The Gilbert Offense [and an old Austin restaurant guide :(]

The Gilbert Offense

Offensive line is the most integral aspect of almost any offense and Gilbert’s offense is no exception. The type of offensive linemen the ****** System favors are those with a nasty attitude and aggression. Players such as Kent Perkins, Patrick Vahe, and Connor Williams should thrive in this offense. What schemes may be run? It’s all about personnel, but the common denominator among all ****** System practitioners is zone blocking. The important thing is, the chosen schemes are based on deploying the most effective players along the offensive line.

Something I noted from watching Baylor, EIU, BGSU, and Tulsa games is that the quarterback position seems to be coached differently than from some other schemes. There is less emphasis on coordinating eyes and footwork to receiver routes and in it’s place, balance, positioning, and relaxed throwing seem to be key. With many concepts, the quarterback is expected to see and ‘feel’ the play develop, then deliver the ball with finesse underneath or with air over the top. [T]he quarterback isn’t necessarily tasked with rolling out in the same manner, but merely sliding or ‘jogging’ with the ball in the direction needed with eyes on his reads.

[The receiver] position seems to be the most enigmatic of the ****** System. There are routes, but again, since the routes and quarterback eyes and footwork seem decoupled, the routes don’t necessarily require precise steps and timing themselves. What traditional concepts become are more approximations of said concepts, likely giving receivers paths and break points.

From what I’ve seen, Gilbert is capable of scheming with heavier sets (2 tight end types) to pure spread sets, think 2X2, 3X1, and Empty formations. At EIU he ran double-tight, ‘spread-I’, and ‘broken diamond’ sets, so if Gilbert and Mattox wish to utilize more than one tight end type player, the scheme is definitely flexible enough to do so.

Texas needs to bring in another quarterback, or two for that matter. There are likely some viable options, but the hope is Gilbert already has someone in mind or is able to identify a quarterback capable of contributing effective immediately. Lastly, Gilbert and Mattox may need to bring in a JUCO offensive lineman as well considering the glaring hole at the center position. Hopefully this position can be filled with current roster members, but it wouldn’t hurt to provide a little insurance if the staff can find a good center from the JUCO ranks.

[Full TFB article]

I said elsewhere that Jeff Traylor is a definite keeper because of the system Gilbert will bring - especially with Traylor's RB and TE utilization experience. I can't wait to see Bluiett, Burt, Foreman, Warren, and Johnson & Johnson in this new system.

Gotta go, I'm getting tingles.

 

Quote from Andrew King in the discussion section from the article above:

This offense will look a lot like the offense QB commit Shane Buechele runs at Arlington Lamar. They spread you out with quick passes to open up running lanes. I still believe he will be the best passer in Austin when he enrolls in January. If he learns the offense fully in the Spring/Summer, I don't see how he doesn't get his shot to start in 2016.​

 

We have to bring in a JUCO center and QB or transfers who can play next year. We have to have quality starters and back ups, especially if starters go down with injuries, as happens often.

 

I really hope he gets a shot. If he's the passer we think he is, then Burt, Foreman, Joe, and Newsome should absolutely leave teams feeling helpless.

 

BREAKING...

Bobby Burton at 247Sports is reporting that, in order to save money, Charlie Strong put Gilbert and Mattox up at @Htown77's house this weekend.

Now that could be awkward.

 

The Gilbert variety of the veer and shoot

******’ offense at Baylor has often varied based on who the QB is, sometimes emphasizing RPOs (run/pass option plays) or true QB option more and other times being more about the passing game, depending on the skills of the QB and surrounding talent.

For Gilbert, the offense has generally been more about the passing game and has even more closely resembled an Air Raid at times but with wider splits in keeping with the ****** tradition.

At Eastern Illinois, Gilbert and Babers inherited Jimmy Garoppolo... As a sophomore pre-Gilbert, Garoppolo threw for 2644 yards, 7.6 ypa, and 20 TDs to 14 interceptions. As a junior in Year 1 with Gilbert he threw for 3823 yards, 7.1 ypa, 31 TDs and 15 interceptions. In Year 2, with a mastery of the system those numbers spiked to 5050 yards, 8.9 ypa, 53 TDs and only nine interceptions.

At Tulsa there was a similar transformation for returning starter Dane Evans who threw for 3102 yards, 6.7 ypa, 23 TDs and 17 interceptions in 2014 before Gilbert came. He went for 3958 yards, 8.9 ypa, and 22 TDs with just eight interceptions after he arrived.

Make no mistake, this system is designed for the QB to give him clearer reads, better options, and open receivers.

Here’s how it works, it’s largely RPO-based with a few key run plays emphasized every week and combined with basic quick game concepts on the outside and a few play-action strikes. The goal is to force the defense to defend everything every play or risk getting ripped apart by paper cuts that end up looking more like machete slashes thanks to the spacing of the offense.

The pace is fast and ideally the QB has command of the offense and can just line up and make calls and decisions on his own, much like a point guard calling for screens and then adjusting on the fly to what the defense is doing.

The fit at Texas

The nature of this offense is designed to set up everyone on the roster for easy success and coaches will usually just look for a few key skills in the players since the triple-option aspect of the system basically turns players into cogs in a machine.

The receivers are ideally pure burners who are spending a lot of time just running past people... They do need to be willing blockers as bubble screens are a massive component to the offense.

The running backs are almost always running between the tackles on undermanned fronts so adherents of this offense have generally gone for bigger, power backs that love to run through arm tackles from late-arriving DBs.

The offensive line is usually either blocking at angles or getting in the way so size and power are key but the system can emphasize whatever style of run schemes the line can execute well when at advantage.

Having the right player at QB is a non-negotiable aspect of this offense.

Here’s the good news; first of all the Texas offense has an OL and skill talent that can do obscene damage in this offense if Gilbert and his staff can develop a QB and get this system installed in a single offseason.

The second item of good news is that Gilbert will have five and possibly six QBs to choose from in the spring to make this work. The staff will have to figure out who has the capacity and the tools to make this system work and then develop them as though their jobs are on the line, because they are.

[Full IT article]

 

It started awkwardly, but we talked about spread football. They have informed me that the spread is not an "up-tempo west coast offense" and that they believe offenses should try and score in the second and third quarters rather than just "attempt to run the clock." They also said they view haltime as "30 minutes to make adjustments" and not as "let's see if we can make it to the torchy's concession stand and back in 30 minutes" time. They have already mastered the hook 'em horns hand sign and everyone is getting along well. It would appear UT's coaching staff will not need my play calling services this season.

 

They should still have you on retainer and participating in meetings. You know, just in case.

Just don't mention ******.

 

Am I the only one who doesn't understand the asterisks?

 

My apologies - it's my Profanity Filter that automatically scrubs Art ******' name.

 

Bubble screens have always been admired by Hornfans posters. I wonder if Mattox can teach the much loved "dancing bears" OL technique.

 

We have to execute the head fake for this to work though, everyone knows that.

 

FIFY.

 

So in other words we better get a JUCO/Transfer or hope Buechele is ready by September.

 

As long he doesn't take the heaviest player on the team and try to line up him at running back for a play....

 

Not necessarily. This is an offense that makes QBs better. It is possible that one or both of last year's starters will flourish in this system. That's not to say I don't want to see Locksley and Buchele and Merrick all get a shot at it. And toss in a JUCO or transfer please. In the end, who knows?

 

... and how.

Is there any word on Gilbert's horizontal passing game? It's going to take a lot of passes to the sidelines to win over some of the long-time posters around here.

 

phrase..."makes QBs better"...After last season, I'm not so sure either one of these two guys are really a "QUARTERBACK" in the true sense of the word in a passing scheme. Unless Watson was totally worthless, I don't see Heard or Swoopes being good enough to win more than 8 games.... if that many. I've seen a lot of strong arm kids who could throw it a mile but sucked hitting a target on a pass route. A mobile QB doesn't do you any good in the passing game if he can't throw.That is what we have with these two guys.

 

Fixed it for you.

VY couldnt throw half the time when he was not playing USC and he did okay in the wins department. I think fans have truly forgotten his pre 2005 passing ability.

Heard can be successful in the right offense. Remember, he was only a redshirt freshman. He has 3 years to develop and hopefully finally has a QB coach with the ability to develop QBs.

 

Vince Young, in his fourth year on campus, was an above average passer. Of course, Texas put a lot of pressure on defenses since it's best offensive play was when the defense thwarted the original plan, then Vince took off running. Heard is faster than Young, but not as skilled in setting up blocks and recognizing opportunity. Swoopes maybe stronger than Vince, but not as fast, shifty or quick to recognize opportunity, passing or running. One thing I remember vividly is that Vince got better between every season and during ever season he played here. Is it too much to believe others on campus could do that as well?

 

Vince could throw...He wasn't Peyton Manning, but he could throw well enough to keep defenses honest. Heard and Swoopes basically can't, and allows teams to put 7 or 8 in the box and dare them to throw.

 

Crockett, You would think...but judging from 2015...NO.

 

Vince could throw in 05. He could throw well enough in 04. 03... there is a reason Chance Mock played a lot.

I just think its insane to quit on a redshirt freshman QB. Most QBs do not even play until their junior or senior year. The Manziels and McCoys of the world are the exception, not the rule.

Also if this is the standard for Heard, I wonder if davente davis will be held to the same standard (he should not be). He was terrible all year and did not improve. Should we just give up on him and expect 0 improvement? I would hope not.

 

Personally, I enjoyed watching Swoopes shine when given the kind of offensive sets he was used. I thought his confidence and effectiveness were dramatically better this season than last and at the end of this season compared to the early games. Heard was up and down,. I saw him in high school and no question he is used to having the best wheels on every football field he's ever played on, it was tough for him to adjust when he was slowed by injuries.

 

Look at Boykin. I would have never thought he was QB material. But then he gets the right OC and QB coach and all the sudden he's a hiesman candidate.

 

^ this. Boykin was terrible.

 

2013 Boykin - 105/176, 59.7%, 1,198 yards, 6.8 y/a, 7 TD, 7 INT, 122.0 QBR
2015 J. Heard - 92/159, 57.9%, 1,214 yards, 7.6 y/a, 5 TD, 5 INT, 126.1 QBR

That was Boykin's Soph season just before he busted out under Cumbie. Even in his second season taking considerable snaps, Boykin's numbers were pretty much on par with Heard's first try.

Not about to write off a talented, accomplished prep star like Heard after how we hindered him this year. He wasn't properly prepped as the starter before the season (TS took large majority of first team reps in Spring and Summer).

Then Heard was tasked to relieve the rocked starter in the second inning and finish the long relief effort in a confused, non-adapting offensive system. I'd say the kid deserves a real chance to succeed with proper preparation. Being thrown to the wolves in-season in a bumbling offense doesn't clearly determine his real potential.

 

Great posts by Brad and Htown.

2003 was basically put Mock in and have a passing game but no running game, or put Young in and have a running game but no passing game. In 2004 VY's passing numbers only improved slightly, but he also lost Roy, BJ, and Sloan all at once. In 2005 he led the nation in pass efficiency.

 

Will Baizer interview with a trusted source inside the Tulsa football program just after Gilbert's official hiring at Texas:

On what staff he might take from Tulsa: "Nothing officially, but it wouldn't surprise me if he took (Tulsa offensive line coach) Matt Mattox with him because I know how close those guys are. They are kind of attached at the hip."

On Sterlin Gilbert as a recruiter: "When he got hired, they had 10 days to put together a recruiting class. He came in and basically threw his Bowling Green hat in the corner, put on a TU hat and hit the road. He gets it, he's a young cat and he's not going to really sugarcoat anything."

"Texas fans need to understand that while he may be the enemy, being able to carry around that Art ****** tag to the high school coaches is more important than anything."

On his influences: "It's not only Art, he's taken a lot from Dino Babers from his time at Bowling Green. People automatically want to throw Art in there as one of his true mentors, but Dino is up there nearly as high as Art."

On the offensive system: "The system is proven. This is such a unique opportunity because there's so much air raid influence that's been in the Big 12 conference anyway and now to have a true Art ****** protege go into another school is big."

"It's a fairly basic offense, there's nothing in it X's and O's wise that will blow you away and you'll see that with Sterlin. They will tell you it has principles of the inverted veer in it which Art learned at Houston. That's the run emphasis and the run base off of it. People think it's up tempo so you throw it all the time, but it's a run based offense taken directly from the inverted veer. You have to have the right kind of players to make it work, and I think Texas does."

On Gilbert's role in offense: "His input was considered, but make no bones about it, it's Phil's offense. Matt was down on the field and Sterlin was upstairs. There's great rapport back and forth between them and the playcalling was mainly between Sterlin and Monty."

"Art called his plays at Baylor, and with this being Phillip's first opportunity he's going to run with it. He was almost in the exact same role Sterlin is in now. It's a carbon copy of what they do at Baylor, from the wide splits at receiver to reading the safety to determine if you're going to hand off or throw the 9 route."

On Matt Mattox: "He's a big fundamentals guy and he's not going to fill you with a whole bunch of BS. He had his work cut out for him because of injuries, but he's not afraid to get in their face on the sideline."

[Full HornSports article]


PULL QUOTE:

"... being able to carry around that Art ****** tag to the high school coaches is more important than anything."​

 

I think Merrick gets a chance. Call me crazy, I guess. Everything I've seen of him from his HS film looks exactly like Nick Florence and Bryce Petty. If Gilbert truly wants to be an Art B. clone on offense, then why not go with a kid who actually looks like he can do the offense?

I'm sure Buechele gets a long look in the Spring, but Merrick has had a year in college and would have been a higher-ranked recruit if he hadn't started playing private school ball his sophomore year.