Offensive Innovations Lead AU, OU to the Top by JON SOLOMON Iker

2P j The Birmingham News Sunday, January 9, 2011

THE OFFENSES

Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas (1) leads an up-tempo Ducks offense that averages 79 plays a game. By comparison, Auburn’s offense averages 66 plays a game.

AP THE EVOLUTION OF OFFENSES Offensive innovations lead AU, OU to the top By JON SOLOMON iker. It’s blasphemy to say News staff writer that when describing his of- fense in front of him. efore Mouse Davis “No, I like two-back, run, made the run-and- play-action,” Malzahn said. shoot famous, he “When you think of spread, was an Oregon high what comes to my mind is school coach chal- pass to open up the run. Blenging Joe Paterno’s de- We’re run to open up the fensive wits over lunch at a pass.” coaching clinic in 1962. Spread formations, in Davis showed Paterno his which four or five receivers unconventional offense that are typically used, are noth- spread the field, and wanted ing new. Tiger Ellison was a to know how Paterno would high school coach in Ohio defend it. Paterno obliged. using spread formations Davis’ response: “Joe, if you when he invented the run- did that, we’d kill you.’ ” and-shoot in 1958. “I felt like we were ahead NEWS STAFF/HAL YEAGER Prolific passing attacks of the game,” Davis said last out of the spread aren’t month. “Over time, every- Gus Malzahn’s offense at Auburn carries a lot of single-wing principles. He still has a copy of the new, either. Mouse Davis thing became more sophis- employed them in the ticated on offense, as the Delaware Wing-T book he purchased as a high USFL. Mike Leach had them two teams are in this cham- school coach. clicking at various colleges. pionship. The players are “The biggest evolution is more intelligent today — three-and-out can mean no run back in the ’40s with the run game you’re able to and they’re allowed to be. I rest for the weary. Army and others.” create out of the spread of- love this matchup.” “Nothing stays the same In his Auburn office, Mal- fense,” said Vanderbilt of- Auburn vs. Oregon offers forever,” said former Clem- zahn still keeps a copy of the fensive line coach Herb a history lesson on the evo- son coach Tommy Bowden, Delaware Wing-T book he Hand, who came from Rich lution of offenses. once on the cutting edge of purchased as a clueless, Rodriguez’s spread coach- There’s the freakish offenses a decade ago. “The first-year high school coach ing tree and was co-offen- 6-foot-6, 250-pound quar- SEC was the one league in Arkansas. sive coordinator with Mal- terback named Cam New- where it was always win on “I went word for word zahn at Tulsa. ton, who creates ridiculous defense, win on kicking from it,” Malzahn said. “I “You wind up getting matchup problems with his game, and win on field posi- liked the fact you didn’t back to single-wing football, arm and legs. tion. But it just goes to have to have huge linemen which was a shotgun snap There’s Auburn’s pre- show, the guys that are will- because it was all based on where in essence you had snap movement and block- ing to risk, like Gus and angles.” the quarterback who was ing schemes in Gus Mal- Chip, are reaping benefits of Trace the unlikely jour- basically a running back zahn’s offense, both heavy not staying same old, same neys of Malzahn and Kelly who could throw the ball.” products of single-wing old.” to this unique matchup, and The marriage of Malzahn principles that date back to ESPN analyst Kirk Herbs- the dots start to connect. and Hand as co-offensive the dawn of football. treit said many coaches Trace the evolution of coordinators at Tulsa There’s Oregon’s relent- thought unique offensive spread offenses, and the shaped Malzahn’s evolving less tempo dictated by Chip styles in Division I-AA, Divi- picture becomes clearer running game. Kelly — who once studied sion II and Division III were how the past shaped this Hand came from the Ro- the wide-open Canadian gimmicky. national championship driguez philosophy of using Football League and NFL “It’s taken coaches like game — and maybe how inside and outside zone Europe — that wears de- Urban Meyer — guys that Auburn meeting Oregon for runs. Those plays involve fenses down to the point have had success at the elite the crystal trophy will shape the quarterback making a they fake injuries to get a level — for this to catch on the sport for years to come. split-second decision of breather. in the last decade,” Herbs- whether to keep the ball or There’s the additional treit said. “There are a lot of hand off, depending on how pressure these offenses can coaches who think the game Single-wing returns he reads a certain defender. place on their own defense, continues to come full cir- Gus Malzahn can’t stand where a quick score or cle, that these offenses were the “spread offense” mon- Continued on Page 3P “I’m not scared to be different, put it that way. You’ve got to trust your philosophy no matter what the outside world thinks. You’ve got to be who you are because this is a very high-pressure profession.” GUS MALZAHN, Auburn’s offensive coordinator