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Coach Eric Boles
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Posts posted by Coach Eric Boles
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On 12/15/2023 at 12:53 PM, Haywarduck said:
Great stuff, and I need clarification on what an O-lineman can do on a pass play.
Seems like our O-lineman are around 5 yds downfield when the pass is made. Is this a penalty, or is it ok because the pass is behind the line of scrimmage which makes it ok?
On that play the RB is also open behind the LOS, is that to make sure these is another outlet? It is amazing when you watch all that is going on!
Love the play, only thing which could have made it better would have been Herbert handing it to Jackson P-J to get a touchdown, but the finish line move was an instant classic. Really focusing in on what each O-lineman did is also telling about how good that group could execute.
Good question. In college, offensive lineman can be downfield if the ball is thrown behind the line of scrimmage.
That’s why RPOs that are screens never get called for ineligible downfield. It’s only the RPOs that are thrown past the LOS that run the risk.
I’ve seen some wonder if that hinders the run portion of the play — like are the linemen holding back to avoid penalty. The answer is no, the OL isn’t concerned with that at all. They block just like it’s a pure run play and it’s the QB’s responsibility to get the ball out in time.
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On 12/15/2023 at 9:58 AM, Smith72 said:
So much going on. I love it! This was my favorite play of the year when you wrote about the five top plays.
The defense has to make adjustments with so much going on. Advantage offense. I like that if a defense is prepared to take away the running game or to take away the short crossing routes this play burns them.
Don't we love Coach Will Stein's creative offense. I can't wait to see what he creates in year two.
Thank you Coach Eric. Your articles all season have been the best for me. Merry Christmas and Go Ducks!
There’s a lot going on for a defense in the play, and it really takes advantage of the west coast principles that the passing attack is built on.
Merry Christmas to you too!
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On 11/10/2023 at 9:07 AM, Mic said:
Coach, I don't suppose this is the play that the Ducks were running when the ball was snapped early hitting Tez Johnson's hip and resulting in a TD by Cal, was it?
I don’t think so. The play with the fumble, Tez was motioning completely across the formation. If it was this play, that’d mean the ball was snapped way too early since Tez would have to still complete the motion and start his return before the snap.
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On 10/20/2023 at 11:35 AM, OregonDucks said:
While I agree with you on this particular play, I'd love for someone to take a look at the other two failed 4th down attempts.
IMHO, Stein was relying too much on Bo to pass for the three fourth down attempts. With Oregon's running game, a mobile QB and Washington defense's weakness against the run (i.e., strength against weakness), I am shocked that Oregon didn't try at least one running play on the three attempts.
I don't have the heart to go back and watch the game but SI mentioned that Oregon didn't attempt any runs on 1st and goal at the end of the half. That makes no sense, unless Oregon didn't have any timeouts remaining.
The last fourth down attempt, looked like a poor play design. Our receivers were running 10 yard routes, when we only needed 3 and the two on the left side were in the same area of the field. It's like Stein ran out of short yardage plays, so he just picked another play.
They ran the same play from the article on the 3rd down right before half, and Holden was open there too.
I also believe Franklin was open on the 4th down play right before the half.
Outside of a few plays, the passing game hadn’t really been stopped either, and the LBs were triggering fast on run plays, but I can see where you’re coming from.
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On 10/19/2023 at 3:16 PM, WilsonvilleDuckFan said:
It also appears the referee is playing pretty good pass defense at the moment Bo would have been looking for a target. Wrong place, wrong time and trying to get out of the way.
Those refs are pretty agile. I’ve seen the duck under so many passes. They’re quick.
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On 10/19/2023 at 9:41 AM, Haywarduck said:
I am sure Bo wants that one back as much as Holden wanted the pass. Was the pass off too? Seems like he saw the single coverage and knew he wanted to make that throw, correct?
Lanning had they had a timeout if the defense wasn't set up to make the play work, so what went wrong?
Tough lesson, but DeBoer's statement about tendencies should be a big message too. Unless you have a play no one can stop, they don't exist, play the options everytime.
The throw was low, but probably not a bad idea considering how tight the DB’s coverage was. Nix just tried force it to his playmaker. Every QB has done it, and he probably wishes he had it back. It’s the type of thing most people wouldn’t notice in a big win. They’ll see it on film though.
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On 10/19/2023 at 9:24 AM, Smith72 said:
Coach Eric, thank you for your analysis. Spot on! Execution by the QB of his progression as you said should be first - the bunch see what happens there.
Perfect play call - Holden was wide open! Maybe one of the tendencies Bo developed is to look at his favorite receiver first. I'm sure he's realized his mistake and will make him an even better QB for the rest of the season.
Troy Franklin is a beast and 9 times out of 10 he comes up with the catch, but occasionally you run into that 10th time.
His route is what I would consider an access throw. I believe the corner should be playing more off than that to take it. We don’t know what Nix saw in the moment, but he’s a smart guy and he has smart coaches — they’ll see the film and notice Holden getting open on this concept.
Holden was also open on the same concept — from a different formation — on the 3rd down right before halftime. Nix went with the bench concept on the other side of the formation, and got yards, but Holden arguably could have gotten a TD there too.-
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Really good listen here too.-
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I don’t have huge concerns about the run blocking of this team. I know they were a little inconsistent against Texas Tech, but I didn’t see anything in the Hawaii game that gave me pause.
On the night Irving averaged 4.9 yards per carry, James averaged 8.7 and Whittington was 16.
I know it’s only three games but they’re averaging both more rushing yards per game and rushing yards per attempt than last season. But I know the scope of a whole season is different than three games.
I think they’re becoming more consistent, and conference play should tell a bit more, but I don’t have any concern right now.
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On 9/11/2023 at 12:10 PM, Haywarduck said:
Great stuff, what do you see as compared to Dilly after two games?
The three attempts up the gut on Saturday reminded me of MarØ, but Stein seems to have some magic up his sleeve too.
Excellent analysis on this RPO, thanks for all you do!
I think they’re both very good play callers. They run essentially the same offense, which is why I think Stein was hired, Stein just uses RPOs more often.
I still need to watch the game again, but I’d say there were probably points where they tried to lean on the run game since it’s a strength.
The offensive line didn’t have their best game, but it’s also only the second game with a brand new OL. They need those reps together, and against different looks. I think this game really helped them in that way, and they seemed to have things buttoned up a bit towards the end.
The number of penalties also did them no favors in getting things going earlier in the the game.
I think they’re going to be just fine.
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On 9/11/2023 at 9:16 AM, Smith72 said:
Great to see another part of Coach Stein's offense explained. Which you do a good job of showing.
Do you think Stein could designate another receiver and add another option? For instance, have the H back release to the flat instead of blocking.
I love the RPO, especially with a QB like Bo!
Thanks Eric for writing for OBDF!
The H-Back in this play is actually a route. He slices across the formation as though he’s blocking for split zone but then continues into the flat.
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On 8/24/2023 at 2:38 PM, Jon Joseph said:
Um, Empty Diamond, ah Coach, what was that 3rd thing?
Hahaha I’m sure they call it something much more digestible in their terminology.
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On 8/23/2023 at 10:29 AM, David Marsh said:
I'm still not a fan of an empty set. But if this play keeps the QB clean and healthy I'm for it. I just like having a runningback back there to be a threat to run the ball.
The biggest difference between the Ducks and the Roadrunners for this play in particular is that Oregon's offensive line is just going to be bigger and more pysical. I could see Nix running safely for 10 yards against most teams with this play because the offensive line is going to get to the second level and overwhelm the linebackers.
Oregon’s OL will definitely be a difference-maker in these type of plays.
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On 8/23/2023 at 10:12 AM, Mudslide said:
Thanks for another great and instructional article, Coach.
Question: Can an additional RPO exist, namely the qb sprinting left toward the single receiver? This would seem to put extreme pressure on the db (and outside lb).
Yeah, I don’t see why they couldn’t tag a number of different runs with the same passing options.
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On 8/23/2023 at 10:00 AM, Haywarduck said:
Looked like in the first instance the short yardage pass to the outside was open, but they needed more yardage.
The second play the first down was inside where the DB was so the choice was the quick pass.
Great stuff, and nice to know there is some creativity in short yardage situations. This one should be easy to see, and say, 'that's the empty diamond qb draw RPO.' Thanks Coach Boles I'll feel like a genius.
I think in a short yardage situation, the screen could have picked up a couple yards. But the defense may play a short yardage situation differently than they do in this example.
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On 8/23/2023 at 9:23 AM, Smith72 said:
Thanks Coach Eric for bringing these analysis articles to help us understand the Will Stein offense. It takes a lot of time and research. Your efforts are appreciated.
I know many Duck fans will be leary of seeing QB Bo run between the tackles. But I like the 3 options. I can see this as a good play for QB Thompson and other back ups to use.
Easy to count defenders and then execute. I hope he chooses plays for Thompson that are not only safe but give him a chance to utilize his athletic talent. I can see him attacking the defense with this draw.
I think an aspect that could put Duck fans at ease, regarding this play, is that the run option is the last option. By the time the QB gets that third option, the box should be fairly empty.
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On 7/10/2023 at 11:46 AM, Haywarduck said:
Seems like another play where if you see tendencies you take advantage of them. What scenarios do you see this play as most effective in?
It did seem like there was a missed read by the LB, or it would have been well defended? The TE didn't even act like he was blocking and the LB didn't even look at him.
Great stuff to ponder and look for as the games get closer!
Really, you’re trying to catch them off guard with the alignment. There’s nobody really assigned to the tackle, so there’s no real tendency to take advantage of.
The offense uses that huddle and getting to the line quickly to hide the alignment of their players. The defense would have to recognize what’s happening pretty quickly.
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On 7/10/2023 at 9:08 AM, Smith72 said:
Thanks Coach Eric for another glimpse of Will Stein's offense!
Knowing the ability of Josh Conerly to catch passes you could also go tackle eligible with him doing the Slip route. More trickery. Love it.
Charles and I were just talking yesterday about the possibility of using Conerly for this. In that case, you probably wouldn’t have to use the huddle to disguise things either.
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On 6/19/2023 at 11:52 AM, Haywarduck said:
Hopefully you feel the work you put in is appreciated. Each article you produce enlightens, and excites the Duck faithful. They also aren't just opinion pieces, the work you put in is evident.
The two things I want to see are speed, and the use of speed within the program once again. You highlight how we are going to be the most exciting program in college football again. If we can keep getting speed guys and use them as the weapons they are the future is extremely bright.
Thank You!
Speed definitely seems to be a point of emphasis the last couple off-seasons.
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On 6/19/2023 at 11:08 AM, Pennsylvania Duck said:
Thank you Coach Boles. I like how you simplify things so that I can even understand! Great illustrations.
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
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On 6/19/2023 at 9:21 AM, Smith72 said:
Thanks Coach Eric, I'm always excited when I see an article from you. Great info on the pre-snap read. Bo chooses the correct read.
Even though the high safety favored the right #5 Holden easily beats his man and is also open. The safety would have helped but would've been behind also.
The Ducks this year will have multiple receivers who can "Go" deep. Not too many defenses have 4 NFL type db's. Someone "Will" be open in Will Stein's offense!
I’m glad you enjoyed the article!
They’re definitely going to be able to stretch the field!
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On 5/8/2023 at 8:50 AM, Smith72 said:
Another great article Coach Eric! Thank you for writing today's look into Coach Stein's offense.
Did you notice how open the left wide receiver on the crossing route was? This play action pass should put lots of stress on a defense!
There were a couple good options! That crossing receiver beat his guy from the start.
But I just read the other day what Don Coryell would tell his QBs; don’t pass up an open receiver. So as soon as a guy is open in the progression, that’s where the progression stops.
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On 4/17/2023 at 5:47 AM, Smith72 said:
Great job Coach Eric teaching us the Insert ISO! I like the slice path of the tight end and the resulting trap block. I'm sure linemen (and TE's) always love a trap
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I'm impressed with the effort of all players to be physical and aggressive. I'm hoping that is a hallmark of Coach Stein's offense he installs at Oregon!
Thankfully, that physicality is also a hallmark of Coach Lanning’s program, so I think there’s a good chance!
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On 3/29/2023 at 9:37 PM, TexasDuck said:
Those of us who are old enough to remember the Veer Offense in the Don Read days shudder just a bit at the thought.
How Oregon Can Optimize Dillon Gabriel
in Our Beloved Ducks
Posted · Edited by Coach Eric Boles
I think if Dillingham was still the OC, Nix would have run more this season, even if less than last season.
Though the offense is much the same as it was last season, Stein leans into RPOs where it’s a handoff or a throw a lot more. If you look back on his time at UTSA, he had a quarterback that was capable of running but preferred the RPOs where he didn’t have to or it was a last option. Thats not to say that he never runs the QB, just not at a high rate.
There are also RPOs of the type that Stein prefers that would counter the type of pressure Washington brought this season and I bet they lab some of them this offseason.