your star athletes on the field, and that's why I think you see the explosion of spread up tempo offense more so at the FBS level than any where else.

On top of that on systems I think everyone in FBS is trying to compete against the Alabamas and usually with traditional pro style football the bigger better team wins where as an uptempo team can turn a game into a shootout and get an unexpected win. On the flip side you can get into the same situation with a team you should beat. Whereas the FCS there are many schools not competing against the whole country. The IVY is only competing against the IVY. The HBUs are only really competing against one another and even the NEC/Pioneer are really only competing to win the conference.

It also helps that the MVFC and CAA are somewhere between run-heavy to balanced and the Southern (third best conference IMO at the moment) is very much a run heavy conference.

Agreed, except when the Pioneer(USD) took out Poly last year(damn) and Colgate took out Poly this year (double damn).

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

The Valley has plenty of "spread" or a version of that teams.

Besides NDSU, which team/teams run a pro-set type offense this year? I haven't looked at some teams this year and maybe some do this year....UNI?

[clenz]

The Valley has plenty of "spread" or a version of that teams.

Besides NDSU, which team/teams run a pro-set type offense this year? I haven't looked at some teams this year and maybe some do this year....UNI?
UNI is adding power i back into the offense, but it's still mostly a spread style. Shot gun probably 75% of the time. However, we have at least 1 TE or a FB in on 80% of our plays. Many plays have 2 TEs

We suck at it right now, but even though the offense is in the gun the blocking schemes and formations of the TEs and WRs, the route trees, the reads and checks, etc... are all more pro concept that spread concept.

Spread is such a broad word that it's tough. Techinically any team that runs shot gun more than occasionally is spread. However, a spread like UNI - or even SDSU runs - is very different than what most people think of when "spread" is used.

People associate spread offense with the read option or the air raid. Think Baylor, Oregon State, Hawaii, EWU, TCU, Okie State, wherever Rich Rod is, Ole Miss under Hugh Freeze, Urban Meyer etc... They are all run out of a spread formation, but schematically they are very different.

There are 4 (3 in my mind as the last two seem similar enough) main types of spread

Air raid: Chuck that pigskin as many times and as fast as possible

Read option: They want the spread formation to spread people out. They aren't looking to run anyone over, they're looking to run around/through defenders..."hit em where they ain't" so to speak. Typically not trying to over power anyone. Ole Miss (with Freeze) is an example of a spread run team. They run a ton of zone, but aren't looking to over power at the LOS. It's all about leveraging gaps and defenders.

Smash-mouth spread: what UNI is failing at right now, what NDSU does even if they don't want to admit they are spread, SDSU, Ohio State (Meyer using midwest boys rather than southern boys), etc... if you look only at the OL, WRs and TEs it could pass as a power i set. It isn't until you see a QB in a gun look that it becomes a "spread"

Pro-style spread: Think Lane Kiffin here. It's a pro style concept but it's more uptempo and more spread out than the smash mouth. Tend to use more spacing, tempo and option looks to creat balance.

It's very tough to really put teams in either smash-mouth or pro-style spread looks. Formationally they are similar. scheme they are mostly similar, route trees are mostly similar. The smashmouth tends to be just a touch more physical than the pro-style.


What's also interesting, is that if you google a pro set offense the #1 formation that comes out with it is a split back look with a HB and FB. Not an I, not an offset I, not a single I, not a wing I. It's a split back system.

http://www.usafl.net/home/images/PPP-chalk-PSET.jpg


About 85-90% of the images are that. What's also interesting is that the "true" proset always has the back offset the QB. It's not an I system.


The I formation is an offense all it's own. In the I formation offense you'll have the single, stacked, Maryland, power, wing, offset, ace (which is actually a spread concept), angl, etc... and combo of these to create new looks


When 99% of the fans say "pro-style" offense, what they mean is I formation. It's called "pro-style" because it's what was common in the NFL in the 80s and 90s when film study became a thing for the general fan to understand. It's the same reasons basketball positions are now labeled the way they are.

NDSU does not run a "pro-set". They run a a power version of the I formation with a lot of spread concepts. NDSU runs spread just as much as pretty much anyone else. Look how wide your WRs get. Look how often, even in the under center single I you've got 3 or 4 WRs out there.

NDSU runs a spread concept - they just use the power blocking scheme in front of it.

[SU DOG]

Pray tell, what is this "running game" that ye speak of here?

[UNIFanSince1983]

Does having more runners averaging over 10ypc actually mean the FCS runs the ball at a higher percentage than the FBS? That seems like quite a leap from one stat that can be fairly skewed especially this early in the year.

[clenz]

Does having more runners averaging over 10ypc actually mean the FCS runs the ball at a higher percentage than the FBS? That seems like quite a leap from one stat that can be fairly skewed especially this early in the year.
I've done no looking at stats but I wouldn't be shocked if the FCS ran the ball at a higher % than the FBS if for no other reason that talent level.

Typically programs that run a triple option look do so to mitigate the inability to recruit across the board athletes. Harder to get QBs that can chuck the pig skin well. Harder to get WRs that can create separation. Harder to get OL that can pass block. Thus going to a run based, ball control, offense is the "great equalizer" in many ways.

I would bet the FCS has more programs that run the triple option/wing option/etc...

There is a massive gulf between the top of the FBS and the bottom. However, the gulf between the top 10-15 FCS programs and the bottom of the FCS is twice the size of the FBS level.

[UNIFanSince1983]

I've done no looking at stats but I wouldn't be shocked if the FCS ran the ball at a higher % than the FBS if for no other reason that talent level.

Typically programs that run a triple option look do so to mitigate the inability to recruit across the board athletes. Harder to get QBs that can chuck the pig skin well. Harder to get WRs that can create separation. Harder to get OL that can pass block. Thus going to a run based, ball control, offense is the "great equalizer" in many ways.

My main comment was about using the 6 to 2 of 10ypc runners stat to determine this. Seems like a stat that doesn't prove much on the % of running plays.

However, what you mentioned is what I was actually trying to figure out. Seeing the amount of teams running the TO in FBS compared to the amount of teams running the TO in the FCS.

I can only think of Army, Navy, Air Force, and GT as FBS teams currently running it. But who knows that may be quite equivalent to the FCS who I can think of Wofford, The Citadel, and Cal Poly. Although there may be more.

[kalm]

Another factor is there are simply not very many reliable passing quarterbacks in FCS.

[Redbird 4th & short]

Some very good posts here .. but I hope the author isn't depending on individual stats for 8 players (at an extreme end of tthe sample distrubution) .. and after just 3 non-conf games no less .. one of which is a patsy for 95% of the teams.

So I went to Keepers site to get 2016 run pass balance for FBS vs FCS ... so this sampling is about 250 teams playing between 11-13 games each for most part. These are just totaly yards, not attempts, and certainly not yards per attempt. I also included the defensive starts stats as well, because defenses will typically defend what the offenses are doing.



Total Yards per Game
Defense Starts


Level
Run
Pass
Total
Run/Tot
DL
LB
DB


FBS
187
233
420
45%
3.7
2.9
4.4


FCS
160
215
375
43%
3.6
3.0
4.3



So on average, for entire 2016 season, there is almost no difference.

Would love to see below stats over 10-20 year period to determine what trend line looks like here ... but on my way to work and not sure how much history Keepers has -- great data from this site though. These guys are on to something.

[walliver]

Runners averaging over 10 yards a carry do not generally play in run-first offenses. The typical power run or triple option offense has lots of 3-5 yard runs with an occasional breakaway.

[kalm]

Some very good posts here .. but I hope the author isn't depending on individual stats for 8 players (at an extreme end of tthe sample distrubution) .. and after just 3 non-conf games no less .. one of which is a patsy for 95% of the teams.

So I went to Keepers site to get 2016 run pass balance for FBS vs FCS ... so this sampling is about 250 teams playing between 11-13 games each for most part. These are just totaly yards, not attempts, and certainly not yards per attempt. I also included the defensive starts stats as well, because defenses will typically defend what the offenses are doing.



Total Yards per Game
Defense Starts


Level
Run
Pass
Total
Run/Tot
DL
LB
DB


FBS
187
233
420
45%
3.7
2.9
4.4


FCS
160
215
375
43%
3.6
3.0
4.3



So on average, for entire 2016 season, there is almost no difference.

Would love to see below stats over 10-20 year period to determine what trend line looks like here ... but on my way to work and not sure how much history Keepers has -- great data from this site though. These guys are on to something.

It would be interesting to see the numbers at the end of the season and the numbers in the playoffs.

[Daytripper]

Pray tell, what is this "running game" that ye speak of here?


We're in search of one, also. Let me know if you find it.

[The Pud]

I use to love watching that wishbone Ga. Southern ran back in the 80s and 90s

[Redbird 4th & short]

It would be interesting to see the numbers at the end of the season and the numbers in the playoffs.

yep .. also want to see what these numbers look like for say the top 40 in FBS and FCS .. that is, teams in the hunt, with pressure to win every game, in order to make playoffs and with coaches trying to keep jobs or auditioning for a better job. What do they resort to with all that pressure to win every game ?

[PaladinNation]

I use to love watching that wishbone Ga. Southern ran back in the 80s and 90s

I too loved the GSU offenses back in the day. I also loved the balanced pro-set option stuff Furman did in their heyday.

It's way too early to tell how Clay Hendrix and his offensive staff's offense will come to life. It's really inconsistent and the trenches are manned by way too many freshmen. But boy is it explosive. GSU and Wofford are dangerous because they lull you in and torch you. Furman is a good bit more able in the passing game than both of those schools.

I'm excited about the new Furman offense… I have no idea what to call it, and it's inconsistency is frustrating, but when it runs smooth it's a beautiful thing to watch.

[WrenFGun]

I could watch Wofford all day. Love the way they play.

[IBleedYellow]

Bison fans, Clenz is just grumpy and arguing semantics. Don't take the bait.

[clenz]

Bison fans, Clenz is just grumpy and arguing semantics. Don't take the bait.
The semantics I'm arguing aren't wrong....FWIW

NDSU uses the power I very well. Probably more than anyone in the FCS. However, it could easily be argued NDSU is a spread team using power concepts. If you want to call it a power I offense with spread concepts - I'm good with that as well.

To call it a pro-set offense, though, isn't correct.xcoffeexxhighfivexxslapfightx

[IBleedYellow]

The semantics I'm arguing aren't wrong....FWIW

https://media.giphy.com/media/a3zqvrH40Cdhu/giphy.gif
https://media.giphy.com/media/Fml0fgAxVx1eM/giphy.gif
https://media.giphy.com/media/Fml0fgAxVx1eM/giphy.gif

[clenz]

https://media.giphy.com/media/a3zqvrH40Cdhu/giphy.gif
https://media.giphy.com/media/Fml0fgAxVx1eM/giphy.gif
https://media.giphy.com/media/Fml0fgAxVx1eM/giphy.gifhttps://img.memecdn.com/the-girl-on-fire_fb_7085451.jpg

[IBleedYellow]

Lord knows it's not my password. :D

[NorthChuckSouth]

A lot of our success came from holding the ball, mostly consisting of runs - controlling the line of scrimmage, and winning the time of possession. You effectively do this then your chances of winning increase.

[Go...gate]

I use to love watching that wishbone Ga. Southern ran back in the 80s and 90s

Yes. They had discipline, power and speed. It was a pleasure to watch. Almost as good as the GA Southern uniforms!

[centennial]

The semantics I'm arguing aren't wrong....FWIW

NDSU uses the power I very well. Probably more than anyone in the FCS. However, it could easily be argued NDSU is a spread team using power concepts. If you want to call it a power I offense with spread concepts - I'm good with that as well.

To call it a pro-set offense, though, isn't correct.xcoffeexxhighfivexxslapfightx


This is the definition of pro style offense from wiki.



Part of the complexity of the offense is that teams at the professional level often employ multiple formations and are willing to use them at any point during an actual game. One example might be that a team uses a Strong I formation run (FB lined up where the TE is located on the line of scrimmage) on 1st Down followed up by a running play out of the Ace formation on second down before attempting a pass on 3rd down out of a two-WR shotgun formation.

Another aspect of the complexity is that the running game is primarily built on zone blocking or involves a power run scheme. The passing game as a result often employs play-action, often with the QB dropping back from under center, as a means of passing the ball while building on the running game.


I would say NDSU does partially use a pro style offense, but does heavily borrow some spread concepts. Also uses some West Coast, Erhardt-Perkins concepts. When Carson was getting drafted I saw some analysts call NDSU a multi system offense.

If you compare NDSU vs some NFL teams there are some commonalities. Using different formations, using FB, zone blocking, power blocking, overloading lines. NDSU's offense IMO is some kind of power- spread- wco hybrid.

[GodHelpTheBears]

We can't do a line em up, run style offense where we are. The big front 7s up north would beat on us even worse than they are now. The linemen we can get simply cannot compete.

Now, if we started trying that Willie Fritz bull**** with the B backs and the dudes who run 4.5s and can't throw a ball more than 10 yards, we might (might) get somewhere, especially since that offense tells its rabbit linemen to go for the knees and just forget about actual blocking. We'd still suck, but at the very least we'd be aesthetically interesting.

[citdog]

We can't do a line em up, run style offense where we are. The big front 7s up north would beat on us even worse than they are now. The linemen we can get simply cannot compete.

Now, if we started trying that Willie Fritz bull**** with the B backs and the dudes who run 4.5s and can't throw a ball more than 10 yards, we might (might) get somewhere, especially since that offense tells its rabbit linemen to go for the knees and just forget about actual blocking. We'd still suck, but at the very least we'd be aesthetically interesting.

If I was y'all I'd hire someone off of the staff at Navy or Georgia Tech and I'd run the option. It really levels the field.

[BEAR]

UCA rushes the ball 65% of the time. Not sure if it's to run the clock but we have used up to 8 different rushers in a game.

[Schism55]

If I was y'all I'd hire someone off of the staff at Navy or Georgia Tech and I'd run the option. It really levels the field.
This man knows of what he speaks. If I was a consistently moribound program, I'd absolutely should give it a 4 year trial.

[GodHelpTheBears]

If I was y'all I'd hire someone off of the staff at Navy or Georgia Tech and I'd run the option. It really levels the field.

We play Tulane in 2019.

Not only will I do everything in my power to be in New Orleans for that, I am intrigued by their offensive coordinator Doug Ruse. He shredded defenses at WIU (Valley experience) and Sam (Texas recruiting experience). He has a degree from Northwest Missouri State, so he has in-state roots. Too bad we're stuck with Stec until 2021, he checks each box on my sheet.

[BisonTru]

UNI is adding power i back into the offense, but it's still mostly a spread style. Shot gun probably 75% of the time. However, we have at least 1 TE or a FB in on 80% of our plays. Many plays have 2 TEs

We suck at it right now, but even though the offense is in the gun the blocking schemes and formations of the TEs and WRs, the route trees, the reads and checks, etc... are all more pro concept that spread concept.

Spread is such a broad word that it's tough. Techinically any team that runs shot gun more than occasionally is spread. However, a spread like UNI - or even SDSU runs - is very different than what most people think of when "spread" is used.

People associate spread offense with the read option or the air raid. Think Baylor, Oregon State, Hawaii, EWU, TCU, Okie State, wherever Rich Rod is, Ole Miss under Hugh Freeze, Urban Meyer etc... They are all run out of a spread formation, but schematically they are very different.

There are 4 (3 in my mind as the last two seem similar enough) main types of spread

Air raid: Chuck that pigskin as many times and as fast as possible

Read option: They want the spread formation to spread people out. They aren't looking to run anyone over, they're looking to run around/through defenders..."hit em where they ain't" so to speak. Typically not trying to over power anyone. Ole Miss (with Freeze) is an example of a spread run team. They run a ton of zone, but aren't looking to over power at the LOS. It's all about leveraging gaps and defenders.

Smash-mouth spread: what UNI is failing at right now, what NDSU does even if they don't want to admit they are spread, SDSU, Ohio State (Meyer using midwest boys rather than southern boys), etc... if you look only at the OL, WRs and TEs it could pass as a power i set. It isn't until you see a QB in a gun look that it becomes a "spread"

Pro-style spread: Think Lane Kiffin here. It's a pro style concept but it's more uptempo and more spread out than the smash mouth. Tend to use more spacing, tempo and option looks to creat balance.

It's very tough to really put teams in either smash-mouth or pro-style spread looks. Formationally they are similar. scheme they are mostly similar, route trees are mostly similar. The smashmouth tends to be just a touch more physical than the pro-style.


What's also interesting, is that if you google a pro set offense the #1 formation that comes out with it is a split back look with a HB and FB. Not an I, not an offset I, not a single I, not a wing I. It's a split back system.

http://www.usafl.net/home/images/PPP-chalk-PSET.jpg


About 85-90% of the images are that. What's also interesting is that the "true" proset always has the back offset the QB. It's not an I system.


The I formation is an offense all it's own. In the I formation offense you'll have the single, stacked, Maryland, power, wing, offset, ace (which is actually a spread concept), angl, etc... and combo of these to create new looks


When 99% of the fans say "pro-style" offense, what they mean is I formation. It's called "pro-style" because it's what was common in the NFL in the 80s and 90s when film study became a thing for the general fan to understand. It's the same reasons basketball positions are now labeled the way they are.

NDSU does not run a "pro-set". They run a a power version of the I formation with a lot of spread concepts. NDSU runs spread just as much as pretty much anyone else. Look how wide your WRs get. Look how often, even in the under center single I you've got 3 or 4 WRs out there.

NDSU runs a spread concept - they just use the power blocking scheme in front of it.

You're talking pro-set. I'm talking pro-style. Centennial did a good job defining it.

I'll give you that spread is basically involved in almost every offense somewhat somewhere and you could literally call most offense some form of spread.

If I could define the two varieties I'm talking about it would be:

Pro-Style
-Huddles
-Quarterback goes under center
-Complex with many looks
-Long verbiage
-Clock eating

College Style
-Simpler
-No huddle
-Quarterback in the shotgun
-Linemen don't put their hand in the ground
-Plays are called with pictures
-Up tempo (high play count)

Those are basically the two far extremes. Most offenses are somewhere in the middle but every offense can be seen farther towards one direction or the other. NDSU is closer to pro-style than college-style as I defined it.

[Bison Fan in NW MN]

The semantics I'm arguing aren't wrong....FWIW

NDSU uses the power I very well. Probably more than anyone in the FCS. However, it could easily be argued NDSU is a spread team using power concepts. If you want to call it a power I offense with spread concepts - I'm good with that as well.

To call it a pro-set offense, though, isn't correct.xcoffeexxhighfivexxslapfightx




What you posted earlier is true. NDSU coaches call it a pro-set but with their own variations of the "power west coast" they call it. NDSU does run some spread the last few years after Jensen.

Whatever a guy wants to call it, I prefer power running game and play-action over chuck the ball spread offenses.

[BisonTru]

What you posted earlier is true. NDSU coaches call it a pro-set but with their own variations of the "power west coast" they call it. NDSU does run some spread the last few years after Jensen.

Whatever a guy wants to call it, I prefer power running game and play-action over chuck the ball spread offenses.

I'm all for innovation as football is always evolving but I agree with staying true to clock management and letting the rams put their hand in the ground and lean on their front 7. Some college lineman never stick their hand in the ground in four years of play.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[skinny_uncle]

The top two FCS teams (JMU and NDSU) lean heavily on the run but there is is a huge variety in the FCS. FCS coaches are probably more open to experimentation than FBS coaches.

[BisonFan02]

NDSU is run oriented.....but it is even more slanted so far due to scores. #runclock

[Bisonoline]

NDSU is run oriented.....but it is even more slanted so far due to scores. #runclock

I honked when I went thru Wadena today. Hows that BBQ joint?

[BisonFan02]

I honked when I went thru Wadena today. Hows that BBQ joint?

Bitchin'.......set menu for lunch. Tuesday is Brisket...Wed is smoked Turkey....today was roast beef. You can get ribs every day.

They cater too.....also a pretty good deli/retail for any meats you can think of.....available as a processor. Decent brats/sausage....Its a frequent haunt for sure.

[Bisonoline]

Bitchin'.......set menu for lunch. Tuesday is Brisket...Wed is smoked Turkey....today was roast beef. You can get ribs every day.

I may have to go that route again. Had to go to Brainerd before coming to Fargo. Nice drive.

[BisonFan02]

I may have to go that route again. Had to go to Brainerd before coming to Fargo. Nice drive.

Yeah. Goofy hours though. They're not open on Sunday and close at 5:30 or 6 (I forget).

[Bisonoline]

Yeah. Goofy hours though. They're not open on Sunday and close at 5:30 or 6 (I forget).

7am -6. Start serving at 11. I guess they have a meat market there.

[The Pud]

If I am not mistaken, I believe the wishbone was created by a high school coach in Texas (Emerory Bellard I think). Can anyone confirm or deny this?

[BisonFan02]

7am -6. Start serving at 11. I guess they have a meat market there.

Yup. The food serving more or less just promotes their catering and grocery. It's pretty good stuff.

[McNeese75]

If I am not mistaken, I believe the wishbone was created by a high school coach in Texas (Emerory Bellard I think). Can anyone confirm or deny this?

Wikipedia says you are correct

[Reign of Terrier]

On the FCS level, I'm not surprised there's more run-based teams than not. I think EWU is the exception, but I don't really remember any pass-first team making a deep run in the playoffs (Old Dominion maybeeee?). I'll admit I'm not as spry or up to date on national trends (I haven't voted in the AGS top 25 in like 5 years), but I think there are a few trends that make this assessment make sense:

>MVFC and Socon habits: The MVFC is without a doubt the best conference in the division and they do it with old big 10 style football. Lots of running and ball control and good defense. The Socon, on the other hand has had at least 2 option teams in the league for the past 7 years or so. I think it's a general strategy among balanced teams to run the ball more but pass if you're behind big. Option teams usually aren't up huge and I think that creates the tendency to run more in those team. Consider it a virtuous cycle

>Talent Level + positioning: Ball control wins games. unlike High school ball and sub-d1 ball, I would argue there's more parity between FCS top-tier talent and G5 mid-tier talent. Creativity doesn't win games as much as consistency does. I would argue that air raid offenses and option offenses aren't as consistent as run-first pro-set teams. The demand for more consistency complemented with a ceiling in terms of talent together makes a run-first trend likely.

> Trends in the overall game: About 10 years ago, everyone was running the spread. It was a huge innovation. But the spread can go wrong if you can't protect your QB (arguably the design of the system came about to offset OL weaknesses). Now I think teams are going back to a more pro-set offense. It's more straight forward, strength-on-strength. Pro sets can air it out on you and control the clock with a good run game. I wouldn't be surprised if FCS is following that trend.

[cx500d]

If I am not mistaken, I believe the wishbone was created by a high school coach in Texas (Emerory Bellard I think). Can anyone confirm or deny this?

But he did it as the OC at Texas, not in high school.

[Twentysix]

Reply to OP:

Its also super early in the season so a lot of the games have been against absolute garbage FCS programs or DII programs.

The talent disparity and level of blowouts could be worse than they are in early season FBS games. Often times that leads to a lot of running so that the game isn't 200-0.



I bet the chosen stat of the author will level out a lot more by week 9 or 10.

The FCS also has a couple really good programs in conferences that are, for lack of a better word, ****.

Could you imagine if Ohio State played in the MAC instead of the B10?

Thats kind of what JSU is/was. A few more conferences are candidates for whacky stats like that. Conferences where every team or nearly every team in the league is ****ty and a single team emerges as a national title contender and runs completely roughshod over the others.

These kinds of outliers help the author's weirdly cherry picked statistical category thrive.

[JSUSoutherner]

Reply to OP:

Its also super early in the season so a lot of the games have been against absolute garbage FCS programs or DII programs.

The talent disparity and level of blowouts could be worse than they are in early season FBS games. Often times that leads to a lot of running so that the game isn't 200-0.



I bet the chosen stat of the author will level out a lot more by week 9 or 10.

The FCS also has a couple really good programs in conferences that are, for lack of a better word, ****.

Could you imagine if Ohio State played in the MAC instead of the B10?

Thats kind of what JSU is/was. A few more conferences are candidates for whacky stats like that. Conferences where every team or nearly every team in the league is ****ty and a single team emerges as a national title contender and runs completely roughshod over the others.

These kinds of outliers help the author's weirdly cherry picked statistical category thrive.

The fact we run the ball a lot has nothing to do with our conference. The run game has been a big part of Grass's scheme since he was a HS coach. We often have a run: pass ratio of around 2 or 2.5:1 regardless of opponent. We only threw the ball 14 times against Tech.

[CID1990]

SoCon: "Hold our beer...."

[Twentysix]

The fact we run the ball a lot has nothing to do with our conference. The run game has been a big part of Grass's scheme since he was a HS coach. We often have a run: pass ratio of around 2 or 2.5:1 regardless of opponent. We only threw the ball 14 times against Tech.

But you can run it even more when you are never behind because everyone else in your conference is a flaming bag of ****.

[JSUSoutherner]

But you can run it even more when you are never behind because everyone else in your conference is a flaming bag of ****.

We actually average more rushing yards in the playoffs than we do in OVC play.

I get what you're saying, but we aren't a good example of that. The only three teams that have stopped our run game since Grass has been HC are LSU Michigan State, and NDSU.

[uni88]

I use to love watching that wishbone Ga. Southern ran back in the 80s and 90sFlexbone?

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[clenz]

Flexbone?

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Yup.

Basically what Cal Poly, Wofford, etc.. run now.

The wishbone and wing t are basically dead. Most/all non spread option teams run the flexbone

[CID1990]

Yup.

Basically what Cal Poly, Wofford, etc.. run now.

The wishbone and wing t are basically dead. Most/all non spread option teams run the flexbone

We run several plays out of the wishbone - but we start in the flexbone and then both A backs motion in

I could swear I saw us in a Wing T formation on the goal line once last year

[Reign of Terrier]

In Wofford's offense the flexbone and the wingbone are the same thing

[clenz]

In Wofford's offense the flexbone and the wingbone are the same thing
As "picky" as I've been about terminology in this thread, I'll agree to this.

The flex and wing options are basically the same thing in many ways

[uni88]

Yup.

Basically what Cal Poly, Wofford, etc.. run now.

The wishbone and wing t are basically dead. Most/all non spread option teams run the flexbone

I know. I was just pointing out that GSU didn't run the wishbone back then.

Gus Malzahn's offense is based on the wing T so it's evolved and hasn't really died.

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