Wildcat Formation

jjsccer2

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I remember seeing some clips in practice of us running the wildcat with allen taking snaps. What do you think the chances we some of that next year? I think allen and tate in the backfield would create mismatches everywhere. That is how Pitt beat us in the second quarter. I think it works too well to ignore.
 

tko

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if we can block on the offensive line and run the football properly we don't need gimmicks. we have too much talent on the field to waste time with that formation.
 

NDinL.A.

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Actually, we did try it last year, one time. I forget which game it was, but we tried it w/ Golden Tate. And it worked beautifully-----except for the fact that Tate hit the wrong hole and got stuffed. I wished they would have tried it again with Tate, but they never did. He had his chance and I admit he completely blew it, but like you, I thought it should have been ran again.

With Allen, rarely did he show me this year that he was capable of running out of the backfield behind our crappy line this year. With our line, you need a guy that can make people miss, and he simply didn't do that. Now, in the Hawaii game, he did do that, and hopefully that will be a precursor of things to come. If not, I'd love to see Tate back there, or even Cierre Wood, if he proves worthy. Or even Allen, if he proves that he can do it.

We should use the Wildcat on occassion (not too much, because the strength of our team is JC, Floyd and Tate), just to give the opposing team something else to gameplan. I even saw on a practice video Robert Hughes running the Wildcat (not my first, 2nd, third, or 12th option personally), but they only ran it that one time to Tate. We'll see if they do it next year...
 

fightinirish68

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they ran it a couple times last year..right after weiss said that we wouldnt ha. and it did nothing.
 

NeuteredDoomer

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... I wished they would have tried it again with Tate, but they never did. He had his chance and I admit he completely blew it, but like you, I thought it should have been ran again...
That is major problem I see with CW's offense. They don't "run it again." They run a different play every gawdamm time and have no "go to" play. As I see it, ND's running game is not the O line's fault. If I'm a LB (which I was) and my simple key is that if RB goes right, the play is going exactly where the chump goes, I quickly step up and smash the motherfucker.

No misdirection at all with CW's running game. Totally asinine. A gawdamm monkey could stop CW's running package.

I remember being amazed by Holtz's running game because all the linemen always "put a hat on someone." Too many times with CW's scheme, Oline does not know who to block. No footwork either They simply kick back on their heels while CW and Clausen "think" about where to toss the pig.

O.K. Rant is over. Time for church. Hoping girl in third pew at left in back shows up.

I shaved today.
 

NeuteredDoomer

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...I seem to remember the fade to the corner ....

Fade is always run to the corner.

Can you remember a successful "go to" running play?

A successful "go to" pass?

The word "screen". Can you remember a consistent successful "go to" screen?

An example of a "go to" play: I hate to mention them, but I remember when Reggie Bush was playing , whenever "they" needed 50 yards, they would "go to" the "counter left." Bush would start right, then follow either a trapping or crossblocking lineman to the left. Simple stuff. He gained many yards on that one simple play all year.

"Go to" play. CW has NONE


Holtz. Red Zone. T formation. Dive. Slant. Pitch. Trap.

At practice all year I imagine it was Dive. Slant. Pitch. Trap. Dive. Slant. Pitch. Trap. Dive. Slant. Pitch. Trap. Dive. Slant. Pitch. Trap. Dive. Slant. Pitch. Trap. Dive. Slant. Pitch. Trap. Dive. Slant. Pitch. Trap. Dive. Slant. Pitch. Trap. Dive. Slant. Pitch. Trap. Dive. Slant. Pitch. Trap.









CW. Red Zone. "Hey! Let's try this one this time!"

At practice all year I imagine it was "Hey! Let's try this one this time!"
 
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NDFan537

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if we can block on the offensive line and run the football properly we don't need gimmicks. we have too much talent on the field to waste time with that formation.

I could not agree more. We need to run the ball out of normal formations and do it well. This will open up the pass. With the receivers we have if you protect Jimmy he will hit them all day long and eat defense's alive. Not that I don't believe in mixing it up. Being able to successfully line Tate and Allen, or Aldridge, Hughes, and Allen, for that matter, in the back field would confuse the defense. That would be all well and good, but we have more talent than most of the teams we will play. I say line it up, and we beat there guys off the ball and then who needs all the trick plays?

Take the Steelers for instance. How many times did they try to trick people? Not a lot, I can tell you that. They just lined up, smacked people in the mouth, and won football games.

That's all we really want anyways, right. TO WIN, NO MATTER WHAT FORMATION WE USE!
 

ARALOU

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Oh I see what you are saying Neut. True, they have nothing to really "go to". Kind of looked in the Hawai'i game that the "bomb" was working though. That is as close as I saw all last year.
 

fightinirish68

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its funny bc the day before the bowl game we bashed cw's screen plays then we dominated hawaii with them ha.
 

NeuteredDoomer

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Oh I see what you are saying Neut. True, they have nothing to really "go to". Kind of looked in the Hawai'i game that the "bomb" was working though. That is as close as I saw all last year.

O.K.

O.K.

Bring up the Hawaii game will ya? The game I changed my life schedule to watch, then slept through the ENTIRE fucker?

You ICEHOLE BASTAGE. I simply fell asleep after I purchased an ice cold one and a lil baggie of Cracker Jacks (gift inside) while I eagerly anticipated watching my pups destroy some rainbow kneecaps while warmly snuggled inside my blanky and soft lil pillows.

So I absolutely passed out through three games.

Wut? I was tired. Want summa dis?

You bastage. Icehole. You.... You.... AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH
 
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WabashFalcon

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O.K.

O.K.

Bring up the Hawaii game will ya? The game I changed my life schedule to watch, then slept through the ENTIRE fucker?

You ICEHOLE BASTAGE. I simply fell asleep after I purchased an ice cold one and a lil baggie of Cracker Jacks (gift inside) while I eagerly anticipated watching my pups destroy some rainbow kneecaps while warmly snuggled inside my blanky and soft lil pillows.

So I absolutely passed out through three games.

Wut? I was tired. Want summa dis?

You bastage. Icehole. You.... You.... AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH

I let you hump my feet if it calms you down Bambi.
 

NeuteredDoomer

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let me correct myself, we didnt DOMINATE them bc of it. but it did play a significant role in our success.

O.K. Look.

I will find anyone who continues to mention the bowl game that I slept through. It caused trauma when I woke up as TV was signing off a split second after game ended. I spilled my ice cold one and some Cracker Jacks (gift inside) when I passed out a split second before kickoff. Split fucking second.

I was sleepy. O.K?

I am still experiencing the grieving process.

I have turned to porn for relief.

It helps.

Wut?
 
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ARALOU

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O.K.

O.K.

Bring up the Hawaii game will ya? The game I changed my life schedule to watch, then slept through the ENTIRE fucker?


Well,,,, would it help any if I told you to just play NCAA football and go for something like 9 for 10 and 300 yards in the first half? Thats kind of what JC did. :clap:
 

fightinirish68

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i normally do bc who runs screens on 1st and 10 or 2nd and 15 haha but they lead up to like 80 yards and a td in the bowl game
 

NeuteredDoomer

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Well,,,, would it help any if I told you to just play NCAA football and go for something like 9 for 10 and 300 yards in the first half? Thats kind of what JC did. :clap:

I will find you, my precious. I will find you.
 

GO IRISH!!!

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I remember being amazed by Holtz's running game because all the linemen always "put a hat on someone." Too many times with CW's scheme, Oline does not know who to block. No footwork either They simply kick back on their heels while CW and Clausen "think" about where to toss the pig.


You are absolutely right. I was so sick and tired of seeing our linemen dive at the feet of the defense only to have said defender deftly step around prone behemoth on route to pounding Jimmy. Stand up and smack someone in the mouth. Holtz's O-lines were not just good, they were feared! I remember thinking how scary it must have been for opposing defenses to look across the line at some of those monsters knowing it was going to be a long, painful day. I also used to love watching those days and seeing one of the tackles pull and get up a full head of steam before laying someone out on the side while springing the RB. I want to see our O linemen KILLING people leaving only death and destruction in their wake!!!

Got any jerky?
 

leahy's lads

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Personally, I love the wildcat formation. The team that I saw run it the most was Penn State, they executed it in a very masterful way.
 

tko

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Personally, I love the wildcat formation. The team that I saw run it the most was Penn State, they executed it in a very masterful way.

fuck penn state. i deal with all the psu homers all the time around here and i can't stand them.
 

TDHeysus

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Wildcat is a gimmick, its NOTHING new. I think its horrible, and ND should never use it....Remember in 07, I believe it was the Ga Tech game first of the season, Allen was to take the first snap from scrimamge in that stupid wildcat formation? Didnt the snap go 10ft over his head and down to like the 5 yard line? When I saw that, I was upset, WTF?, why is ND resorting to gimmick plays? at the beginning of the game? I have played alot of organized sports, and gimmick plays are ran by teams that dont have the horses to play.

We have some on-hand talent, and we have incoming talent - no need for gimmicks at this point.
 

ACamp1900

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Too bad we don't have Anthony Vernaglia... we could run the wildcat all day... It would be Chuck Norris like
 

NDinL.A.

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Wildcat is a gimmick, its NOTHING new. I think its horrible, and ND should never use it....Remember in 07, I believe it was the Ga Tech game first of the season, Allen was to take the first snap from scrimamge in that stupid wildcat formation? Didnt the snap go 10ft over his head and down to like the 5 yard line? When I saw that, I was upset, WTF?, why is ND resorting to gimmick plays? at the beginning of the game? I have played alot of organized sports, and gimmick plays are ran by teams that dont have the horses to play.

We have some on-hand talent, and we have incoming talent - no need for gimmicks at this point.

I know what you're saying, but the Wildcat is not a gimmick, it's just not an 'offense'. The point of the play is, why have someone hand it off and play 10 vs. 11 when you can use a direct snap and play 11 on 11? You're right, it is nothing new, high schools and colleges have been using it for years. The pros started using it this year, and everyone freaked out and called it the wildcat. Hell, Arkansas ditched the QB completely against LSU (I believe it was them) and beat them with Darren McFadden and Felix Jones running nothing but the 'wildcat'.

Also, there are several great teams that have used trick plays as part of their offenses. When Mike Mularcky was Pittburgh's O-coordinator, they had tons of trick plays and they won a super bowl. AZ made it to the super bowl and they used a ton of trick plays all year. I get pissed when my favorite teams (read: the teams I bet on) try trick plays at horrible times, like when it's third and 4 and they try a double-reverse pass. That's stupidity. Like you said, if you have the better talent, just line up and play. Most of the time. But there are definitely times when ND should use them. Personally, unless it's Golden Tate or an incoming freshman, I don't think we have the personel (sp?) to run it. Unless Allen starts making more people miss (could happen), and unless our line starts actually blocking people (with Tenuta, could happen), we just don't have the guys to run it. Our strength is our passing game. But if we could make it work, I wouldn't mind seeing the 'wildcat' from time to time...

Oh, and don't blame the Wildcat for that bad snap to Allen. That was ALL on O'Sullivan, and Lord, what I wanted to do to him that year!!!
 

NDinL.A.

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o sullivan??

Jesus, what was that guy's name? The center? I'm probably wrong on his name.

we have the talent to run it.

Who on the current roster can make people miss or break a tackle besides Tate when he runs a slant? Don't say Allen, because he still gets arm-tackled and doesn't make people miss, unless it's Hawaii (hopefully a prelude for things to come). Hughes and Aldridge are too slow for that play, and Gray might be good but he never played against 1st teamers and the one 1st string defense he ran against vs. Navy he ran like a fullback and fumbled. on the goal line. Unfortunately, I'm still not sold on our RB's. Hopefully it's the lines fault and not the talent of the RB's, but I personally think the RB's share some of the blame (but not nearly as much as the o-line). Hopefully you're right and the talent is there at the RB spot...
 
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