Irony of Our Offensive Struggles

[Hazzard]

I chuckle every time I hear Doman say we need to use the run to set up the pass. It's ironic because the theory that you have to use the run to set up the pass has been debunked for over 40 years and three of the biggest debunkers are BYU guys -- LaVell Edwards, Andy Reid and Mike Leach. (Others include Sid Gillman and Bill Walsh.)

I'm not saying it's not a viable theory to use the run to set up the pass. Plenty of teams still do it. But the teams that do it successfully usually have physically dominating players -- like tailbacks that look a lot more like Darren McFadden and a lot less like J.J. DiLuigi.

It's ironic that 40 years after LaVell saw what Stanford was doing with Jim Plunkett and realized that the only way to play with the big boys was to use the pass to set up the run, we have an offensive coordinator who thinks we have to use the run to set up the pass. BYU does not and normally will not have the personnel to consistently pound elite teams in the run game. We can pound on San Jose State and Idaho and go 8-4 every year, but it's never going to get us to an elite level. Then again, we may never be able to consistently get to an elite level anyway. Either way, I'd rather see us chucking it around 50 times a game so we at least have a shot. And have more fun.

[USCoug]

Sounds good.

Let's start by getting an accurate quarterback.

[MarkGrace]

Good thoughts since this was something I've been meaning to ask about. In the way that we switched to a 3-4 because it's a better fit for the type of talent we attract, I've been wondering if this pro style stuff is best suited to the type of RB we are usually able to field? Based on what I've read elsewhere it seems like you need a real quality back to make this thing work, and we rarely have those. Also, I know doman talked a lot about the te becoming more of a blocking than receiving option in this offense, but again a historic strength for us in terms of personnel has been pass-catching te's.

[jay santos]

I think when the coaches say we have to run to set up the pass, they're conceding the fact that our passing game sucks. If your passing sucks, you do have to run to set up the pass.

[MarkGrace]

I think when the coaches say we have to run to set up the pass, they're conceding the fact that our passing game sucks. If your passing sucks, you do have to run to set up the pass.

Through the first three games I think our running game was worse than our passing attack. Doman was talking a lot of "run to set up the pass" at the beginning of the season, and I think at that point they honestly thought our passing game was going to be good. After the first three games was the first time he started giving off an indication that we were going to attempt to pass to set up the run, and ironically it was the game when we seemed most committed to making the run work. But now that we're hitting some softer teams, I'm going with the SDSU/2nd half UCF game plan of running, running, running and just asking Jake to manage the game until he can get it together a bit more.