Question about the offense

[BeaverPoke]

So in pro-style offenses, they always say, if you can establish the run, then you can start airing it out, as the defense is playing up.
With Wyo running pretty much the exact opposite, does Wyo need to establish the pass that way they can run?
Or does it not quite work that way since a lot of passes will be short passes just past the line, so the defense is essentially playing the run?

I am curious because we all know that Wyo has a great QB and a really good WR group, but some mediocre RBs.
Does Smith need to start throwing 10 yards down field consistently early in the game so the opposing defense is only playing the pass, then that opens up holes for the RBs?
Because I know if Wyo ran the "traditional" offense, the Pokes would never be able to establish a run game, and Smiths talents would never get to be used.

 

[carbonpoke]

there isn't a short answer here, but ill give it a go.

with our offensive build, the majority of alignment we will see is nickel. meaning five defensive backs. we have had some issues creating mismatches because we haven't had any true size catching the ball. with four little receivers, five defensive backs can cover with a cover two or three defense.

if we utilize and become more threating from the tightend position, it will make d coordinators want to put a outside linebacker in coverage on the tightend, do to the fact that smaller dbs cant handle big tightends. once that happens, the box will get lighter.

and secondly, quarterbacks take time to develop presnap recognition. defense's want to send somebody to disrupt spread qbs... its not a good idea to sit back and let an accurate qb tire your defense down. so usually they will bring the heat. brett is getting better at finding the blitz and delivering the ball to the void left by the blitz. this also helps the running game, as brett can make changes to attack with a read option to the blitz.

 

[Wyovanian]

Solid answer above. DC's offense also creates a problem for blitz-happy defenses in that blitzing compromises containment schemes. A running QB is problematic to that. The nexus of the scheme is having a QB that is both a running threat, and an accurate, and very quick, passer. Capable WR's and TE's in tandem with a dual threat QB capable of quick reads and snap execution cause nickel packages and base 3-4's huge headaches. It forces them to bring up the DB's and risks deep receiving threats (remember, accurate passing is crucial to the scheme).

The questions are- can the O-line provide just enough protection for Smith to react to what he sees, and can our receiving corps make the plays? If they can, and consistently, it could be a fun season.

 

[carbonpoke]

I want to add some stuff here to do with system design, current roster, past roster, and past performance.

okey dokey: last year we had a final record issue... we didn't win enough. defense was the biggest problem; but Im talking about offense in this post. our offense, while still more potent than any joe glenn offense, was not as effective last year in comparison to bretts freshman year. SOS really didn't have anything to do with it either. Id say we had an easier schedule last year than our last bowl season.

A couple offense discrepancies are the fault of this. Injuries mainly, but more importantly we lacked a 2nd level dynamic at the wide receiver position. we were to young, and too small. we still produced, but could have been better. herron was hurt, and most of the production came out of smaller receivers. which is going to bode well for this season.

bretts freshman year we had ogbanna and a little bit more depth. last year we redshirted all our size.

our smaller receivers learned how to manipulate and produce outside the numbers, meaning they learned to play the big receiver position.

what happens when you play small receivers outside is that it changes the "catch zone" of the football. brett has to be more precise and take more risk with were he puts the football. good route running and accuracy has kept our interceptions down, and it shows how good brett is. but his physical tools are so much better than lets say Derek Carr. Carr has had some big targets to throw too.

SO, I degress... with little receivers running routes from the outside, safeties can stay more in their control area. they don't have to push out as much, and they can keep the receiver in front of them.

what happens when you get a mix of good tightend middle routes, a big receiving threat on the outside that has a large "catch box", and sure handed slot receivers... a defensive nightmare. add in a smart quarterback that can run. add in the tempo... its epic, and im not joking. its on the level Oklahoma state two years ago.

this year... "could be the year" but it still might need one more year to fully boom. But its coming soon, a Wyoming offensive shit-storm.