BYU's offense - what's it to you?

[Eddie]

While BYU's offense is struggling, I keep hearing from folks who complain that they aren't throwing it enough. Some here have said that there is too much option. To be quite frank - I don't care if BYU has an offense that is focused on passing or running...just score points baby! What are your thoughts?

[RC Vikings]

While BYU's offense is struggling, I keep hearing from folks who complain that they aren't throwing it enough. Some here have said that there is too much option. To be quite frank - I don't care if BYU has an offense that is focused on passing or running...just score points baby! What are your thoughts?

A BYU offense centered around a running attack is going to be boring. Just throw the damn ball.

[Eddie]

A BYU offense centered around a running attack is going to be boring. Just throw the damn ball.

Part of the reason I ask the question is that I've often heard the local radio honks talk about how BYU fans won't be happy to just win games - they have to throw the ball and win.

I've always thought that was a little silly. 1996, with Jenkins and McKenzie running all over Utah, was one of my favorite rivalry games. And Sark threw very few passes that day.

I suppose I can understand that there is some excitement for a high octane offense with lots of throwing the ball around. Sure, great. But personally I prefer that BYU do whatever it takes to score points and win.

Now - to put this in context - I'm not suggesting the offensive approach should change every year or every game, etc. I'm suggesting that whoever the OC is - I can live with whatever kind of offense they want to bring, so long as BYU is scoring points and winning games. I don't care if it is option, spread, pro set, etc. I just want them to score some points and win.

I'm curious if BYU fans are truly concerned with HOW they win - or if they just want to win.

[The_Douger]

I prefer we pass and have offenses that mirror the good years over the last decade, which were a mix of passing and runing.

[Pelado]

Part of the reason I ask the question is that I've often heard the local radio honks talk about how BYU fans won't be happy to just win games - they have to throw the ball and win.

I've always thought that was a little silly. 1996, with Jenkins and McKenzie running all over Utah, was one of my favorite rivalry games. And Sark threw very few passes that day.

I suppose I can understand that there is some excitement for a high octane offense with lots of throwing the ball around. Sure, great. But personally I prefer that BYU do whatever it takes to score points and win.

Now - to put this in context - I'm not suggesting the offensive approach should change every year or every game, etc. I'm suggesting that whoever the OC is - I can live with whatever kind of offense they want to bring, so long as BYU is scoring points and winning games. I don't care if it is option, spread, pro set, etc. I just want them to score some points and win.

I'm curious if BYU fans are truly concerned with HOW they win - or if they just want to win.

I'm a big fan of winning. I want the offense scoring points any way they can - except for turnovers returned for touchdowns. Not a big fan of those.

[Flystripper]

While BYU's offense is struggling, I keep hearing from folks who complain that they aren't throwing it enough. Some here have said that there is too much option. To be quite frank - I don't care if BYU has an offense that is focused on passing or running...just score points baby! What are your thoughts?

BYU needs to run an offense that suits its traditional recruiting base.

1. Tight ends need to be used early and often as this is a position that BYU has always recruited well.

2. Powerful running backs that run north and south with good pad level coupled with great hands out of the backfield. Once in a while BYU gets decent speed at this position but BYU will consistently be able to recruit powerful backs with good hands and great blocking ability.

3. Quarterbacks with marginal athleticism and speed, but above average smarts and passing ability are what BYU will always be able to recruit. Successful spread option teams have a QB like the kind that Chip Kelley gets every year. BYU does not recruit this type of athlete, and needs to stay away from this type of offense.

Once in a while BYU will get an athlete that is able to do more than what a traditional BYU offense would offer (Hill is maybe a good example of this) and adding in a few wrinkles to exploit that athleticism fine, but you can't completely abandon and revamp an offense based on this one player over what will work in the long run. Doing that messes with everything in the program from recruiting to execution and is a HUGE mistake.

[Green Monstah]

BYU needs to run an offense that suits its traditional recruiting base.

1. Tight ends need to be used early and often as this is a position that BYU has always recruited well.

2. Powerful running backs that run north and south with good pad level coupled with great hands out of the backfield. Once in a while BYU gets decent speed at this position but BYU will consistently be able to recruit powerful backs with good hands and great blocking ability.

3. Quarterbacks with marginal athleticism and speed, but above average smarts and passing ability are what BYU will always be able to recruit. Successful spread option teams have a QB like the kind that Chip Kelley gets every year. BYU does not recruit this type of athlete, and needs to stay away from this type of offense.

Once in a while BYU will get an athlete that is able to do more than what a traditional BYU offense would offer (Hill is maybe a good example of this) and adding in a few wrinkles to exploit that athleticism fine, but you can't completely abandon and revamp an offense based on this one player over what will work in the long run. Doing that messes with everything in the program from recruiting to execution and is a HUGE mistake.

Especially with this Mangum kid coming in. The last thing I want is for another highly tauted QB recruit running from the program (as I understand it, he's a pocket QB).

[San Juan Sun]

The BYU offense is primarily a pro-style offense utilizing linked passing routes to stretch the defense horizontally/vertically, allowing sons of Orem WRs/TEs to exploit defensive pass coverage mistakes. It was designed to allow accurate, pocket QBs to find holes for smart-but-physically-less-effective receivers against more "talented" opponents. It uses the pass to set up the run, most famously the "draw trap".

It does not feature speed options to the short side of the field, or regular QB draws. It does not force young QBs to throw only short routes against Florida State and Air Force. It does not isolate fat linemen against athletic DEs with ridiculous splits.

It does not lose to Utah very often. It does not look sluggish against Weber State. It laughs at Utah State. It does not watch a great defense hold Boise State without an offensive TD, and still lose.

It does set NCAA records for offense, year after year. Even with new QBs. Even in the worst years, it scores points and goes to bowl games. It places head coaches in the NCAA Hall of Fame, assistants in the NFL, it's best players in Super Bowls, and it's good players on NFL squads. It gets kids drafted.

It also makes BYU distinctive, drawing positive attention the the school and it's sponsoring institutions. On ocassion, it beats teams it shouldn't. It never wins by 9 instead of 2. It mitigates the recruiting restrictions of the school. It's exciting to watch (the sponsoring institution's TV station still shows old games), and built two generations of fans. Even with great basketball players, it keeps BYU a football school.

The BYU offense is many good things. Unfortunately, it went extinct sometime in the late 1990s. No one seems to know how to bring it back. And even worse, a rising generation of casual fans wouldn't recognize it, even if it busted a 60 yard post in the middle of their fat, faux-hawked foreheads.

[Eddie]

BYU needs to run an offense that suits its traditional recruiting base....

Generally I agree. It makes the most sense for BYU to implement an offense that relies on the kind of players they are likely to be able to recruit.

...Once in a while BYU will get an athlete that is able to do more than what a traditional BYU offense would offer (Hill is maybe a good example of this) and adding in a few wrinkles to exploit that athleticism fine, but you can't completely abandon and revamp an offense based on this one player over what will work in the long run. Doing that messes with everything in the program from recruiting to execution and is a HUGE mistake.

I generally agree with this concept as well. You can't completely change your offense based on the players you have. You can add wrinkles to take advantage of specific skills/abilities.

Understand - my question is more of a philosophical one. I'm not necessarily speaking of this particular team or players. I'm simply saying that in a very general sense - I don't care what kind of offense BYU runs. I just want it to be effective and score points.

With that in mind - if they are able to consistently recruit players to implement a different offense than what BYU has historically run - making a switch doesn't bother me.


Now - for those who think for some reason I'm trying to set a trap or who insist in relating it to this year's specific team...

I think it is silly to build an entire offense around one player. I think it diminishes your ability to have consistency as the plays will have to change from year to year and you lose the benefit of upperclassmen players who gain confidence and improve from repetition of the same general plays. I also agree with the idea that BYU's traditional recruiting base seems to be one that favors large but not very quick OL, cerebral QB's who can throw, powerful RB's who can block & catch, disciplined WR's who run good/great routs and don't drop passes, and TE's that seem to be above average for the norm. And it seems kind of obvious what kind of offense this collective group is most suited for.

It also seems pretty obvious from my spot on the couch in front of my TV as to what BYU is doing wrong - too many QB runs, not enough power running or quick hits to the edge, not enough use of the TE - particularly over the middle, not at least threatening to throw deep and keep the safeties interested in the passing game, etc.

I'm just saying that if the offensive staff has a means of recruiting players and successfully implementing another offensive philosophy - good for them. Just score more points than the other team!

And I have a hard time imagining why anyone would care what kind of offense their team runs - if they are running it successfully and winning. But apparently some do.

[Indy Coug]

I like a multiple offense that forces defense to be honest. Of course, the trick is having personnel good enough to be effective in multiple sets. The 2001 BYU offense was a thing of beauty that could beat you any number of ways -- from the option to the triple_TE power sets to the 5 wide. Nelson is a poor man's Doman and we don't have the RBs - so the multiple sets just aren't that effective this year.

[MarkGrace]

Just score points. I don't dislike Riley's game because he runs. I dislike Riley's game because he doesn't have a sufficient arm or the legs/running ability to justify that arm. Just not a good combo.

[Blueintheface]

BYU's offense - what's it to you?

An epileptic seizure.

[Bo Diddley]

At first I thought it was one of the worst offenses in modern BYU history. And then I think about some of the talent we have, and I conclude that it is by far the most under-performing BYU offense we've had.

[thesaint258]

The BYU offense is primarily a pro-style offense utilizing linked passing routes to stretch the defense horizontally/vertically, allowing sons of Orem WRs/TEs to exploit defensive pass coverage mistakes. It was designed to allow accurate, pocket QBs to find holes for smart-but-physically-less-effective receivers against more "talented" opponents. It uses the pass to set up the run, most famously the "draw trap".

It does not feature speed options to the short side of the field, or regular QB draws. It does not force young QBs to throw only short routes against Florida State and Air Force. It does not isolate fat linemen against athletic DEs with ridiculous splits.

It does not lose to Utah very often. It does not look sluggish against Weber State. It laughs at Utah State. It does not watch a great defense hold Boise State without an offensive TD, and still lose.

It does set NCAA records for offense, year after year. Even with new QBs. Even in the worst years, it scores points and goes to bowl games. It places head coaches in the NCAA Hall of Fame, assistants in the NFL, it's best players in Super Bowls, and it's good players on NFL squads. It gets kids drafted.

It also makes BYU distinctive, drawing positive attention the the school and it's sponsoring institutions. On ocassion, it beats teams it shouldn't. It never wins by 9 instead of 2. It mitigates the recruiting restrictions of the school. It's exciting to watch (the sponsoring institution's TV station still shows old games), and built two generations of fans. Even with great basketball players, it keeps BYU a football school.

The BYU offense is many good things. Unfortunately, it went extinct sometime in the late 1990s. No one seems to know how to bring it back. And even worse, a rising generation of casual fans wouldn't recognize it, even if it busted a 60 yard post in the middle of their fat, faux-hawked foreheads.

Amen!

[FMCoug]

As of now I would be happy with any offense that gains yards and puts points on the board. Beggars can't be choosers.