I like to think that I have a fairly good grasp of most sports, football included. My wife doesn't always appreciate my grasp of useless sports knowledge. At any rate, someone who knows far more than me about X's and O's please enlighten me. I completely understand that we run a particular style of offense (a spread) that is the norm now in college football. I have wondered though, for years, why we can't, in certain situations have our QB go under center. Is it simply too difficult to implement this in practice and in games? I bring this up mainly because of our apparent lack of depth at the center position. Apparently we don't have a backup who can consistently snap the ball to the QB in the shotgun/pistol without it hitting him in the ankle. It drives me nuts when we have a 4th and less than a yard situation and we go for it but still snap the ball the ball back 5 yards and have a back who is 7 yards deep having to find a hole to gain the first down. Don't get me started on the situations when we have to snap the ball 5 yards deep in the end zone.
Would it be just too difficult to implement plays where TL goes under center occasionally (especially with an inexperienced center) and then handoff or run play action? I realize that it is probably way more complicated than I realize but I have never understood why a QB at this level can't take a simple snap under center and why a coaching staff can't (or won't )put in plays that can be run from this formation.
Taking a snap under center once in a while
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bigdaddyg
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/\PP ST/\TE GRAD 09
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Re: Taking a snap under center once in a while
It is definitely something that can be practiced, but not at this point in the season. Under center requires a different type of snap from center, Lamb would have to get the exchange right, his steps would be different, running backs would have to change their timing for hand offs, linemen change their stance. Many things are different, and when you've ran nothing but the spread for 10 years now, it's likely not going to change.
I do agree it would be nice to see us under center. Particularly at the goal line and on short yard plays. Satterfield being a new head coach might be up to switch things up, but it would likely be am off season move.
I do agree it would be nice to see us under center. Particularly at the goal line and on short yard plays. Satterfield being a new head coach might be up to switch things up, but it would likely be am off season move.
Twitter: @brosef_yosef
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bigdaddyg
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Re: Taking a snap under center once in a while
I hope that whoever is at center Saturday will have snapped the ball 1000 times this week!
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ASU3432M
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Re: Taking a snap under center once in a while
Amen brother. I've wondered about this for years. Watched the Big Boys play all day Saturday on TV. Most go under center on 3rd or 4th and short and are usually successful.
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Yosef10
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Re: Taking a snap under center once in a while
We're tied 6th in the country on 4th down conversions....ASU3432M wrote:Amen brother. I've wondered about this for years. Watched the Big Boys play all day Saturday on TV. Most go under center on 3rd or 4th and short and are usually successful.
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Rekdiver
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bigdaddyg
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Re: Taking a snap under center once in a while
I hear you brother. I would just love to see us bring in a bruising 240lb back who can take a handoff (after a snap under center) and bull through a hole for a short gain on a big 3rd and short or 4th down play. Yeah, older guy here who misses the smash mouth football from yesteryear! Don't get me wrong I can appreciate the up tempo game as good as the next guy. I have just never understood why it is so difficult to adjust. It can't be that difficult to snap the ball to the QB and it can't be that difficult to take the snap and it certainly can't be that difficult to turn and hand the ball off. I realize this takes practice but I also realize that lots of teams are able to transition during the game and actually do this.Rekdiver wrote:I quit asking...........
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App91
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Re: Taking a snap under center once in a while
remember the JMU playoff game where Pierre got the fumble, calling time out so Armanti could practice snaps under center. Think that was the last time I saw us take a snap from under center.
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bigdaddyg
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Re: Taking a snap under center once in a while
That was probably the year when it was rumored that we MIGHT put in a few plays. Never happened. I can't recall the game but it was when Armanti was still here. We were backed up to the one yard line and I think even the announcers were commenting that it would be tough to avoid a safety since we were taking the snap so far back in the end zone. Sure enough, safety!