I'm all for dialing our offense back toward the pro-style attack. However, it comes with a price tag, just like moving the dial more toward what Kiffin was running cost us something.
We found out that going to a more HUNH, spread style offense allowed us us to spread teams all over the field, run at such a pace that they tire and harder for them to make adjustments on the fly. It also makes the defensive game planning for the other team harder. However, it cost us in defensive fatigue and cost us the ability to consistently run the ball with power on offense, consequently us not being able to control the clock. Because for that style offense to truly work you have to make first downs more so than you would running a pro style or your defense peters out. *You have to consistently make first downs no matter what offense you run but in a fast paced offense they are truly at a premium*
Conversely, in a pro style attack you're able to control the clock more (even with three and outs, you use up more clock in this type offense) with a more run oriented offense. Your defense has fresher legs when they get on the field. You use physicality in the running game to wear down your opponent rather than pace. Play action passing becomes more available because teams will have to commit more bodies (in theory) to stop the run as the game wears on. We saw this with Coker, Sims and McCarron under center. It got to a point in games where the defense was forced to commit more bodies to the LOS or continue to allow our rb's to break off six, seven and ten yard runs. That's when Coker, Sims and McCarron would begin to pull the ball back and unleash downfield with single covered WR's. A thing of beauty when executed properly. However, the price tag is defensive game planning and scouting is simplified with this type approach. For the most part, this style offense doesn't stretch a defense both vertical and horizontal like a spread offense does. The defensive is able to substitute more frequent and you're not "catching them off guard". So execution of basic plays are crucial. You're running less plays so each play now carries more weight/value.
I hope Daboll finds a good mix and a healthy balance with going back toward the run oriented offense yet incorporating concepts of the spread within the offense when necessary. We have the talent to do it. Again, I go back to the Kentucky game and a few other games this past season where one series we lined up in the HUNH/Spread then the next series line up in power for the entire series and marched right down the field in 8-10 plays and powered it in for a score. That is impossible to defend. Teams do not have the depth or the talent to combat that. But you have to have an OC who can balance it. Kiffin was unable to.
