Pokes to utilize fullback, QB under center this season

[MrTitleist]

Props to Matt at Cowboy Altitude for digging this one up.
http://www.cowboyaltitude.com/2011/7/17/2279867/wyoming-to-run-spread-offense-under-center-utilize-a-fullback

 

[WYCowboy]

Wow! This is a big gamble, but Christensen & Brandon should know what they are doing with the personnel they have. DC must have had this in mind when he moved Ghalli to RB. This will probably help the Frosh QBs get up to speed before they open up the playbook in the spread.

 

[fromolwyoming]

The no-huddle power run. I like it! Granted, I've always liked the power run, but still.

 

[TheRealUW]

I don't like the sounds of this one bit. This wasn't something that was in the works all along, or we would have seen some of it in the spring. My guess is that Christensen and Brandon decided the true spread wasn't going to work after evaluating the spring practices. This very well may be the best offense for our current personnel, but even if true, that tells me that we STILL don't have any playmakers at wide receiver and our offensive line STILL can't pass block worth a shit. That isn't something to be excited about.

Joe Glenn tried this approach too after rotating through every QB on the roster and realizing there wasn't a sole in the world who could save our anemic passing offense. We would hand the ball off on 1st and 2nd down, fall forward for a couple yards, and inevitably end up with a 3rd and 5 situation...at which point we would either run the ball and come up short or throw a short slant that was picked or batted down. Oh man, just thinking about that offense makes me want to throw up.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

 

[J-Rod]

Awesome.....now they can get sacked that much quicker.

 

[Wyoirish]

I don't like the sounds of this one bit. This wasn't something that was in the works all along, or we would have seen some of it in the spring. My guess is that Christensen and Brandon decided the true spread wasn't going to work after evaluating the spring practices. This very well may be the best offense for our current personnel, but even if true, that tells me that we STILL don't have any playmakers at wide receiver and our offensive line STILL can't pass block worth a s##t. That isn't something to be excited about.

Joe Glenn tried this approach too after rotating through every QB on the roster and realizing there wasn't a sole in the world who could save our anemic passing offense. We would hand the ball off on 1st and 2nd down, fall forward for a couple yards, and inevitably end up with a 3rd and 5 situation...at which point we would either run the ball and come up short or throw a short slant that was picked or batted down. Oh man, just thinking about that offense makes me want to throw up.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

OR

In true DC fashion it's a big smokescreen and BS to set the expectation that this team will be a power-oriented team. Why else would DC tell some reporter what he was going to be working on in fall camp? It would make sense to draw the dogs off the scent, so to speak. With the freshman QB's, the law of averages would suggest the obvious; Hunker down and run the experience through the tackles, protecting the QB, and ocasionally PA him out on the corner to throw little flat routes, curls, and corners. The guy doesnt talk about anything when speaking to reporters so therefore I am skeptical about this whole revelation. It's too predictable to be honest.

OR

He is hedging his bets and preparing both QB's and the O to utilize given skillsets. Brett Smith is a true dual threat QB with 4.5 speed and can present real headaches with his running ability as Adam Pittser has spent all of his time under center with no real gun experience. Smith worked all Spring out of the true spread in gun, and maybe this package is for Pittser, hence ushering in a QB rotation plan.

OR

DC shot a 75, got liquored up and uncharachteristically talked to much. Regardless, Aug 4th can't get here soon enough. Go Pokes!

 

[MrTitleist]

I can't imagine DC spilling his plans to a reporter in Columbia, he won't even do that to a reporter in Laramie. I think being under center may help transition the quarterbacks this fall, as none have any D1 playing experience, but if they're true dual threat QBs, I'm not sure that breaking them out of their natural offense is a good idea. Plus we only have one or two guys on the roster that can play FB, as DC has never recruited one since when he came here he said he was doing away with that. Fall camp should be interesting.

 

[ELKMT]

OC Brandon would occasionally use a fullback/TE/H-back in the backfield when he was the head coach at Bowling Green( he used it quite a bit when they upset the Pitt Panthers in 07 or 08?). I would be suprised if we use FB/H-Back in our main set. However, I don't really care what type of system we run as long as we start winning, and I have some faith in OC Brandon.

 

[cowboyz]

OC Brandon would occasionally use a fullback/TE/H-back in the backfield when he was the head coach at Bowling Green( he used it quite a bit when they upset the Pitt Panthers in 07 or 08?). I would be suprised if we use FB/H-Back in our main set. However, I don't really care what type of system we run as long as we start winning, and I have some faith in OC Brandon.

I have faith in Brandon too. I just hope DC doesn't stick his little sausgae fingers in the plans and screw them up. Why does someone have to dig up information (true/false/or decoy) about Wyoming football from a Missouri Reporter? That's right, because that's where DC still wishes he was (IMO). He goes to their bowl games, talks to their reporters, goes to their golf outings. Give me a break. Why doesn't he talk to our reporters or let the players or asst coaches talk to our reporters? We'd like a little insight as well. His two quotes at the end of the article kill me.

"""Christensen raved about the freshman QBs, saying they’re "probably as high caliber quarterbacks as we’re ever going to have there."""

Why would he say this? Are the next few years going to be the golden years of Wyoming football? He's seen enough of these guys to make this statement? Sure, he's probably trying, in his awkward way, to build up their confidence. But what if these two guys come and and don't do the job? The two best we'll probably ever have and we don't win tons of games. Are their any QBs in Germany!?

""""It’s better to have youth and talent than older guys with experience who don’t have talent," he added. "So, we’ve got a lot of youth and talent. I can work with that."""

To me this is such a slap in the face to the older guys on the team and the guys that have recently departed. I sure hope we win this year and go to a bowl game again. But if we don't, with all this talent and the two best QB's we'll ever have, I hope he goes back to Missouri with his tail between his legs and takes a position as QB coach like his (failed) protege Marcus.

 

[Fullback41]

Relax, when we are winning no one will care how the offense looks, who DC talks to or where he spends his time.

His family is in Missouri, it makes sense for him to be there. Do you think Purdue cried everytime Tiller came back to Wyoming?

Smokescreen? could be, truth? could be. I just don't think any of it is worth getting upset about until we see it on the field in a game, whether it works or not.

I am still very optimistic about this season. cant wait.

 

[billings]

New OC. No surprise there will be some changes. I suspect we will see both formations fairly regularly. All depends on the O line and how they can handle the pressure

coaches built relationships all over the country. Who cares where they go golf or to visit former universities. Sometimes those connections can give leads on recruits and peer networking can never be overdone in the coaching profession in my opinion.

We know Glenns teams were a bit slow and lacking in D1 talent.

 

[TheRealUW]

Good post cowboyz. I think its become rather clear that DC is not on good terms with the Wyoming media. DC seems to have the idea in his head that the media should withold reporting certain information in the name of protecting the program. Maybe thats how the media worked in Missouri. Hell, maybe thats how the media works when it comes to all big-time college teams, but I'd much rather have the truth. How the whole "closing of practices thing" played out in the media during spring ball made me really question DC. I believe it was Eric Schmoldt who reported that practices would only be open for the first 30 minutes. Later that day, DC writes, "Contrary to some reports, the fans are always welcome at our practices" on his twitter account. However, when the first practice roled around, what Eric Schmoldt had reported was spot on. Why DC decided to try and spin things in his favor on twitter is still beyond me.

I have a bad feeling if things don't turn around this coming season that things are really going to explode and go from bad to worse. Let's face it, DC is an asshole. He isn't the first asshole coach and he definitely won't be the last. Personally, I'm OK with UW hiring asshole coaches. However, when asshole coaches don't produce results, things can get pretty ugly real fast. I think we are already seeing some of it in the form of the high attrition numbers. If this season is a failure, I fully expect the number of players leaving will dwarf the past 2 years.

As I've said before...if DC doesn't produce this year, I don't think he's ever going to get it turned around. He will get 5 years minimum before UW cans his ass, but this year will tell me everything I need to know.

 

[OrediggerPoke]

Plus we only have one or two guys on the roster that can play FB, as DC has never recruited one since when he came here he said he was doing away with that. Fall camp should be interesting.

Biezuns was recruited and played his freshman year at FB...that is one guy that could easily play both ways and would be a monster if he caught the ball in the flat!

 

[cowboyz]

Relax, when we are winning no one will care how the offense looks, who DC talks to or where he spends his time.

His family is in Missouri, it makes sense for him to be there. Do you think Purdue cried everytime Tiller came back to Wyoming?

Smokescreen? could be, truth? could be. I just don't think any of it is worth getting upset about until we see it on the field in a game, whether it works or not.

I am still very optimistic about this season. cant wait.

Okay, I'll relax. Part of DC's family is in Missouri, but they're not at Missouri's bowl games, unless they attend them. He's not exactly from Missouri so his family members that live there are the ones that didn't join him in Wyoming. I'd assume most of his family is in Washington.

I'm guessing Purdue's fans didn't complain when Tiller came back. But I'm also guessing he gave the reporters plenty of face time and let them cover the team, so the fan base had something to chew on. And Tiller was winning, so if we start winning again, that might be enough.

I'm pretty optimistic about this season as well.

 

[MrTitleist]

I believe DCs child or children to go UM and didn't transfer colleges when he left Columbia. :twocents:

 

[MrTitleist]

I have a bad feeling if things don't turn around this coming season that things are really going to explode and go from bad to worse. Let's face it, DC is an a##hole. He isn't the first a##hole coach and he definitely won't be the last. Personally, I'm OK with UW hiring a##hole coaches.

From most that I've read, I would believe that UWs wrestling coach Branch is an asshole, and he's not afraid to call a guy out in the media if he's made a mistake (I remember quotes this past season along the lines of _____ needs to wrestle better to help the team).. but his teams are producing and he doesn't seem to have a lot of defections. Guys will respect you, even being a jagoff, if you're winning.

 

[gopokes1399]

I've heard that Van Diest at Carroll is an a** hole, but he wins so players go there and stay because winning can cure almost anything. I actually heard from friends that played at montana that Hauck was an a** hole

 

[laxwyo]

how many D-1 coaches aren't assholes? not many. I don't care about any of this as long as we start putting up some points and being competitive. I'm sick of the blowouts. I can take not making a bowl game this year, but we damn well better compete in all our loses.

 

[cowboyz]

how many D-1 coaches aren't assholes? not many. I don't care about any of this as long as we start putting up some points and being competitive. I'm sick of the blowouts. I can take not making a bowl game this year, but we damn well better compete in all our loses.

If we win the games that we "could" I think we have a chance at a bowl game. It'll be hard with 2 FCS teams on our schedule as there's no room for error. But I am prepared for a few blow outs from TCU, Nebraska and Boise. They'll all need huge wins to help their rankings. If they look past us, maybe we'll cause some headaches. But I can see their coaches having them focused and prepared as in previous years.

 

[Cowduck]

This seems as simple to me as "we failed in way more short yardage situations last season than we should have because we didn't have a power run package in the damn playbook." I don't really think this is rocket science.