Offense and a needed change

[Bullsfan2000]

I just want to know what everyone thinks about this topic. Will USF ever be a power house team if we have to rely on the quarterback so much? With Grothe and now B.J. they both lead are team in rushing each year. I don't know if they can get up and play every game with so much pressure on them. When they play great we win but when their not so hot we can't do anything. No other team in world is this dependent on a player than we are. I think it has a lot to do with the offensive system that hasn't changed in 5 years. If were on and playin great we're hard to contain. I just don't think this style can work for a full season. I could be way off but its always the same old story our QB has to have the game of his life to get a win.

[CousinRicky]

I don't believe our offensive system works well in the Big East.  Thus the carnage after Rutgers, Cinci, Pitt.  They play D well against our system.  And I think it explains why we seem to do pretty well out of conference.  But when teams see it year after year....

It doesn't appear that USF asks their O-Line to drive block and blow people off the ball.  Either that or they just can't do it.  With our version of the spread it seems we just try to get in the way long enough for the QB to make something happen.  Again, it could just be a matter of execution.

But how do you switch systems when you are recruiting players that fit your system.  You would be talking about a turnaround much like Michigan is going through with Rich Rod trying to put his style offense in.  It takes the right people plus at least 4 years.

If CJL wanted to go to a more traditional offense, he would need to recruit different type (larger) linemen, QBs and maybe RBs.  So although I don't think it works well in the Big East, I'm not sure if there is a change forthcoming.

[Cow Pie]

We need need a new offensive scheme and an o line that can block... can't blame Leavitt for this... its not his fault the University goes cheap on the Coord's compared to other State programs.

If Mangino gets canned then we need to lure him down here with money or a cupcake on a string...

[Orlando Bull]

First, I think UF depends on Tebow as much as we do our QB. When they need tough yards, they ALWAYS call his number.

As for changing a system, it really doesn't take that long. We switched from the Blackwell "throw it around" offense to the Andre Hall "we're running try to stop us" offense pretty quickly, then to the MG spread. The BJ spread is a little different because of arm strength and athleticism. CJL had some quotes about BJ and Canales getting on the same page.

What I don't think you will see is very high draft picks coming out of our offense unless someone like Mitchell has a great senior year (he has NFL measurables). Only a WR has a chance at this point in my opinion.

I really don't think RU or Cincy shut down our "system" this year. They confused our Fr. QB, but they left some plays open, often when we hit those plays, our WRs had drops. Pitt pretty well shut us down, but I think that was our coaching staff getting way too conservative with BJ (and possibly rightly so after his ego may have been getting a little big).

I haven't had a chance to watch the UL game yet (out of town over the weekend), but from listening to the game and the stats, we had some sustained drives. If we can continue to do that (read - do it against good teams), our system will be fine. We do need to establish a run game. If we think it is bad now with Ford and Taylor both having NFL potential, it's going to be really bad when no decent running back wants to sign with us because we do not use them.

[Bull-by-Marriage]

Some of us have been discussing this exact topic in another thread (linked). As you will see, I think that we should look long and hard about implementing a modified version of FSU's fastbreak Offense they ran with Charlie Ward.

http://thebullspen.com/index.php?topic=66283.0

[BULLfreak]

it seems to work well for Cincy

[IncrediBULL]

I just want to know what everyone thinks about this topic. Will USF ever be a power house team if we have to rely on the quarterback so much? With Grothe and now B.J. they both lead are team in rushing each year. I don't know if they can get up and play every game with so much pressure on them. When they play great we win but when their not so hot we can't do anything. No other team in world is this dependent on a player than we are. I think it has a lot to do with the offensive system that hasn't changed in 5 years. If were on and playin great we're hard to contain. I just don't think this style can work for a full season. I could be way off but its always the same old story our QB has to have the game of his life to get a win.

I agree with you.  I think we have been fortunate to have Grothe and Daniels, but too much of the success or failure rides on those two people as they are the bulk of our offensive production.  I am not sure when we start bringing in killer WR's and RB's, but we need that.  I do think that if we had Andre Hall on the squad right now, we'd probably have two less losses.

[Bull94]

We need need a new offensive scheme and an o line that can block... can't blame Leavitt for this... its not his fault the University goes cheap on the Coord's compared to other State programs.

If Mangino gets canned then we need to lure him down here with money or a cupcake on a string...

please stop with the money excuse.

UF pays their OC a whopping $7k a year more than we do.

Central Michigan pays their OC $90k less than we do.  They still manage to field a decent offense.

BTW the line falls on CJL. He signs them. If he needs someone else to recruit and develop a decent line then he needs to make that move.

[ajusf16]

we will be a power house

we need cornfed fatties from the midwest

[nobull.Bulls]

Some slightly better RBs will help. But we can win the big east with this offense