This "Gimmick" Offense

#26
#26
www.saturdaydownsouth.com

Friedlander: No longer as short of ‘Volunteers,’ Tennessee is making a powerful statement

CHARLOTTE, NC – The harsh sanctions placed on Tennessee’s football program by the NCAA for the transgressions of former coach Jeremy Pruitt and his staff are far from over. This is only the 2nd season of a 5-year probationary period. And yet, current coach Josh Heupel is already starting to see...
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“We had scholarship limitations, particularly on the offensive side of the football,” Heupel said. “That’s kind of where you pick your poison. You’re going to be limited at some positions. This is the deepest our tight end room has been. We’ve been working on 12 Personnel through the spring and training camp. That’s something that will be a part of what we’ll continue to do.”

1. This is only the 2nd season of a 5-year probationary period. 2. Will be 12 more scholarships short over the next 3 seasons.

we're coming for you boys at the top
 
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#27
#27
We play receivers wide to make the run game easier as the spread defensive players become irrelevant unless it is a pass and in that case the linebackers are more irrelevant. You stack the box and lose to passing you drop 8 like ncst and see why we had more rush than pass last night
 
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#31
#31
casual-observer said:
Honest question from someone who never played the game:

Every year, every fan board, it's the same chirping - "Tennessee/Heupel runs a "gimmick" offense that is easy to figure out"

If it's so gimmicky and easy to figure out, why have Josh Heupel's offenses been ranked nationally in the top10 72% of the time over the past nine years (maybe more)?

As someone who never played the game, what is everyone charging as 'gimmicky' to this offense? What does that mean, can someone explain what is gimmicky? Or is this just a case of opposing fans repeating something they've heard and most of them know nothing about?

-> It does appear the Tennessee offense is playing tighter in the box with two tight ends. I think this is adding power to the inside and helping boost the running game.
-> It appears other schools (I noticed Georgia doing this against Clemson last week) are utilizing the in-helmet communications and playing more tempo office (like TN)...so if everyone trying to mimic the crappy, gimmicky offense, lol?

View attachment 674769

Bonus points if someone can explain this.
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Only folks saying it’s a gimmick is folks that don’t know nothing about football. When you run for over 200 and pass for over 200 there is nothing gimmick about it!!!! GBO Innovative yes, gimmicks no.
 
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#32
#32
Tnphil said:
The key is to have an elite defense...Scoring 50 and getting beat 52-50 is no fun. We are getting there with the defense. Too many times teams with a high powered offense has a less than good defenses.

I liked what Heupel said in his post game presser....We are going to have a good defense...This is the defense of Reggie White....Al Wilson...Eric Berry. When he said those 3 names he stopped talking and just looked around the room. Heupel gets it.
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You have to have good defense to win. A great offense and a average D won’t win the SEC or National Championship. You have to have a very good offense and defense. Heupel gets it, he knows you need to be good at all of it. GBO
 
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#35
#35
It’s a nice gimmick when you can score 50 pts a game and they can come from any skill position on the offense.
 
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#37
#37
It will be called a Gimmick until more teams run this type of offense. Alex Golesh runs it at USF with success so far. I expect Halzle to get a head coaching job in the next 2 years aswell. So that will be 3 coaches running it. More will catch on. Here soon, the media will have to give it a nickname.
 
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#38
#38
People call it a gimmick because of the option elements, tempo, and the wide splits. I don’t think the gimmick label is accurate, but I get where it comes from: defensive alignment dictates the run/pass read (on read plays) and the route tree is simplified based on half-field reads (on some plays).

It’s just football. If a team wants to run a few plays with similar spacing, more power to them. The defense just has to stop it. And I think the offense is evolving into a broader range of routes and formations.
 
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#39
#39
aRmo said:
It will be called a Gimmick until more teams run this type of offense. Alex Golesh runs it at USF with success so far. I expect Halzle to get a head coaching job in the next 2 years aswell. So that will be 3 coaches running it. More will catch on. Here soon, the media will have to give it a nickname.
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Golesh did pretty good for 3+ quarters against the Gumps Saturday, didn’t he?
 
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#40
#40
Visidog said:
People call it a gimmick because of the option elements, tempo, and the wide splits. I don’t think the gimmick label is accurate, but I get where it comes from: defensive alignment dictates the run/pass read (on read plays) and the route tree is simplified based on half-field reads (on some plays).

It’s just football. If a team wants to run a few plays with similar spacing, more power to them. The defense just has to stop it. And I think the offense is evolving into a broader range of routes and formations.
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I wonder if the forward pass was considered “gimmick” when it first appeared?
 
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#41
#41
I specifically remember a guy I know who's a big Gators fan calling Heupel's offense "gimmicky" and saying it wouldn't last long.

I saw the same guy post this year on his Facebook page his top replacement candidates for Napier. Golesh was one of them...lol.
 
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#43
#43
casual-observer said:
I wonder if the forward pass was considered “gimmick” when it first appeared?
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It was.

The offense has tradeoffs. The wide splits simplify run/pass reads and force teams to hold up in man coverage—but, in exchange, defenders know that WR routes are limited and their run fits are simplified. Most mesh, crossing, and high/low conflict route combinations are ruled out by formation. Routes coming inside develop slower, and there are fewer quick-hitting passes: a defender doesn’t have to worry about a quick slant when he’s standing on the numbers and the ball is on the far hash.

Teams that can’t play man are cooked. Teams that aren’t conditioned to play the pace are cooked. And I think the real advantage comes when the QB is a threat to run. The whole offense is designed to let UT run into light boxes.
 
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#44
#44

The Description Of Tennessee Football's Offense That Josh Heupel Finds 'Laughable' | Rocky Top Insider

Don't tell Josh Heupel that Tennessee football runs an air raid offense. The Vols head coach finds the description laughable.
www.rockytopinsider.com www.rockytopinsider.com

The Vols spread offense and ability to create explosive players in the passing game has led to many to call Tennessee’s offense pass heavy or even an air raid attack.

That’s kind of laughable to me, to be honest,” Heupel said of the description. “You look at our ability to run the football since we’ve been here statistically, over the last close to a decade, we’ve always ran the ball really efficiently and effectively.”

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban even talked about it on College Gameday last Saturday, discussing how stopping the run was the most important thing to do against Tennessee.
 
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#45
#45
Visidog said:
It was.

The offense has tradeoffs. The wide splits simplify run/pass reads and force teams to hold up in man coverage—but, in exchange, defenders know that WR routes are limited and their run fits are simplified. Most mesh, crossing, and high/low conflict route combinations are ruled out by formation. Routes coming inside develop slower, and there are fewer quick-hitting passes: a defender doesn’t have to worry about a quick slant when he’s standing on the numbers and the ball is on the far hash.

Teams that can’t play man are cooked. Teams that aren’t conditioned to play the pace are cooked. And I think the real advantage comes when the QB is a threat to run. The whole offense is designed to let UT run into light boxes.
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Thank you for this. Makes so much sense and what I was wanting to understand.

I suspect then, when you have speed at WR, like Hyatt in ‘22, and an accurate passer, like Hooker, you can read and subsequently torch those outside corners?

Then, the 12 personnel has got to be flat munking up all the opposition defenses, because its another gimmick they didn’t plan for. Makes CJH seems like a genius!

Thanks again!
 
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#46
#46
Boston Vol said:
A “Gimmick” offense is a non-conventional, uncommon style that goes against current football orthodoxy. Some other offenses that were considered gimmicky:

Bill Walsh’s West Coast Offense
Mouse Davis Run n shoot
Steve Spurrier’s Fun N Gun
Joe Tiller’s Basketball on Grass
Hal Mumme and Mike Leach’s Air Raid
Rich Rod’s Spread Option
Urban Meyer’s Spread Offense
Art Briles Baylor Veer and Shoot

Seems like Heupel is in good company.
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Former SEC quarterbacks Fran Tarkenton or Kenny Stabler would have THRIVED in Heupel's offense along with Condredge Holloway and Joe Namath.
 
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#47
#47
casual-observer said:
Thank you for this. Makes so much sense and what I was wanting to understand.

I suspect then, when you have speed at WR, like Hyatt in ‘22, and an accurate passer, like Hooker, you can read and subsequently torch those outside corners?

Then, the 12 personnel has got to be flat munking up all the opposition defenses, because its another gimmick they didn’t plan for. Makes CJH seems like a genius!

Thanks again!
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I think Hooker’s best attribute was his decisiveness. He’s obviously massively skilled, but he was able to decide what to do and do it. When he got a run read, he ran. When he got a throw deep read, he threw deep. Milton processed more slowly. Nico seems not to always trust his reads (or maybe the coaches aren’t giving him as much liberty yet—I have no way of knowing). His first pick, in particular, looked like a light box run read all the way, but he threw into it. It might not have been a read play at all.

12 personnel is the old Patriots Gronk offense or the UGA 2021-22 offense: get heavy and then attack the adjustment by favoring the run if the TE draws a DB and the pass if it’s a LB.
 
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#48
#48
Boston Vol said:
A “Gimmick” offense is a non-conventional, uncommon style that goes against current football orthodoxy. Some other offenses that were considered gimmicky:

Bill Walsh’s West Coast Offense
Mouse Davis Run n shoot
Steve Spurrier’s Fun N Gun
Joe Tiller’s Basketball on Grass
Hal Mumme and Mike Leach’s Air Raid
Rich Rod’s Spread Option
Urban Meyer’s Spread Offense
Art Briles Baylor Veer and Shoot

Seems like Heupel is in good company.
Click to expand...
Going back a little further... the "forward pass"
 
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#49
#49
Visidog said:
It was.

The offense has tradeoffs. The wide splits simplify run/pass reads and force teams to hold up in man coverage—but, in exchange, defenders know that WR routes are limited and their run fits are simplified. Most mesh, crossing, and high/low conflict route combinations are ruled out by formation. Routes coming inside develop slower, and there are fewer quick-hitting passes: a defender doesn’t have to worry about a quick slant when he’s standing on the numbers and the ball is on the far hash.

Teams that can’t play man are cooked. Teams that aren’t conditioned to play the pace are cooked. And I think the real advantage comes when the QB is a threat to run. The whole offense is designed to let UT run into light boxes.
Click to expand...
👆🏾Wisdom.
 
#50
#50
Early on many thought it was just a hurry up offense. That was a media focus… time between snaps and total snaps etc. Playing “quick” was the assumed gimmick
 
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