Spurrier proved that the ability to throw a deep pass early opens up all kinds of off. opportuntity

All over the NFL as well as the West Coast offense (remember Bill Walsh?). It was mostly used in passing downs. SOS was criticized for NOT putting Danny in the 'gun at Doak.

 

SOS was very resistant to the shotgun. It was widespread by then and he was a late adopter, only after FSU mauled Danny in Tally in the 96 game and he basically had to do it.

 

Bill Walsh was not a fan of shotgun and his teams didn't use it. Joe Montana didn't like the offense, and Steve Young never took a shotgun snap in his entire career.

 

An often under appreciated aspect of Spurriers teams, and style, arguably the greatest coach I have EVER seen after an opposing team committed a turnover. He was incredibly aggressive and lethal. Go look at the tape. He seemed to go for 6 first or second play afterwards. Especially against UGA, and it was so often successful.

 

check out 36:35

 

I earliest I can remember was the Jets running it with Joe Namath because his knees were so bad but I know it had been utilized prior to that.

 

Except we just went 99 yards on 4 plays the previous drive.

 

He’s the greatest college coach of all time.

1. He was innovative
2. He wasn’t scared to take risks.
3. He wasn’t scared to make changes if needed ( QB )
4. He won at Duke, UF and South Carolina.

There is no coach out there today that’s comparable. Lane Kiffin is not that guy and never will be.

 

Best ball DW threw.

 

SOS didn’t really use it until 96 post FSU loss.

The shotgun was being used in college well before that.

Many of us at the 96 game in Tally we screaming for it mid game just get DW a second more to get the ball off..

 

Do you people ever read an entire post before you comment? I never said no one ever used the shotgun before Spurrier. I said I didn't remember anyone who used it as extensively as Spurrier once he went to it. On top of that, unless you're practicing it, you can't just switch to it midgame. The snap alone needs to be coordinated. We've seen plenty of times where teams that practice and utilize the shotgun get bad snaps.

 

Yeah I second this.

Of course I was born in 1986 so I don't remember any teams prior to the Spurrier years, but you look like you could use some help on your interesting claim.

 

I stand corrected. When I was reading about Bill Walsh and the shotgun it stated that Young never was in shotgun in his career. I guess they didn't consider the USFL as being part of his career.

 

True. Also true: a couple of drives before that, he threw a (bad) pick returned, 63 yards to the 11.

 

Spurrier dit not like the shotgun until the 96 nc game. What funny is we ran it out because 10 wins was not good enough

 

SPURRIER FINALLY PULLS SHOTGUN OUT OF BAG – Orlando Sentinel

It's behind a paywall but notice the title. Spurrier FINALLY pulls the shotgun out of the bag.

 

Title doesn't say anyone prior was using it as extensively as Spurrier did later when he finally adopted it. It was used some in the sixties and seventies, but was primarily a gimmicky thing back then. It picked up steam in the eighties, but who were some teams using it as much, then, as he did later?

 

off the top of my head one easy example….
Houston Cougars ran virtually every play out of the shot gun with Andre Ware, David Klinger and others late 1980s and into the early 1990s. Ware won the Heisman playing mostly shotgun.