so maybe we retire the "swinging gate" play for the rest of the season...

[COCoug]

I realize it resulted in a key touchdown and has appeared on college football sites and replays all over the networks and the internet, but if I had a vote I would say shelve it for the season. First, it is pretty high risk for a receiver to fling the ball diagonal to the line of scrimmage, and a weird snap for the QB to catch. Second, it is very much a judgement call whether the snapper can twist like that while snapping the ball. I realize the refs are warned ahead of time, but they can still call a false start, like the are starting to do with our defensive line movement. Third, it fooled nobody. Oregon scouted it from the Wyoming game and had it stopped in the backfield. If Williams breaks 5 tackles he scores on any play, and would have been just a likely to score from the usual dump-off pass he typically gets, or even a simple draw play.

Anyway, it was fun last night and a fantastic game, but I would say the "big gulp left" can join the Popcorn Man now in Cougar lore.

 

[kougkurt]

I realize it resulted in a key touchdown and has appeared on college football sites and replays all over the networks and the internet, but if I had a vote I would say shelve it for the season. First, it is pretty high risk for a receiver to fling the ball diagonal to the line of scrimmage, and a weird snap for the QB to catch. Second, it is very much a judgement call whether the snapper can twist like that while snapping the ball. I realize the refs are warned ahead of time, but they can still call a false start, like the are starting to do with our defensive line movement. Third, it fooled nobody. Oregon scouted it from the Wyoming game and had it stopped in the backfield. If Williams breaks 5 tackles he scores on any play, and would have been just a likely to score from the usual dump-off pass he typically gets, or even a simple draw play.

Anyway, it was fun last night and a fantastic game, but I would say the "big gulp left" can join the Popcorn Man now in Cougar lore.

Well he broke 9 tackles, but I kinda agree. Unless we show a new wrinkle out of it. ie. throw the ball.

 

[Flatlandcoug]

Agree completely. It's been used enough that other teams have to account for it, but it "should" have been a negative play on Saturday but Williams had one of the best runs by a WSU RB in years to get a TD out of that.

 

[Coug90]

Yeah this seems kinda like that fly sweep shovel pass thing that never worked and Leach beat it to death. I wouldn’t say that play worked Boobie just broke 27 tackles.

 

[79COUG]

Yep, what the guys above all said...

 

[SDCoug]

Come on. I say we supplement it with some additional variants like The Broken Screen Door and The Burnt Out Porch Light.

 

[GrayOnGray]

I like it, but I think the ducks deserve as much credit for the TD a Williams.

 

[SaveFerris]

Well he broke 9 tackles, but I kinda agree. Unless we show a new wrinkle out of it. ie. throw the ball.

I was expecting us to throw out of it.

 

[95coug]

I realize it resulted in a key touchdown and has appeared on college football sites and replays all over the networks and the internet, but if I had a vote I would say shelve it for the season. First, it is pretty high risk for a receiver to fling the ball diagonal to the line of scrimmage, and a weird snap for the QB to catch. Second, it is very much a judgement call whether the snapper can twist like that while snapping the ball. I realize the refs are warned ahead of time, but they can still call a false start, like the are starting to do with our defensive line movement. Third, it fooled nobody. Oregon scouted it from the Wyoming game and had it stopped in the backfield. If Williams breaks 5 tackles he scores on any play, and would have been just a likely to score from the usual dump-off pass he typically gets, or even a simple draw play.

Anyway, it was fun last night and a fantastic game, but I would say the "big gulp left" can join the Popcorn Man now in Cougar lore.

I looked up the rule on this after the penalty got called for Sweet not being parallel to the LOS. There's absolutely nothing that says the center can't twist at the snap. He doesn't have to move the ball straight back. In fact, as long as the ball is the first thing that moves, he can pretty much move however he wants.

That said, I wasn't real excited about Sweet's execution on Saturday. The movement was too slow...partially because of the awkward twist (maybe he should do it 2-handed?)

And now, that said...I don't think it's a bad formation, but I don't think we've really executed it well either. The biggest thing it does is move almost the entire defense to one side of the field, away from the play. We kind of undermined that Saturday, by having 2 other receivers over there with Sweet. There are a couple other things I like about it -

1. There's a halfback toss option out of it, if the play develops a little better than it has for us
2. There's a throwback option too (actually, more than one)
3. If the defense doesn't adjust, the throw to the strong side has a huge blocking wall in front of it
4. Maybe most important - the defense has to plan for it, which takes time.

 

[dgibbons]

Come on. I say we supplement it with some additional variants like The Broken Screen Door and The Burnt Out Porch Light.

Or the Slurpee.

 

[425cougfan]

I was expecting us to throw out of it.

Maybe he runs it every couple games, never throwing out of it, with middling results, and then uses it to throw from in the Apple Cup or the bowl game.

 

[etowncoug]

Maybe he runs it every couple games, never throwing out of it, with middling results, and then uses it to throw from in the Apple Cup or the bowl game.

Which bowl game, the semi final or do we save it to win the natty?

 

[CrimsonDisciple]

I think it’s great! Another formation our opponent has to waste precious time to plan for. We’ve seen nothing yet with regards to what can be done with it.