Already, as the spread offense is experiencing its renaissance period, the A-11 offense awaits as the next radical concept designed to further push the boundaries of what spreading the field can be.
It’s desperation in a formation.
Two quarterbacks. All 11 players are eligible to be a threat. No offensive linemen except for a center, who theoretically could catch a pass on any given play. Its base is a scrimmage-kick formation and the concept was created by football coaches at Piedmont High School in the San Francisco Bay Area to continually put the ball in speedy players’ hands. A-11 is short for “All 11 Players Potentially Eligible.” It’s like looking at a futuristic concept car — it’s there on the stage, but practical applications won’t be available to the public for years.
College football coaches may never get to that off-the-chart level, but there is no question offenses are pushing the envelope and challenging defenses like never before. In the cyclical battle that is offense vs. defense, the offenses have pulled ahead. They are dictating personnel and game speed, showing more formations and are putting up yards and points at an unprecedented rate, forcing defenses to adapt on the fly.
“It’s ever-evolving on offense,” said Nebraska coach Bo Pelini, a former LSU defensive coordinator. “And you have to have the same flexibility on defense.”
Division I-A college offenses were at their most potent last season, when an eye-popping 55 teams averaged more than 400 yards. It was the most teams over 400 this decade, easily eclipsing the 43 teams that racked up an average of 400 yards or more per outing in 2001.
And no conference had more high- octane offenses than the Big 12. Six of the top 13 teams in total offense were from the Big 12. The conference’s teams led the nation in passing yards, touchdowns and scoring. It doesn’t figure to slow any this season as players get more experienced and well-versed in their systems.
Variety is keeping defenses on their heels. Whether the opponent operates from a single-back set, two backs, shotgun, full house, empty backfield or whatever else, defensive coordinators and their athletes have to be ready for every eventuality, every play, every week.
“In the past, maybe you didn’t see the spread, but in the past maybe you did; some teams run the wishbone or the veer, the wing-T,” said Colorado State defensive coordinator Larry Kerr, whose stops at Stanford, UCLA and Duke have helped him see all there is to see. “These are all parts of what’s going on now. They are all kind of coming together, and the offensive guys have figured out how to take a little bit of that, a little bit of that, a little bit of that, and it works. So in the past maybe you saw a little less sophistication and diversity than you do now.”
Spread revolution
The spread offense is the darling of the moment, both on the field and in the media’s insatiable appetite for writing and talking about it, although the decade-old offense might be preparing for its final stand. Defenses are catching up.
“Defenses are already evolving,” Missouri quarterback Chase Daniel said. “A lot of them are dropping eight guys. They don’t want the receivers to get behind them.”
Big 12 teams use some form of the spread as much or more than any other conference. The scheme has helped make stars of its quarterbacks and skill positions and propelled teams such as Kansas to go from doormat to dominant with seemingly the snap of a finger.
Missouri runs one of the most effective spread offenses in the nation. The Tigers averaged 490 yards and scored 70 touchdowns on the way to a 12-2 season in 2007. Asked why he turned to the offense, Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said: “I contacted a lot of defensive coordinators around the country and asked them what drove them crazy. The spread came up over and over.”
The spread snatches power from the defense and gives it back to the offense. In the past, pre-snap and post-snap movement allowed defenses to be the aggressor, showing one look and then moving into something else when the play started. Offenses had to react.
“There’s always been that stuff going on in coverage,” Colorado offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich said. “But a lot more of that stuff up front really made the offense protect and secure itself or live with a few things and put it on the quarterback.”
Four wide receivers, a shotgun formation and a quarterback who can run the ball and make reads on the defensive ends changed all of that. Tight ends and fullbacks were suddenly so yesterday. Getting the ball to athletes in space became the focus and all the rage.
Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez is credited with being a pioneer of the scheme. In 2006, while he was the coach at West Virginia, more coaching staffs made the trip to Spread Mecca — Morgantown, W.Va. — to visit his spring practices than to any other Division I-A program. All wanted to take it back to their teams.
But it’s still not for everyone.
“I like having tight ends and fullbacks,” Mississippi State coach Sylvester Croom said. “It’s part of who we are. It’s part of our mentality. We want to continue to stay in that direction.”
Effect on recruiting
Offenses’ increased multiplicity has changed not only how games are played, but the course of recruiting on both sides of the ball.
For better or worse, the traditional value of fullbacks, tight ends and big, bruising linebackers has taken hits over the past decade. As offenses continually scheme to create matchup advantages, roles have been redefined and speed has become the most coveted commodity — at the expense of size.
On defense: “You have to recruit speed,” Kerr said. “You might give up a little size these days for speed because of the fact that so much of it is a spread type of game. You need guys that can play in space. You still need that big, strong guy inside. But you’re looking at some teams playing with a smaller, faster defensive ends than they’ve had in the past. Linebackers might be smaller, but faster.”
On offense: “Just the versatility factor, both from a formation standpoint and from an athlete standpoint changes it,” Helfrich said. “I think you look around the country and there’s less and less I-back teams. There’s less offset-I teams with a true fullback. I think you would also prefer a little bit taller guy, a little bit more athletic guy that can do those things as well as be a downfield threat in the passing game.”
Where does it all end up? Perhaps back where it all started. Florida coach Urban Meyer, whose spread offense brought a national title to Gainesville, Fla., touted his new tight end talent at Southeastern Conference media days in July.
Then again, probably not.
“Things go in cycles in football — offensive formations, offensive plays, defensive formations, defensive plays,” Kerr said. “It’s just a fun part of the game to see where people are going to take certain aspects of how they play the game and how other people adjust.”
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
What is the spread, anyway?
College offenses have gone to using multiple formations, different personnel groups and speedier players to stay one step ahead of the defense. Here are three of the most common types of formations and their strengths.
Spread
Features four wideouts and is usually run out of a shotgun formation with a single back next to the quarterback, though the QB can start under center. It allows the offense to get the ball to playmakers in space, putting major pressure on the defense. Watch these spread teams: West Virginia, Appalachian State, Missouri, Florida, Texas Tech.
Single-back
As the name implies, it features one back, but a variety of things can happen up front. Single-back sets can have two tight ends and two wideouts or three or four WRs. It’s one of the most common formations in football, period, for its sheer versatility. Watch these single-back teams: Southern Cal, South Carolina, Ohio State.
I-formation
Features two running backs lined up one in front of the other, or an “offset I” in which the up back is off-center — either left or right — from the tailback. It allows for power running, is effective for play-action passes and can lend itself to three-wide receiver formations as well. Watch these I-formation teams: Georgia, Wisconsin, Florida State.
Big 12 North
Colorado
Multiple offense, with shifting and motion while incorporating some spread concepts, minus called running plays for the quarterback.
QB: sophomore Cody Hawkins
Iowa State
Pro style, perhaps emphasizing the running game more this year.
QB: sophomore Austen Arnaud or sophomore Phillip Bates
Kansas
Classic spread formation, usually with one running back and designed running plays for the quarterback.
QB: junior Todd Reesing
Kansas State
Multiple, with some spread concepts.
QB: junior Josh Freeman
Missouri
Classic spread, with designed running plays for the quarterback.
QB: senior Chase Daniel
Nebraska
Expected to remain multiple under retained offensive coordinator Shawn Watson.
QB: senior Joe Ganz
Big 12 South
Baylor
Expected to be multiple under new coach Art Briles and no longer a pure spread.
QB: battle among three candidates
Oklahoma
Multiple, with some elements of the spread.
QB: sophomore Sam Bradford
Oklahoma State
Variation of a pro-style attack, but sophomore quarterback Zac Robinson ran for 847 yards last season.
QB: Robinson
Texas
Multiple, incorporating all elements.
QB: junior Colt McCoy
Texas A&M
Expected to be a pro-style attack under former Packers coach Mike Sherman.
QB: senior Stephen McGee
Texas Tech
Mike Leach’s spread has one or no RBs, but the QB only runs out of necessity.
QB: senior Graham Harrell
Tom Kensler, The Denver Post
Mountain West
Air Force
Retained some tradition-bound option elements with spread formations. Will pass more as the components are recruited to the program.
BYU
Officially lists offense as spread formation, with coordinator Robert Anae coming from Texas Tech. But he’s a BYU graduate, and passing has dominated in Provo for more than three decades.
Colorado State
Rams’ multiple offense will rely on running game strengths until personnel develops for expanded passing attack.
New Mexico
Multiple offense with always- punishing ground game. First time in years an offensive coordinator returns, and veteran QB Donovan Porterie adds dimension to the offense.
San Diego State
Chuck Long was Oklahoma’s offensive coordinator. He emphasizes a balanced attack, but running game has slipped drastically in recent years.
TCU
Multiple offense with I-formation and spread capabilities. Program stockpiles running backs, and QB works within the system.
UNLV
Shotgun spread imported directly from Utah’s 2004 unbeaten MWC champs, when Mike Sanford was offensive coordinator. Rebels haven’t had the personnel, especially at QB, to duplicate that passing attack.
Utah
Spread offense lives on after Urban Meyer and Alex Smith set the standard. This team might be the most talented offense since the 2004 crew. The coordinator, Andy Ludwig, came from Oregon.
Wyoming
Multiple offense has had its QB struggles in recent seasons. This season the Cowboys have the guns at running back in Devin Moore and Wynel Seldon to become more of a ground force.
Natalie Meisler, The Denver Post
