IYO which has a better chance of winning being a predominantly running team or passing? Which style in todays game do you think works best? I know most teams talk about being balanced but we have teams in the SEC that lean one way or the other. I do think teams that can be proficient at both run and pass will always succeed but most teams tend to focus on one direction or the other. Back in SOS days we were the fun and gun, moving up and down the field by air. That was very successful. At the same time OU was a predominantly running team with great success. (Obviously defense is a must for without a good D, losses will accumulate.) If I had to choose between one or the other I'd say a team that is more proficient at passing the ball is better than one that runs the ball in most instances. I just think a team that runs the ball and gets behind has a harder time catching up.
Statistically best teams are 2/3 passing… overall offense. Say top 15 stats wise Anomaly in top tier was Ole Miss
Nice thread @gator34654! I agree with a lot of what you wrote but I'll take the other side then and say that if a team can run effectively without penalties, and eat up clock while scoring, it works to limit the number of opportunities that purely passing team will get. Stop a couple of those passing drives, or even better, get an interception or two knowing a pass is coming and the running team may have an advantage. Big ifs though.
I think a great passing team will always be more explosive and create more problems than a great running team. Linning three dynamic wide receivers across the line of scrimmage stresses a defense in more ways than having two great running options in the backfield (in modern college football one of them will be the quarterback).
A team that runs 45-50 times a game will need extreme luck to win more then 8 games, running all the time teams need to be perfect in regards to special teams and penalties, a passing team that goes 3 and out will get more possessions in a game to try again, a running team that blows some 12 play drive with a holding call and a missed FG has done nothing but run the clock down and limit their chances the rest of the game.
Not to mention if we do run it well that tends to wear-out the opposing defense... it's also demoralizing, punishing football. I want the offense that mixes up the play calling. No matter how good an offense is if they become predictable that negates any advantage that the offense might otherwise have. And that means that we have to be somewhat good at running and passing the ball. People forget that our plays way back in the Fun and Gun were very close to 50-50 run versus pass. However, we passed the ball to score fast, and get ahead, only to later on wear the other teams out with a steady does of Fred Taylor or a number of other great backs we had on our team. In the end we averaged almost the same percentage of both... Now I don't know how we end up using our play calls, or how we end up using our talent, but if you look closely, our team makeup might end up looking a lot like an SOS teams of yesteryear. We just need that accurate passer to put us in the conversation of a better than functional team. Bring back the slant pass... perfect the slant pass and we're in business. And I don't care if we run first then pass or pass first and then run it as long as we do both of them well.
I think passing is better against today’s athletic, fast, well coached SEC defenses. It is really hard to run the ball consistently against a typical SEC defense. But a creative offensive game plan can still pass the ball.
A passing team will usually score more and also get scored on more. But, a winning team needs a serious threat of either running or passing happening on any given play to spread the defense's attention. Passing is fun to watch, but, winning is even more fun.
I think this was always Muscramp's M.O., playing possession football. There isn't much wiggle room in it, unfortunately. 1 or 2 errors by the defense or special teams and you're in trouble. It's easier to overcome mistakes with a dynamic passing game.
And don’t forget, we would not have gotten past Tennessee without Fred Taylor. I agree with the passing, but being able to run the ball is a powerful weapon.
I agree with this, but I like balance. When you get two touchdowns down, you have to pass. At the two minute warning, you have to pass. Great teams can do both and they dictate when they run or pass.
I agree with you both and actually prefer a dynamic passing attack (along with effective running when wanted). I just took the other side to start the discussion.
Liked how SOS would score fast and furiously in the first half then pound on the ground the second half. Best of both strengths.
Back in the Dooley days, Georgia would run 60 times for 300 yards, go 6 for 13 for 72 yards passing, play great defense in the fourth quarter, make you turn the ball over, and beat you by 3 to 7 points. As much as Gator fans hated Muschamp, that year we ran the ball with two running backs getting about 180 yards each and beat Georgia was a masterful game. (Necessity was the mother of invention.) We have arguably two great running backs, with what looks like a marginal quarterback, but I’m not sure Napier would have the guts to run the backs 60 times in a game. He would probably want a ‘balanced offense’.
I would like us to use our running backs more creatively in the passing game, perhaps even playing both at the same time. Last year, Etienne and Johnson combined for only 21 catches for 124 yards in 13 games. https://floridagators.com/sports/football/stats#individual
I do remember the muschamp years winning the TOP but often have little to show for it. A holding penalty here, a run that gets 2 yards, a team that stacks the line and all hope that the defense stops theirs. And when a team pulls way ahead it's almost impossible to catch them with a run heavy game. I live near Knoxville, and have watched Josh Heupel produce a wide open passing game both here and at ucf that is productive. Almost reminds me of the fun an gun the way they move down the field quickly and score. I think how good we were when Kyle Trask was passing that almost compensated for a lousy D. Right now, it seems that BN is leaning a bit on the old bama method of big uglies and a great running game. We definitly have very good rbs. I think this year and maybe next until Legway gets here, our qbs will be game managers throwing enough to keep the chains moving. But when we get a better passer, I think we will see more balls being thrown.
