• Welcome to Fearless Friday Bulletin Boards. Please login or sign up.

 FF is powered by:        Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Coach Campbell

Started by Uncle Ivan, June 20, 2011, 07:55:31 pm

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Uncle Ivan

It's a badly-kept secret that you read and post on here, but sir, would you mind if some of us fired a few questions at you?  I understand that quite a few coaches read this site; maybe your insight would help them out.  It's a Pick Your Brain kind of thing.

If so, I have a few things to ask.  This is from a purely high-school football standpoint.

1.  The explosion of the spread offense - do you think that the more teams run the spread and pass the ball, the worse defenses get? 

2. With the popularity of the spread offense and more and more teams having to defend against it, does it give more of an edge to straight power-run teams?

3.  Can a power-running team that rarely passes the ball be successful in, say, 7A, with the depth that comes with a 7A team?  Side question: depth is everything, correct?  Is that the main reason why top 7A teams tend to whip top 5A teams?

4.  How long does it take for a good-sized 5A team to shift from a total power-run offense to a spread passing offense?

Coach, what do you think?

27 Trap

1.  Always believe that defenses win championships, your good football teams will play good defense, it's a must in today's game..
2.  The good teams provide or make their own edge, does not make a difference what you run....Coaches must run a offense they believe in and one their players can execute, there is a lot of difference in running a offense than in executing a offense.....Offense football is a combination of timing and execution, when the linemen make their blocks then the back must hit the hole then, not a second later.....when receiver makes his cut the ball must be there....
3. Cabot has been pretty successful in 7A and they run the ball, you can't say one team can't do this or that, year in and year out they are always in the hunt...Of course the 7A West teams have done well lately, they have great facilities and the biggest schools are in their conference, also they have large staffs, they just put a lot of money in their athletic programs.....It's difficult when you have about 700/800 kids to pick from and have to compete with someone who has 2200/2400 to pick from...Depth is a problem, your best five or six top players may be as good as their but they will probably get you on the next six to eight players.....
4. A lot of factors can enter into this, how quickly kids pick up the new offense, some kids pick up it up quickly while others may take more time.....Usually it takes time to develop a offense that the kids understand and can execute..... I took the Sheridan job in 1986 and they were      0-27 and 14-64-1 for the previous eight years but they won seven the first year and eleven the next, had some good kids who worked hard and pick up our system rather quickly......Kids must believe in the Head Coach and trust him to call the right plays....We won a lot of games at Wynne because they thought they were supposed to win when they stepped on the field,  we are creatures of habits and winning is a good habit to have......Was at Wynne for sixteen years and they were 147-46-3 but for the last twelve they were 119-28-3, average ten wins a year , that's not bad but they got on a roll and really believed they were going to win.....Some of the years we had great players but some of those twelve they were not so great but still believed  they were going to win and just went out there and did it......
Also hear this argument that the defense knows what we were going to do and you must change things up to keep them off guard, don't buy that, you don't people  know what Cabot is going to do each year, yet they keep winning 8/9/10 , football is a game of timing and execution, teams that do that the best are the ones who are going to win....

Hoghead

+1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 !

InYoGrill

Thank you very much Coach for the insight.

powerlifter90

"Defense win championships"

Jimbo Morphis


beaverfan007


AirWarren

Sure do miss you on Drivetime on Friday nights coach.

Father Guido

Good stuff.  Love the stuff about winning becoming a habit.  True.  There's a big difference between stepping on the field and "thinking you CAN win", and "knowing you are GOING TO win".

Coach Venny Slocombe

Cool stuff to hear from a legend like Coach Campbell. I always loved the question Rainwater would ask the General after a game on Friday night. "Coach how mnay times did you throw the ball?" The General...twice...lol...I really miss that...

Coach, if you would be so kind to answer a question.

Do you think a Coach Like Clay Totty at Rison could coach in the higher classifications in Arkansas football and be successful? I always thought he could, just wondering what you think.

Coach DePriest, Sheridan

Coach Campbell,

It's an honor to have you on this board.  It's also great to know that you are healthy and doing well. 

I want to let you know that  I have a huge amount of respect for you, especially with myself being a spread guy and you having so much success with an offense that I don't understand.  When we were going into that semifinal game in 2006, we thought we had you guys figured out.  We thought we had your "tells" of what the plays were and such.  What we found out very quickly is exactly what you said in that last paragraph about timing and execution.  It didn't matter if we knew where you guys were going, you were about to run over our butts for another 8 to 12 or 60 yards.  Our staff has talked about that game many times, and we've commented that that was probably the 1 out of 10 games that we would have beat ya'll.  For one, we're still not sure how we ever stopped you.  And two, I don't think 8 out of 9 on 4th downs would ever happen again.

Now that I've said all that, I agree with everything you said was exactly right with one exception.  I believe in today's high school and college game, "Defense wins Championships," is outdated.  I think you have to have a good defense to win, but I just think that offense really has a bit of an edge right now.  There was an article in the Democrat Gazette a few years ago and it was interviewing Barry Lunney about the way the game has changed.  He mentioned that one of the goals they had at Southside was to hold opponents to 7 points a game.  He said there were times when they were close to that.  Then he said that at Bentonville they looked and realized that the year before they had the best defense in the league but had given up 22 points per game.  I know we could probably argue point and counterpoint all day about trivial things such as this, but I thought maybe you might have an interesting perspective on this, especially since you've probably coached in a lot of 7-0 games as well as some shootouts.

Thank you for your time, and thank you for all your years of influencing young men. 

Adam DePriest

Jimbo Morphis

Quote from: Coach Venny Slocombe on June 21, 2011, 08:44:23 am
Cool stuff to hear from a legend like Coach Campbell. I always loved the question Rainwater would ask the General after a game on Friday night. "Coach how mnay times did you throw the ball?" The General...twice...lol...I really miss that...

Coach, if you would be so kind to answer a question.

Do you think a Coach Like Clay Totty at Rison could coach in the higher classifications in Arkansas football and be successful? I always thought he could, just wondering what you think.
lanny has done well moving from 4a mcgehee to west memphis.

beaverfan007


True Believer

I'm from Sheridan.  Coach was and is our hero there.  Thanks Coach Campbell. 

zebradynasty

I agree in my heart with Coach Campbell but in reality good defenses now compared to years past...not the same. The main advantage of the spread it makes you defend the whole field. To defend it you gotta do the basics like you do against any other offensive scheme but the spread has two very large advantages. To shut down a spread offense you have to be able to run.. everyone on defense must be able to move. In the ole days we use to get a couple of 300lbs+ DT's offenses had to double team them and our LB would make all the plays. Usually all the plays happen in the center of the field. Which brings me to the second advantage of the spread it keeps the defense from playing fast and physical. By opening up the entire field spread offenses make the defense make plays in the open it's hard to just run up full speed and break down and make a tackle you have to play more in control.

Those are just some of my thoughts and I specifically referring to high school football. Basically we are in a era that it is harder to field a team with a GREAT defense than one with GREAT offense.

Mr_Deb

I agree with most of that and certainly that defense does indeed still win championships.

However, the 9 yards and a cloud of dust thing will get you a serious headache against bentonville and the likes.... The game has evolved and so have the athletes, now days wouldn't matter if ya had Bo Jackson back there, there would be a 6'3-245, 530 bench. 4.4 linebacker waiting somewhere to meet his tail. And I say that because of the fact of Wynne just flat foot running over guys! The big thing is you aint gonna be able to deal with top athletes/teams in the same "orderly" fashion as others. The execution is not gonna be what its suppose to be and as a consequence the game plan is gonna be affected, ultimately the team is gonna be pushed into a hard spot. 




beaverfan007

Wynne was good cause they had the guys up front to push defense

DB

Can anybody name some recent championships that were won by teams that were known for defense?

On any level.

Mr_Deb

i can agree with that and the fact they had some really incredible to mars and back RBs.

DB

Listen, the reason that I think the Jackets will do better than expected this year is because of the winning tradition that may have been taking a nap for the last few years.  I know Chris Hill well enough to know that they will buy into what he does and who he is.  His personality is infectious.  Trust me on that one.  I KNOW he is about to awaken that winning tradition.  Since he left Morrilton, I've never believed that he would stay at any of his stops for very long until this one.  This is a place that fits him in every way but geography.  If the administration treats him right, he will be in Eastern Arkansas for quite some time.  And it will be so much fun to see what he can do over there.

Father Guido

June 21, 2011, 12:53:56 pm #20 Last Edit: June 21, 2011, 01:15:27 pm by Father Guido
I still believe defense wins Championships, and I think Wynne will do well under Hill.

With the spread offenses being prevalent today, defenses are not going to "shut" most people down for a whole game.  If you look back at most of the "shoot out" games with a ton of points scored, most of those games are won, or the tide turned by a big defensive stop, turnover, or special teams play.  Coach DePreist commented that he didn't know how they stopped Wynne, but they DID enough times, and at the right times.  Almost all the Greenwood/P.A. and Shiloh games were decided by big defensive plays or stops, a three and out, INT, fumble, sack,...or whatever.

The defense is just as important as ever, but in a different way.  The whole mental approach is different.  Keep that other team in front of you, and don't let them cross the goal line, and get the ball back to our offense.  It took a year or two of watching at Greenwood for me to understand, and THIS is where the WYNNE folks will need to be patient, it will be a totally different approach to defense, not lack of defense, or disregard for defense, but after they see a turnover turn inot quick points a few times and the other team starts trying things they wouldn't normally do, and making MORE turnovers then suddenly the game is over,...they'll come around.  Same for the players.  They may be down because, "My dad says we give up WAY too many yards and can't stop anybody.  We suck!"  But once things start to click, and that defense starts to feed off what the offense is doing, and vice versa, they'll be all right.  Open field tackling and flying to the ball will be at a premium, so, yes, it's still very important to have some of your best athletes and most aggressive on the defensive side of the ball.

The answer to Ivan's question #3 is yes, a power running team CAN be successful today, by you have to put points on the board every time, and stopp the other team some.  Classic example was Monticello a few years ago, (sorry Billies,...well, not really), came into Greenwood and ran all over Greenwood's defense for over 300 yards on the ground, with no fumbles, dominated Time of Possession by something like 32-16 or something like that, AND "held" a high powered offense to 35 points.  But lost 35-0.  Had Monticello put points on the board it would have been a close game, instead they ended up running the clock out for the Bulldogs when they had the ball. 

...and keep in mind that switching to the Spread does not necessarily mean an all out pass/no run offense.  Remember the kid from Nettleton who broke all the rushing records while running out of the spread?  Most of Greenwood's team, (except when Wilson was there) have actually been very balanced.  Bobby Petrino's successful template at Louisville was to pass like crazy the first three quarters, then use the run to finish out the game.  Run blocking is different out of the spread because the gaps are bigger and the defense is spread out more.  Down field blocking by recievers becomes more important. 

27 Trap

We had a philosophy there at Wynne that "whatever our opponent did was wrong", they might load the box or do something usual but we felt that left a opening some place else for us to attack.... Had talked with Coach Calley about this and one day at the end of practice in the 2007 All Star game, Terrance Boykin , whom I called "T-Boy" walked by us  and I said that "Whatever they did is what "" and he responded "it's wrong Coach".....Kids believed in our system and its ability to find the weak spots in their defensive schemes, cannot say how important it is for the kids to believe in the Coach and his system....Always felt like we won a lot of games by "playing hard" and by thinking we were supposed to win....Did not feel we were a lot smarter than other people but we sure were simple, did not want to confuse the kids , they had to understand who they were going to block and the back had to know where to run......It's a simple game and we sure don't need to make it hard or complicated for the kids to understand, never had a play book there at Wynne, had about four plays with a lot of schemes and options off those four plays.....Always felt  like the kids needed " see the play" in their mind, get a mental picture of what was going on....My last few years I coached the "slower" I got, we never moved on to something else until we knew exactly what was going on, always felt like that a lot of people try to do too much, me included, that's we were were so successful there at the end......
Must also say this , I had a great bunch of kids to worked with over my 39 yrs of coaching , will always be indebted to them for the effort they gave  and how hard they worked, I was blessed and a lot of the credit goes to them for making things work out the way it did......Also had a lot of great assistant coaches  who worked very hard and to this day mean a lot to me,  THANKS SO MUCH....
Football is a great game and I loved it very much and it was good to me, teaches you a lot of lessons that can only be learned on the field.....

As most of you'll know I have been battling cancer the last few years, had surgery to remove a spot on my lungs about three weeks ago, things went well, they had to take a rib out to get in there to the spot and I have been a little sore over that but I still get out and try to walked a couple of miles each day.....Last night one of my friends called and said that this lady whom I knew well from taking chemo treatments had passed away, my thought and prayers are with her family....We need to realize that good health is a gift from God and we should be thankful , also don't take life for granted , use each day to it's fulllest and enjoy the time we have here on this earth....Have received so many cards and calls from friends, former players and students wishing me the best, it has truly been a blessing to me in hearing from them.....Remember a saying I heard many years ago at FCA Conference, "You only one life, will soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last".  There is a lot of truth to that, just a challenge to let your light shine before others so that they might see what life is all about.....

RATTLER43

Thanks. I appreciate the message. Keep on shining, Coach.

To Guido, that is how we won the title this year:  defense. We and Danville were about evenly matched. Our d-line kept pressure on the QB and we forced fumbles(3 scoop and scores).

27 Trap

Re:   Clay Toddy

Clay is a great coach and can coach football, no doubt he could win on any level.... Interesting note, Clay was playing for Fordyce my first years at Sheridan, still remember our play by play announcer going over their line up and calling out Clay's name....great guy and a good friend of my youngest son Chris....Went to see them play last year in Searcy.....

Another interesting note, last year I sent Coach Paul Calley, the film of our Gurdon game, also my first year at Sheridan......Paul is a great coach, has done a great job there at Bryant, always make it a point to go see his team play each year.......

One of the great things in coaching is making friends and developing relationships, very often a lasting relationship.......Did not know Paul well until the 2007 All Star game, he ran the offense that year, I was the Wal-Mart greeter at practice.....

InYoGrill

This is probably the best written and read thread already this year.  You have all eyes and ears to your posting Coach.

Eddie Goodson

Instant HOF thread. Will spend many minutes reading and rereading this.

Coach Venny Slocombe

Quote from: 27 Trap on June 21, 2011, 03:48:24 pm
Re:   Clay Toddy

Clay is a great coach and can coach football, no doubt he could win on any level.... Interesting note, Clay was playing for Fordyce my first years at Sheridan, still remember our play by play announcer going over their line up and calling out Clay's name....great guy and a good friend of my youngest son Chris....Went to see them play last year in Searcy.....

Another interesting note, last year I sent Coach Paul Calley, the film of our Gurdon game, also my first year at Sheridan......Paul is a great coach, has done a great job there at Bryant, always make it a point to go see his team play each year.......

One of the great things in coaching is making friends and developing relationships, very often a lasting relationship.......Did not know Paul well until the 2007 All Star game, he ran the offense that year, I was the Wal-Mart greeter at practice.....
Thanks a million for answering Coach, and glad to hear you are doing well.

Father Guido

Never knew much about Coach Campbell til 2004.  Thanks mostly to Uncle Ivan and Wynneaholic I got a quick and thourough indoctrination as to just WHO and WHAT he was.  A legend in coaching and an even greater man.  I've seen nothing since then to indicate that they were wrong.  A pleasure sharing a thread and hearing your thoughts, coach.  I'll be praying for you in your ongoing battle.  My hat's off with utmost respect.

Bondfan4ever

Coach, aka 27, this is Shane Smith, the long time(temp. retired) voice of the Beebe Badgers.  I've always enjoyed the matchups the Badgers had against Wynne.  I know for years the Badgers ran the Spread and then the Texas Tech Spread and we could never beat you guys.  Then John Shannon comes along from Cabot with his Dead T and Beebe has defeated Wynne twice in his tenure.  I'm curious as to your opinion on the Badgers and the job that Coach Shannon has done.  I consider him a friend and respect him tremendously.  I have always enjoyed listening to you on the radio and even though we could never beat you guys, you were always so classy, not just towards us, but all your opponents.  Most Badger fans enjoy being in the 5A East.  We have made some great friends and developed some great rivalries.  Thanks for your insight and all you do Coach!

Shane Smith

27 Trap

Coach Shannon has done a great job at Beebe, had a great visit with him at a  BB game earlier in the year,  they just line up and get after you, simple yet it is tough to stop, again I mentioned before , football is a game of timing and execution.....

TTofGreenwood

Now who the heck gave "the General" bad karma??  That will cost someone in the future(i.e.-Pearly Gates).

Much respect coach from the Greenwood Radio guy.  The '04 and '05 match-ups with you were two of the best all-time!(not mentioning first round '01)...  Glad you're in good health and great to read your insight on FF.   

27 Trap

Quote from: RATTLER43 on June 21, 2011, 02:57:25 pm
Thanks. I appreciate the message. Keep on shining, Coach.

To Guido, that is how we won the title this year:  defense. We and Danville were about evenly matched. Our d-line kept pressure on the QB and we forced fumbles(3 scoop and scores).

I was at the game, don't believe I have ever seen anyone scoop up three fumbles and score  in one game like that.....great game, Congratulations to Magazine, had to be a dream season

Uncle Ivan

June 23, 2011, 07:30:53 pm #32 Last Edit: June 23, 2011, 07:43:34 pm by Uncle Ivan
Thank you Coach, for answering.  I hope you're doing better health-wise - the last time I talked to you was at Mrs. Mildred's funeral, and you did look well then. 

A follow up question: from reading your answers it's clear you're all about execution, as anyone knew that was aware of your philosophy.  Reading this entire thread the words "execution versus complexity" kept popping up in my mind, but one last question I want to ask is this:

- In high school with teenage players, wouldn't it be easier to run the ball if you spread the defense?  Same hard-nosed mentality, same idea of "I'm gonna run it down your throat" but with a spread formation instead of a double tight end set with one or no receivers.  "Getting him in space" is a catchphrase, but wouldn't it work easier if the defense was spread out across the field instead of bunched up not much wider than hash marks?  All I can see in my mind is a bunch of defensive players bunched up, as opposed to that same number of defensive players all spread out.  "Get 'em in space", so it goes.  A spread offense with a Diamond-T mentality of Let's Line Up and See Who Can Whip Who.  That sort of thing.

Or does it matter - meaning "execution vs scheme"?  If it's executed right, it doesn't matter.

I've rattled this around in my head for years, especially since I've watched the rise of the spread offense.

Uncle Ivan

Quote from: Father Guido on June 21, 2011, 12:53:56 pmKeep that other team in front of you, and don't let them cross the goal line, and get the ball back to our offense.

I keep hearing this, and it's probably true...but it still goes against everything ingrained as a fan of hard-nosed, defensive football.  What you described is kind of "bend but don't break".  I don't care for it, because that mentality on defense will let you down when it counts.  You're right on what you keep saying - it'll take time for a lot of Wynne folks to accept it.  It certainly doesn't jive with what I think.

Since this is an answer and question thread, let me brainstorm a bit and throw out a stupid question:

- Would a clock-eating spread pass offense do well in high school?

Yeah, stupid question, I know, but have we really seen one of those.

RATTLER43

Quote from: 27 Trap on June 23, 2011, 07:05:24 pm
Quote from: RATTLER43 on June 21, 2011, 02:57:25 pm
Thanks. I appreciate the message. Keep on shining, Coach.

To Guido, that is how we won the title this year:  defense. We and Danville were about evenly matched. Our d-line kept pressure on the QB and we forced fumbles(3 scoop and scores).

I was at the game, don't believe I have ever seen anyone scoop up three fumbles and score  in one game like that.....great game, Congratulations to Magazine, had to be a dream season

I had not either and especially considering it was a championship game. Thanks. Yes; it was a dream season. Moved on and hoping for more. Always had ultimate respect for your approach. Hope all continues to be good for you.

wynneaholic©

I must say this may go down as the greatest thread to ever bless ff pages!!  For those of us in Wynne who not only watched coach campbell but also had kids play for him, he is a very transparent person, meaning you get what you see.  He is REAL!!  My father in law was a good man but was never a born again Christian until he started going with his wife to wynne baptist where coach C was his ss teacher.  Not long after, my father in law accepted jesus into his heart and has never been the same.  I say all of that to say this...whether it be sports, your workplace or just walking down the aile at wal mart....be real all the time.  Thanks caoch c for all of the great years and I work for the same company as mike, so I keep up on your health status that way. 

DB

Personally, I really don't think Hill's offense is super complex.  Except for the quarterback.  The QB will not have to be a D-1 QB but he will have to be smart.  Hill wants to be able to trust his QB to get the offense in the right play and make small adjustments at the line. 

I would just about guarantee that the Jackets will make more yardage off of sweeps and draws than they will off of pass plays of 15 yards or more.

Eddie Goodson

Quote from: DB on June 24, 2011, 07:52:47 am
Personally, I really don't think Hill's offense is super complex.  Except for the quarterback.  The QB will not have to be a D-1 QB but he will have to be smart.  Hill wants to be able to trust his QB to get the offense in the right play and make small adjustments at the line. 

I would just about guarantee that the Jackets will make more yardage off of sweeps and draws than they will off of pass plays of 15 yards or more.
Right before I read this, I was just thinking about the curb stomping Crossett's defense gave Morrilton's offense down here in 2003. I've never witnessed an offensive breakdown quite like I did that night.

BillyJack™

Quote from: Uncle Ivan on June 23, 2011, 07:37:51 pm
Since this is an answer and question thread, let me brainstorm a bit and throw out a stupid question:

- Would a clock-eating spread pass offense do well in high school?

Yeah, stupid question, I know, but have we really seen one of those.
With the spread relying so much on forward motion and so little on lateral, I don't know if there is enough ball protection on the baseline to create a clock-eating format. It would almost have to be centered around a drop back style of offense and with the defenses evolving from physical to fast in order to cover the spread, it'd be tough to pull off successfully.

DB

Quote from: Eddie Goodson on June 24, 2011, 08:14:53 am
Quote from: DB on June 24, 2011, 07:52:47 am
Personally, I really don't think Hill's offense is super complex.  Except for the quarterback.  The QB will not have to be a D-1 QB but he will have to be smart.  Hill wants to be able to trust his QB to get the offense in the right play and make small adjustments at the line. 

I would just about guarantee that the Jackets will make more yardage off of sweeps and draws than they will off of pass plays of 15 yards or more.
Right before I read this, I was just thinking about the curb stomping Crossett's defense gave Morrilton's offense down here in 2003. I've never witnessed an offensive breakdown quite like I did that night.

Very true.  Keep in mind though, in 2002 Morrilton was running a wing offense and had been for the past several years.  In 2003 Hill was hired and took a team to the playoffs that shouldn't have gone because of a radical change on offense.  That was a down year for 5A though.

Eddie Goodson

Quote from: DB on June 24, 2011, 12:11:08 pm
Quote from: Eddie Goodson on June 24, 2011, 08:14:53 am
Quote from: DB on June 24, 2011, 07:52:47 am
Personally, I really don't think Hill's offense is super complex.  Except for the quarterback.  The QB will not have to be a D-1 QB but he will have to be smart.  Hill wants to be able to trust his QB to get the offense in the right play and make small adjustments at the line. 

I would just about guarantee that the Jackets will make more yardage off of sweeps and draws than they will off of pass plays of 15 yards or more.
Right before I read this, I was just thinking about the curb stomping Crossett's defense gave Morrilton's offense down here in 2003. I've never witnessed an offensive breakdown quite like I did that night.

Very true.  Keep in mind though, in 2002 Morrilton was running a wing offense and had been for the past several years.  In 2003 Hill was hired and took a team to the playoffs that shouldn't have gone because of a radical change on offense.  That was a down year for 5A though.
I didn't hurt that he had the best soph. and jr. classes that Morrilton had seen in years before or since.

Hoghead

Quote from: DB on June 24, 2011, 07:52:47 am
Personally, I really don't think Hill's offense is super complex.  Except for the quarterback.  The QB will not have to be a D-1 QB but he will have to be smart.  Hill wants to be able to trust his QB to get the offense in the right play and make small adjustments at the line. 

I would just about guarantee that the Jackets will make more yardage off of sweeps and draws than they will off of pass plays of 15 yards or more.

As coach Campbell said, it's all about execution. I saw Hills Parkway team here in Bossier City last year. That team had a lot of talent and expeirence from the year before. They didn't miss a beat in his offense. They ran off 9 straight wins until they lost the conference title at home to Haughton. As for Wynne, I still say they're gonna have some problems with the Spread throwing the ball. BUT..... the jet sweeps and draws out of the spread will be their strong points all year.

Father Guido

Quote from: Uncle Ivan on June 23, 2011, 07:37:51 pm
Quote from: Father Guido on June 21, 2011, 12:53:56 pmKeep that other team in front of you, and don't let them cross the goal line, and get the ball back to our offense.

I keep hearing this, and it's probably true...but it still goes against everything ingrained as a fan of hard-nosed, defensive football.  What you described is kind of "bend but don't break".  I don't care for it, because that mentality on defense will let you down when it counts.  You're right on what you keep saying - it'll take time for a lot of Wynne folks to accept it.  It certainly doesn't jive with what I think.



The Spread is still relatively new and, as I think I've heard you say before, defenses WILL catch up, and I think they are.  Defensing against the spread definitly puts a premium on open field tackling and flying to the ball to eliminat YAC.  Since the Spread virtually eliminates double coverage, your DBs are pretty much on an island and HAVE to make the play, if they don't, it's 6.  So theoretically, if you have 4-5 outstanding athletes in the defensive back field, you're in pretty good shape.  If you also have a couple of good linebackers, even better.  The beauty of the spread is that the offense is designed to take advantage of what the defense give it.  Most schools 5A and lower are NOT going to have enough quality athletes to cover the whole field so if a certain team has really good DBs, you run the ball.

I don't think the spread is AS dominant in the bigger schools because they DO have better numbers.  If you DO have a good pass rushing team, AND good coverage, your line can pressure the QB into quick decisions and bad passes and DBs have a field day, but if they don't have the LBs that are quick to the ball, draw plays will kill them.

You likely won't see the dominant shut down defenses as in the past, but agressive teams flying to the ball with good tackling, AND a good solid line is the best way, and to me, that is exciting to watch.  Games seem more like a chess match now than a knock down drag out, but there are still plenty of good exciting defensive plays.

Big Fan

Quote from: Father Guido on June 21, 2011, 12:53:56 pm
The answer to Ivan's question #3 is yes, a power running team CAN be successful today, by you have to put points on the board every time, and stopp the other team some.  Classic example was Monticello a few years ago, (sorry Billies,...well, not really), came into Greenwood and ran all over Greenwood's defense for over 300 yards on the ground, with no fumbles, dominated Time of Possession by something like 32-16 or something like that, AND "held" a high powered offense to 35 points.  But lost 35-0.  Had Monticello put points on the board it would have been a close game, instead they ended up running the clock out for the Bulldogs when they had the ball. 
Padre, I agree you have to score to win.  But, your Monticello example is not a good one.  That Billie team is arguably the least accomplished team in the past 20 years at Monticello.  It would have been a lot worse if we had not had success running between the 20's. 

Big Fan

Quote from: DB on June 21, 2011, 11:57:02 am
Can anybody name some recent championships that were won by teams that were known for defense?

On any level.
Monticello in '09

Hoghead

Quote from: Big Fan on June 25, 2011, 12:44:40 pm
Quote from: DB on June 21, 2011, 11:57:02 am
Can anybody name some recent championships that were won by teams that were known for defense?

On any level.
Monticello in '09

Anytime now the "IT WAS DOWN YEAR IN 5A IN 09" card will be played. LOL!!!

Father Guido

Quote from: Big Fan on June 25, 2011, 12:42:52 pm
Quote from: Father Guido on June 21, 2011, 12:53:56 pm
The answer to Ivan's question #3 is yes, a power running team CAN be successful today, by you have to put points on the board every time, and stopp the other team some.  Classic example was Monticello a few years ago, (sorry Billies,...well, not really), came into Greenwood and ran all over Greenwood's defense for over 300 yards on the ground, with no fumbles, dominated Time of Possession by something like 32-16 or something like that, AND "held" a high powered offense to 35 points.  But lost 35-0.  Had Monticello put points on the board it would have been a close game, instead they ended up running the clock out for the Bulldogs when they had the ball. 
Padre, I agree you have to score to win.  But, your Monticello example is not a good one.  That Billie team is arguably the least accomplished team in the past 20 years at Monticello.  It would have been a lot worse if we had not had success running between the 20's. 

That was my point.  If you are going to be a power running team, and be successful against a Spread team, you MUST put points on the board pretty much every possession or you end up like that Billies team against Greenwood.  Had they put points on the board it would have been a much different ball game.  Without the points, Greenwood was pretty much content to let THEM run out the clock for them.

tmycjy

Quote from: Uncle Ivan on June 23, 2011, 07:37:51 pm
Quote from: Father Guido on June 21, 2011, 12:53:56 pmKeep that other team in front of you, and don't let them cross the goal line, and get the ball back to our offense.

I keep hearing this, and it's probably true...but it still goes against everything ingrained as a fan of hard-nosed, defensive football.  What you described is kind of "bend but don't break".  I don't care for it, because that mentality on defense will let you down when it counts.  You're right on what you keep saying - it'll take time for a lot of Wynne folks to accept it.  It certainly doesn't jive with what I think.

Since this is an answer and question thread, let me brainstorm a bit and throw out a stupid question:

- Would a clock-eating spread pass offense do well in high school?

Yeah, stupid question, I know, but have we really seen one of those.

i say no because you have to pass the ball two far to eat up the clock

Ty

Quote from: Uncle Ivan on June 23, 2011, 07:37:51 pm
Quote from: Father Guido on June 21, 2011, 12:53:56 pmKeep that other team in front of you, and don't let them cross the goal line, and get the ball back to our offense.

- Would a clock-eating spread pass offense do well in high school?

I could see two things that you would HAVE to have.

1. An accurate QB. I mean, very accurate. If he's completing passes at a high rate, say above 65%, it could be viable. But the clock is stopping every time a pass falls incomplete.

2. A run game good enough to pick up a 1st down in 3rd and short situations. If you're pass happy, you're inclination would be to throw it. But it's a 3rd and short; if you don't get the first down, it's usually because the pass was incomplete. That stops the clock. With a running game, you're able to keep the clock running even if you don't get the first down.

Coach DePriest, Sheridan

Quote from: Uncle Ivan on June 23, 2011, 07:37:51 pm
- Would a clock-eating spread pass offense do well in high school?

Yes.  However, you would have to be dedicated to not trying to hit the big play.  I think back to Kentucky with Tim Couch.  One year they beat us and I didn't feel like they had a play over 15 yards.  They hit short pass after short pass, and we never came close to pressuring Couch.

In high school, the defense is going to give you something...and I'm sure that goes for any offensive set, however, I'm just talking what I know.  Look at 7 on 7 games, there are 5 receivers vs 7 defensive players, but offenses are usually more successful in 7 on 7 than defenses. 

What I think would happen is that defenses will get frustrated and make adjustments to stop all the short stuff.  Tighten their coverage, bring more blitzes, bring up their safeties.  That can stop the dink and doink stuff and force offenses to execute over the top and have to go for the big play. 

Fox 16 Arkansas Fox 24 Arkansas