New Offensive & Defensive Schemes?

DFWBigMac · January 6, 2011

Sure this has already been discussed but I didn't see it and couldn't find it when I searched.

What primary offensive and defensive schemes are we likely to run under Coach Mac?

Thanks!

Mean Green 93-98 · January 6, 2011

Sure this has already been discussed but I didn't see it and couldn't find it when I searched.

What primary offensive and defensive schemes are we likely to run under Coach Mac?

Thanks!

Canales offense, 4-3 defense. Also, DC Bowen favors zone coverages, and seems to take a bend-don't-break approach.

Edited January 6, 2011 by Mean Green 93-98

Harry · January 6, 2011

I think the Canales offense is built around a QB like Riley. We may not have that this season.

DFWBigMac · January 7, 2011

Do you see us incorpoating a TE into our current spread/option formations?

Reason I ask is that at ISU, Mac ran kind of a modified pro-set (sets including a 3rd wr/TE/FB). Some of his best success at ISU came with dual-threat QBs and solid pass catching/blocking TEs.

Mean Green 93-98 · January 7, 2011

Do you see us incorpoating a TE into our current spread/option formations?

Reason I ask is that at ISU, Mac ran kind of a modified pro-set (sets including a 3rd wr/TE/FB). Some of his best success at ISU came with dual-threat QBs and solid pass catching/blocking TEs.

Coach Canales increased the use of the TE quite a bit last year from what Dodge and Ford had done previously, and that's without really going out and recruiting TE's. If we can grab a top-end TE like Power or develop one of the guys on the roster into something special, I'm sure we will see far more passes being thrown to TE's.

H-towngreen · January 7, 2011

Power would be a huge get for NT. Someone who can block and catch. It seems we have alot of TE's that can do one or the other but not both.

GrayEagle · January 7, 2011

Don't forget Thompson was only a little behind Tune under Canales' offense. Although not a true running threat he is not a statue. Since they're about the same speed I'm sure that can also be said of Osborn. I don't see Coach Chico having to do a lot of modifying his offense.

BIG DAWG · January 7, 2011

A guy who has the running ability of Riley is the perfect situation in this offense, but a guy like Thompson can be a capable runner at the QB position in this offense. He may not burn you but he can keep a defense honest.

untgeorge · January 7, 2011

I think the Canales offense is built around a QB like Riley. We may not have that this season.

The Canales offense in the last half of the season was built around Dunbar. Expect more of the same.

SilverEagle · January 7, 2011

Don't forget Thompson was only a little behind Tune under Canales' offense. Although not a true running threat he is not a statue. Since they're about the same speed I'm sure that can also be said of Osborn. I don't see Coach Chico having to do a lot of modifying his offense.

I think that Canales would probably like to develop his QB's in the mold of Rusty Smith at FAU. Tall, great arm, just mobile enough to get out of the way of the rush and finish delivering the ball. If Nathan Tune is able to come back (and I hope he does) then we could end up with three QB's who are very much in this mold. Tall, somewhat mobile, with great arms.

http://www.fausports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/smith_rusty00.html

Yellow Snow · January 9, 2011

Do you see us incorpoating a TE into our current spread/option formations?

Reason I ask is that at ISU, Mac ran kind of a modified pro-set (sets including a 3rd wr/TE/FB). Some of his best success at ISU came with dual-threat QBs and solid pass catching/blocking TEs.

Mac at I-State was really open to letting the OC run their offense. He was pretty hands off. That is one reason I wasn’t shocked he kept Canales. At I-State he had a hard time keeping offensive coordinators because they were getting hired away for more money, so he let the guys come in and do their thing with very little meddling from him.

Some of our best offenses were pro-set style with a good running game and a solid (if not spectacular) QB. Wisconsin this year would be a pretty good example of what our best Iowa State offenses looked like. Expect to see Dunbar featured prominently… Mac is completely of the mindset that running the ball is a MUST… that said if what Canales wants to run works, Mac won’t meddle with it. At least he didn’t at Iowa State. We ran different offenses under 3 different coordinators, each distinctly different and working in different ways, all with success under Mac. If the guy’s offense puts points up, it’s good to go.

Defensively, he is most certainly a bend but don’t break guy. I have heard him speak at camps and other engagements about various aspects of defense, and his main theme is… Don’t beat yourself… Make the other team beat you if they can.

Basically, at the college level, a lot of things need to go right for a team to put a 16 play scoring drive together, so make them do just that. Sooner or later, more often than not, they will drop a pass, commit a penalty, turn the ball over, etc. The more snaps you make them take, the more chances there are for them to screw something up. If you give up 3 play, 32 second, 76 yard TD drives, obviously you aren’t making them work for it. There isn’t the opportunity for your defense to make a play because they are only on the field for 3 snaps.

Against typical college competition, the offense will muff something more often than the defense will in a bend but don’t break system. This scheme has problems with the really elite teams that have the skill to put long drives together over and over, but the vast majority of college teams don’t have this. UNT won’t see any in the SBC and Iowa State only saw maybe 2 (if that) a year in the Big 12.

Bend but don’t break defense gets frustrating to watch at times, but at the end of the game, only points on the board matter. It was always fun to hear Iowa fans brag about how they put up X number of yards on us and had Y number of first downs… they dominated the game… and yet, they still lost… they couldn’t understand it… five years in a row…

H-towngreen · January 9, 2011

Defensively, he is most certainly a bend but don’t break guy. I have heard him speak at camps and other engagements about various aspects of defense, and his main theme is… Don’t beat yourself… Make the other team beat you if they can.

Basically, at the college level, a lot of things need to go right for a team to put a 16 play scoring drive together, so make them do just that. Sooner or later, more often than not, they will drop a pass, commit a penalty, turn the ball over, etc. The more snaps you make them take, the more chances there are for them to screw something up. If you give up 3 play, 32 second, 76 yard TD drives, obviously you aren’t making them work for it. There isn’t the opportunity for your defense to make a play because they are only on the field for 3 snaps.

Against typical college competition, the offense will muff something more often than the defense will in a bend but don’t break system.

You haven't seen our defense have you???

eulessismore · January 9, 2011

You haven't seen our defense have you???

Really, I think our defense has been missing that "don't break" part.

Texas Stranger · January 9, 2011

If you give up 3 play, 32 second, 76 yard TD drives, obviously you aren’t making them work for it. There isn’t the opportunity for your defense to make a play because they are only on the field for 3 snaps.

That describes both our Defense AND Offense for the last 4 years.