Sports Illustrated Blood, Sweat and Chalk

[AU! 0]

So I've recently (this summer) taken an interest in learning the intricacies of football. It started with widening the breadth of football blogs in my RSS reader. (Dr. Saturday is a must-read). But recently, the aforementioned Dr. Saturday posted a list of books that he is currently reading. One of the books on the list is a book titled Sports Illustrated Blood, Sweat and Chalk The Ultimate Football Playbook: How the great coaches built Today's Game (I know, quite a title, right?) By Tim Layden.

Anyway, each chapter quite literally takes a popular football formation or scheme, such as the Single Wing or the Wildcat, and dedicates a chapter to it. It goes into great depth with interviews from coaches and players to find the true origins of some of the great schemes that have changed the game.

ANYWAY, (they should pay me for such a glowing recommendation as well as the fact that I'm about to sell like 30 books for them) here's a great excerpt that I literally just read in the chapter on the Wildcat (not named for K State, go figure) where one Gus Malzahn is interviewed. Any typo's are most likely mine, Enjoy!

The desk in Malzahn's office at Tulsa is absolutely clean. It is clean because Malzahn spends almost no time in this room, but rather in the meeting room next door, scrawling offensive sets on a white board and studying tape in the darkness. Malzahn, 43 on this day in 2008, is a football lifer.

<Skipping info on Malzahn's past, get to book to read it>

Among Malzahn's players at Springdale was a fast flanker named Dusty Johnson, who had also been a junior high quarterback. Malzahn ruminated on creative ways to get Johnson the football and attack the defense. Eventually Malzahn put Johnson in the shotgun and ran a variety of plays: a quarterback power series, a reverse and a speed sweep to a wingback cutting across the formation - exactly as the Dolphins would run seven years later with Ronnie Brown handing off to Ricky Williams. "We had pretty good success with it," says Malzahn. "People started asking me if I had any background in the single wing. I didn't know what they meant."

Malzhan was named offensive coordinator at the University of Arakansas in 2005 and began effectively using the formation with Darren McFadden (who would land in the NFL with the Oakland Raiders) in the tailback position and Felix Jones (who would go to the Dallas Cowboys) as a wingback running the speed sweep. "I brought the quarterback power [run] and speed sweep with me to Arkansas," says Malzahn. "One of my good friends coached McFadden and told me that McFadden had some experience playing quarterback when he was younger. Well, that's just the kind of guy you want back there because he's a threat to throw it too. Felix Jones could fly, so he was the perfect speed sweep guy. In a key '06 game, McFadden rushed for 181 yards and two touchdowns and threw for a third in a win over Tennessee. ESPN's GameDay crew was in attendance. "My phone started ringing pretty good after that game," says Malzahn.

He also goes on in that chapter to talk about how no NFL team has been able to run a predominantly Wildcat offense because there hasn't been a quarterback yet that is an incredible passer as well as an effective and durable (durability is key) runner. They talk about how Tebow might be the guy that gets it started, but they hint that he's built for running. I'll leave you with this final quote and let you interpret it in your own way (but not really cause we're all thinking the same thing here).

Yet there are those who see the transition to a different kind of player, and a different kind of offense, as inevitable. "There are only so many plays in football; all we're doing is finding different ways to run them all," says [Chan] Gailey. "But there's no escaping the fact that high school and college football are developing a different type of athlete. Pretty soon - I don't know how long, but pretty soon - somebody is going to find an athlete who can run and throw and just take the conventional quarterback off the field."

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Good stuff. The reason the wildcat could never worl full time in thr pros is because they would need 15 qbs on staff to play a season. NFL defenses bring it every week not like ark state, utc and la monroe.

[ValleyTiger 2,894]

Good stuff. The reason the wildcat could never worl full time in thr pros is because they would need 15 qbs on staff to play a season. NFL defenses bring it every week not like ark state, utc and la monroe.

The Wildcat isn't used as a "full time" offense. It has had its success in the NFL. The reason it is harder to be successful in the Wildcat in the NFL is because the defenders are more savvy.

[ziggyg 2]

Good stuff. The reason the wildcat could never worl full time in thr pros is because they would need 15 qbs on staff to play a season. NFL defenses bring it every week not like ark state, utc and la monroe.

The Wildcat isn't used as a "full time" offense. It has had its success in the NFL. The reason it is harder to be successful in the Wildcat in the NFL is because the defenders are more savvy.

More savvy but also much bigger stronger faster at every position. The wild cat can work in situational downs BUT the every down qb isnt for most part in that package. Whish is what i was saying the beatings an every down qb would take and he would last a game. Look at Tebow, didnt make it out of the preseason unscathed by injury. Sure it can work for 5-6 plays a game in the pros but it could never be a NFL system.

[ValleyTiger 2,894]

Good stuff. The reason the wildcat could never worl full time in thr pros is because they would need 15 qbs on staff to play a season. NFL defenses bring it every week not like ark state, utc and la monroe.

The Wildcat isn't used as a "full time" offense. It has had its success in the NFL. The reason it is harder to be successful in the Wildcat in the NFL is because the defenders are more savvy.

More savvy but also much bigger stronger faster at every position. The wild cat can work in situational downs BUT the every down qb isnt for most part in that package. Whish is what i was saying the beatings an every down qb would take and he would last a game. Look at Tebow, didnt make it out of the preseason unscathed by injury. Sure it can work for 5-6 plays a game in the pros but it could never be a NFL system.

I understand what you are saying, but that still isn't why the scheme isn't successful. NFL teams understand that you cannot put a QB back there to run the formation so they use a RB or WR, guys that can take the beating.

[AU! 0]

Good stuff. The reason the wildcat could never worl full time in thr pros is because they would need 15 qbs on staff to play a season. NFL defenses bring it every week not like ark state, utc and la monroe.

The Wildcat isn't used as a "full time" offense. It has had its success in the NFL. The reason it is harder to be successful in the Wildcat in the NFL is because the defenders are more savvy.

More savvy but also much bigger stronger faster at every position. The wild cat can work in situational downs BUT the every down qb isnt for most part in that package. Whish is what i was saying the beatings an every down qb would take and he would last a game. Look at Tebow, didnt make it out of the preseason unscathed by injury. Sure it can work for 5-6 plays a game in the pros but it could never be a NFL system.

I understand what you are saying, but that still isn't why the scheme isn't successful. NFL teams understand that you cannot put a QB back there to run the formation so they use a RB or WR, guys that can take the beating.

Sure, but imagine Chan Gailey is right. Imagine there is SOMEONE out there that can week after week not only run like a running back, but drop back and make great decisions. If a running back can take the beating, is it so bizarre to imagine a running back that can take the beating AND throw the ball effectively? Or how about a 6-6 wide receiver looking fella that can attack a defense through the air as well as on the ground...

[80Tiger 907]

I actually was having this conversation this morning. The wildcat is somewhat of a fad if you have to bring in a different player to run it. But when every play is a wildcat set (Cam) then it is a legitimate offense. It changes the dynamic of the defense especially from the inside LB and safety position. More and more high schools and colleges are running it. I do believe it will start to seep into the NFL. Think about it, what can of QB would Vick be if he had not had his issues.

[AU! 0]

I actually was having this conversation this morning. The wildcat is somewhat of a fad if you have to bring in a different player to run it. But when every play is a wildcat set (Cam) then it is a legitimate offense. It changes the dynamic of the defense especially from the inside LB and safety position. More and more high schools and colleges are running it. I do believe it will start to seep into the NFL. Think about it, what can of QB would Vick be if he had not had his issues.

I agree, in fact, I think that if their smart up in Philly, Vick will be the first successful full-time wildcat QB. I just wish it had been more popular when we had him in Atlanta.

[ValleyTiger 2,894]

The Wildcat is not a full time offense at any level and never will be in college or the NFL. Vick is great at scrambling out of the pocket, not pounding it up the middle which is what the Wildcat "QB" does. The NFL plays 16 regular season games plus the post season. Auburn fans are worrying about Cam taking as many shots as he has been, just imagine if he was in the NFL trying to run against those guys for at minimum 16 games. Now imagine the frustration if you DID have this player that Gailey is talking about, well what happens if he gets hurt...your offense is full time Wildcat. Kinda hard to adjust?

What is one of the most effective offensive plays in high school and college? One based on the zone read run-pass options with the QB, ala Auburn now and Texas with Vince Young. Any Titans fans here? How many times is Vince running the zone read now? Doesn't work so well in the NFL. Ask Spurrier about how his offense faired in the NFL. It is simply a different game once you get paid guys. Ask Jay Ratliff.