Adapting The Offensive Attack To Your Quarterback

Adapting the Offensive Attack to Your Quarterback

Jack Bicknell Head Coach Boston College Chestnut Hill, Mass.

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entlemen, it is a pleasure and honor to share with you some of our thoughts on our offensive system and how we adapt it to our quarterback. Regardless of who our quarterback is we plan to be a multiple-formation team, with emphasis on throwing the football. We carry as many as 25 formations into every game. By utilizing motion and shifting it is our thought to present problems to the defensive team so that they are forced to spend a major part of their preparation in trying to line up properly. We also believe multiple formations and motion stabilizes secondary coverages and blitz packages and allows us, in some ways, to dictate to the defense. Emphasis on Throwing We believe in throwing the football, and this emphasis is evident in our recruiting quarterbacks, We are looking for a quarterback with intelligence who has a lively arm. We can’t coach velocity and arm strength. We are also looking for an athlete with quickness that can make something happen when things break down. Size is not one of our major concerns. Quickness is more important to us than speed. Our present quarterback is at the most 5-10. He is intelligent and extremely quick. He can throw the football. Why does a quarterback have to be tall? Even a 6-1 quarterback can’t look over an onrushing defensive lineman being blocked by a 6-5 offensive lineman. You have to be athletic enough to move six inches right or left to look in the cracks. Scatter Principle Our concept is to present a multiple set concept even when we end up in a basic IRt or I-Lt alignment. One way we do this is our scatter principle. What is it? Scatter is a series of specified position alignments intended to confuse the defense as to final formation identification. A. Rules: Y-align on the line of scrimmage opposite the final formation alignment or align to your final formation position and on the “set” command execute your trace maneuver. B-Align in a wing or either side of ball. A-Align as a halfback, I fullback, or tailback. Z-Rt, Lt align to your final formation direction off the ball with a width adjustment (Basic rule when X, Z are opposite by final formation alignment).

• AFCA Summer Manual — 2002 •

Twins: Align in tight flanker alignment position off the ball opposite your final formation (Basic rule when X-Z are on the same side of the final formation). X: Rt, Lt align in a slot or tight flanker opposite your final position. Twins-Align to your final formation direction off the ball with a width adjustment. Z-X-Always off the ball (we cannot cover up the tight end). Y and B assume a three-point stance. A-assume the stance of the position. Movement-the X or Z receiver assigned to move across the formation will simulate motion by beginning his movement when the quarterback places his hands under the center. The remaining players will move to their final formation positions on the quarterback’s “set” command.

Diagram 1

Pre-Scatter Concept The theory behind the scatter principle is to disguise final formation alignments, in order for scatter to be effective the prescatter alignment positions must be effectively utilized. Run/pass selections must force the defense to honor pre-scatter formations. Other Terms Flip: Term telling Y to align opposite his final formation position and on “set” command flip to his designated position. Two tight ends can also execute the flip maneuver. Two tight ends would align on the same side in a flip maneuver. Jump: Term referring to a one tight end maneuver in which the tight ends align opposite, with Y aligning to his final formation position, the X tight end aligns opposite Y. On “set” the Y tight end will execute a trace maneuver, and X tight end will flip to the final formation. Scramble (The opposite of Scatter): Align in a base formation and on “set” move to a double strength or trips formation. Confuse the Opponent The key to the multiple formation concept is to confuse your opponent, not your

Jack Bicknell at a Glance Experience: Assistant Coach, Boston College (1968-75); Head Coach, University of Maine, 1976-80 (18-35-1); Head Coach, Boston College, 1981-90 (59-55-1) Career Head Coaching Record: 77-90-2 Bowl Game Record: 2-2 AFCA Regional Coach of the Year Awards: 1982 & 1983 Notes: Jack Bicknellled the Eagles to four bowl games during his tenure. He was the first head coach in Boston College history to lead the Eagles to four bowl appearances. Bicknell was also the first to lead BC to three straight Bowl games from 1982-84, including the school’s first New Year’s Day Bowl in 42 years, a 45-28 victory over Houston in the Cotton Bowl. His quarterback that season was 1984 Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie. Bicknell coached in a number of all star games during his career. In 1985, he was chosen as the head coach of the East squads in both the Hula Bowl and Japan Bowl. He has also served as head coach of the East team in the 1990 East-West Shrine game. own team. In order to insure lack of confusion and to be sure we are within the 25 second clock, we signal the formation and send in the play. The quarterback has the formation in mind by the time the play arrives. Once we have mastered in our minds the formation and motion concepts, we then look carefully at what our quarterback can do. The basic offense stays the same but the emphasis changes from quarterback to quarterback. We would look the same but there would be significant differences depending on who our quarterback is. We are basically an I team with the nor-

mal complement of I plays. We get extremely multiple with our passing game. We plan to throw the ball to help set up the run. We want offensive balance but won’t be pigheaded if it isn’t there. We aren’t good enough to get in one formation and knock people off the line of scrimmage. Also, we believe we can recruit people to throw and catch the football because size is not a prerequisite. One very important concept that has helped us this year is our “Naked” concept. This plan illustrates how we adapt our attack to our quick, little quarterback. Our offensive line coach, Mike Maser, loves this play because his line can’t make

a mistake. We run this play off of virtually any formation and use it in almost any normal or short-yardage situation. For sake of discussion we call “naked” off our sweep. Of particular importance is our back tackle and guard pull and seal exactly as they do on sweep. The quarterback bootlegs all by himself, checks for the split end deep, gets on the corner and either runs or dumps the ball off to the dragging tight end. This has been a dominating play in all of our 11 games and we use it extensively in our bowl game. Teams had seen it and had worked on it and it still worked.

Diagram 2

With a quarterback who can run, naked, quarterback draw, hard sprint and option are important in our attack. With a non-running quarterback, more emphasis is on drop-back, shot-gun, and play-action pass. I honestly don’t think you can win at our level unless your quarterback can escape or take the 18 side step to bide time versus a good pass rush. I sincerely hope that some of these ideas can help you as you plan your offense. If I were coaching any level, I would use the same concepts.

Avoid Teaching Blind-Side Blocking Below The Waist Even though blind-side and peel-back blocks are legal near or behind the neutral zone in certain instances, the AFCA Ethics Committee reminds the membership that teaching players to block below the waist in those instances is ethically improper and should be avoided because of the high possibility of serious injury. The Football Code states: “Teaching or condoning intentional roughing, including blind-side blocking an opponent below the waist anywhere on the field, is indefensible.” • AFCA Summer Manual — 2002 •