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Coach Eric Boles
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Posts posted by Coach Eric Boles
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On 3/27/2023 at 1:20 PM, Duck Fan 76 said:
Wow, it didn't even occur to me that Ferguson wasn't in the 14J. Thanks for correcting me!
The 14 in the name of the formation is a little misleading, because when we see it we’re thinking 14-personnel and 4 TEs.
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On 3/27/2023 at 9:37 AM, Smith72 said:
Thanks Coach Eric, it's always great to read your analysis articles! They are much appreciated since we've had our share of new offensive coordinators.
With a QB like Bo Nix and receivers like Franklin, the slant pass to the Wide Receiver is open. The DB is head up giving away the inside. Many RPO options available.
Spring practices will continue to reveal more of Will Stein's offense. Go Ducks!
You’re right, there’s a ton that they could run from this formation.
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On 3/27/2023 at 11:54 AM, Duck Fan 76 said:
As usual, great analysis! I love every one of these articles, I can't get enough X's and O's. The two things I love about the Heavy Veer:
1) The QB hands off the ball in short yardage
2) It can be run with three TE's as we currently only have three scholarship TEs.
If Oregon's new O-line this year can execute the run blocking then I would expect this to be a new short yardage staple. The 14J unfortunately requires more TE's than we have on the roster unless we give the walk-ons game time in key short yardage situations or get creative with positions.
Short yardage gains is an area where we need to see some creative play design or we risk having to use a high mix of the QB sneak to keep our 3rd/4th down and red zone percentages up.
To keep this play in the high percentages Oregon is going to need mutliple looks from this formation to keep the DB's from rushing to the gaps without a post snap read. I'm interested in what the multiples look like from this formation?
There is a ton they can do from this formation. Anything that a team like say Stanford could do out of their 22-personnel, Oregon could do out of this one in addition to the option game.
And a quick note on the 14J; it only uses three TEs also. Conerly comes in to play an in-line TE spot, but it’s really a 6 OL formation.
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On 3/6/2023 at 11:32 AM, Duck Fan 76 said:
That's a great break down for that play, please keep them coming. I noticed that the LB's blitzed on that play so the slot had a free run through the center of the field. Without the QB pressure I assume he would have checked down to the RB in that play?
More than likely, if the LB doesn’t blitz, he’s covering someone else of the defense is playing zone. The read would be the same, but the slot would adjust his route a little to get upfield a bit more.
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On 3/6/2023 at 9:28 AM, Smith72 said:
Thanks, Coach Boles, for the film review of a great passing concept. QB does have an easy read! RB was wide open - nobody picked him up. Easy for QB to check down to him if he wanted to.
Spring ball is coming. Go Ducks!
If the QB had gone the other direction, the RB would have picked up nice yardage too!
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On 2/13/2023 at 11:54 AM, Drake said:
These reviews are great!
I am confident that Bo Nix will be successful and provide stability at the QB position with Will Stein taking over as OC. The biggest concerns I had when KD left was what type of offensive style would the new OC run, and did we have the personnel to plug into that style.
Nix’s decision to come back solved a lot of concerns about personnel, and Stein’s offensive style leads me to believe that we can score a lot of points with a savvy QB, great RBs, and solid receivers. Wild card is just the OL and how quickly they can gel as a unit.
Exciting stuff.
The really nice part is that Coach Stein’s offense is pretty much the same as Coach Dillingham’s but with a bit of an uptick in RPOs. So it should be a pretty smooth transition.
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Nice piece, Joshua. Exactly as you say, I expect the offensive scheme and identity to remain mostly unchanged this coming season. The only two things I expect to differ is the amount that both RPOs and the pistol are used.
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On 1/23/2023 at 12:10 PM, Charles Fischer said:
There can be more than three options on this play, and this new offense requires a QB who can make good decisions. Glad we got Bo this year!
Possibly. Still not 100% on that one. But even if there are, and you’re not sure a QB can execute all of it, options can always be taken out of a play by design.
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On 1/5/2023 at 2:11 PM, OhioDuck said:
If we sign Harbor imagine him getting that pitch with the potential that play has of getting the tight end to the second level.
I'm ready, when does next season start?
He’d definitely be a problem on this play.
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On 1/5/2023 at 9:14 AM, Log Haulin said:
A lot of moving parts with my scenario. Pretty complex. I think Nix could pull it off. Not sure on risk reward?
Yeah, if you’re talking about an RPO, there’d be a lot going on there. Timing is the issue I run into, but I’m sure there are people smarter than I that could work it out.
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On 1/5/2023 at 11:33 AM, Log Haulin said:
You could use this play to set up your play side TE in the passing game. Release on the block have the TE from back side picking it up. Bang bang 7 yards.
Risk is selling it at line without getting lineman caught 4 yards down field. Also risk holding on your receiver.
If you did that as a play action, there’d be nothing to worry about. But if you found a way to make it an RPO, and was able to make the timing work, you can always just have the receivers run routes instead of blocking.
You would have to go with the more traditional Power Read blocking and read the edge guy that the TE is no longer blocking. Otherwise you have to first level playside guys unblocked.
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On 1/5/2023 at 9:43 AM, Haywarduck said:
I love seeing the use of the TE more. Great play and analysis of Stein's offense.
It would seem like a last option might be the QB to keep the ball and run the other way if the defense collapses on the direction of the play. This would give the qb the ability to get outside and run to the sideline, if it the defense opens up like that.
All for getting the TE involved!
I am almost certain that there is no option for the QB to run the ball in this play. That would be a ton of first level reading to have to read a playside defender and then a backside. I’m not sure how the timing would work out on that either.
But, you could probably run a constraint that looks exactly the same with the read being the backside, but then you’ll want to block that playside guys so your QB isn’t blasted looking the other way.
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On 12/30/2022 at 5:10 PM, DanLduck said:
I forget the name, but a 2023 4☆ arhelete is making a visit next month. He is 6'5" but a speedster. He wants to run track so wants to be a TE so as not to put on too much more weight. He is 225 lb now.
Can you picture the mismatch if he played some at the slot! Length and speed!
But Hutson would be amazing too, and maybe Bo's brother.
Sounds fun to watch.
Thanks coach Boles.
Harbor? I could have swore he was a 5-star, but he’s a freakish athlete either way. It’d be a nice get for Oregon.
The TE does man one of the slots in their 10-personnel look and 11 when there are two out there.
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On 12/30/2022 at 1:08 PM, DUCati855 said:
Heavy use of a slot receiver may be a reason Bo's bro chose Oregon. At 5'10" and 150lbs with speed... that has SLOT written all over it.
That could be a possibility, but something also happened during the bowl game that made me think.
Whittington got some time in the slot. I wonder if that’s a possibility with the amount of quality depth that RB position has. A lot of what the slot is asked to do in the Stein system would suit a player with RB skills.
Whittington will more than likely stay at RB, but it did make me wonder.
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Also, this list is in no particular order. It was also a bit longer until I shaved it down right before writing.
Mack Leftwich’s Incarnate Word offense is scoring 53 points per game.
Andy Kotelnicki’s Kansas offense is very creative, but he’s not a QB coach. Whether that last part matters or not depends on who you ask.
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On 11/29/2022 at 11:12 AM, DazeNconfused said:
I'd take Chad Morris! That's another Vet OC. He was at Clemson with Dabo as he built the program up.
I'm aware some don't think much of him and want to tie him to Bo Nix's performance at Auburn hos sophomore year. The fact is Bo wasn't good under all three of his OCs, including Dilly. Bo's passer rating is up around 40 points this year and he is throwing for 2 yards per pas more the last I looked. If anyone gets blame it a combo of HC Gus Malzahn's system, and Bo being immature.
Morris art Clemson had Taj Boyd as his QB and he put up around 10,000 career yards and over 100 TDs. He also was able to recruit Deshawn Watson to Clemson.
I wonder if we could even get Brady to consider coming west? He seems SE type guy.
I think Morris is an exceptional OC, and the fact that his offense is from the same tree as Dillingham’s would make the transition smoother.
And I don’t know what the chances of Brady going to Oregon would be, but it’s worth the call.
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On 11/29/2022 at 9:38 AM, Haywarduck said:
I was surprised I didn't see Brady on the list yesterday. He wouldn't be here long, but that could be an exciting ride.
The one ingredient the Ducks have never had, the elite receiver, is now on the roster and lining up to get on the roster. The Duck offense is set to take off to greater heights, yet seen.
For Duck fans this choice is going to be like a Christmas present one can't play with until next fall. It will provide plenty to ponder, and Brady could create a day after Christmas feel for months to come.
My one nitpick with Brady’s offense is the run game. It’s predominantly inside zone, and after Dillingham, I’d like to stay with the larger variety of run concepts.
He could always implement the run game that’s already here into his offense, but what he did at LSU worked. And if it works, it works.
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On 11/29/2022 at 9:03 AM, DrJacksPlaidPants said:
Chad Morris is the surest way to get Bo to leave early. He started Bo’s downward trend at Auburn his Sophomore year.
You could be right, I don’t know what the relationship between the two was like. But I do find it difficult to place the blame on Morris. He was only OC for a year during the Covid season, under a HC who is in full control of the offense.
But there’s always the possibility that there are issues that I’m unaware of.
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Out of the guy’s on this list, I’d go with Brennan Marion. Did really nice things as the OC at Howard and William & Mary.
The GoGo is also only a portion of what he does offensively. His offense is a version of the Malzahn/Norvell offense and uses the same verbiage.
I also believe that the choice will be Coach Lanning’s alone.
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While I understand the disappointment to the end of the season, but some of the sentiment floating around out there is insane.
So I took a look at some older articles, and some similarities popped up that were pretty interesting.
Anyway, I think it was pretty good first season for Coach Lanning, and I’m very optimistic about the future.
Kirby Smart's 1st Season at Georgia a Mix of Frustration and Cautious Optimism
SYNDICATION.BLEACHERREPORT.COM
The first season for head coach Kirby Smart at Georgia was like a roller coaster that comes to a screeching...-
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On 11/15/2022 at 6:22 AM, Log Haulin said:
Ducks have one DB that can play man. One true corner starting in Gonzo. Bridges is a converted safety.
The LB are not good in pass coverage. They are slow east to west. Oregon runs a 4-2-5. You need speed for that. Ducks don't have it.
Lanning is installing a defense that took Kirby a few years to get fully implemented. Have to have the right personnel.
Oregon has the same woes in pass coverage they had last year under MC. This time without a legitimate pass rusher. This is a player personnel problem imo.
The Ducks are also super young. 85% underclassmen with a new, very complex scheme defensively. Defense is hard and will take a sec to get implemented. This won't be the same D next year.
Ducks are 8-2 right now. Pretty good considering the past 12 months and all I mentioned above. I think they are right on track.
I view any "dump the coach" mantra as a knee-jerk reaction to losing to fusky at home. Understandable, it's horrible.
We gave MC 4 years, might have been longer is he didn't dump the Ducks. Lanning is the right guy. Losing sucks! Lanning will win a lot more than he loses.
Who knows, Lanning just might bring Oregon a national championship. Something the previous 31 have failed to do.
I think you’re exactly right. Defense was always going to take some time with the new scheme.
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On 10/20/2022 at 12:41 PM, David Marsh said:
As long as Oregon can beat them in the red zone, something that they have had difficult with but also seem to be figuring out quite quickly, then bend but don't break defense just results in long and punishing drives for the Oregon offense.
Could Oregon do to Chip Kelly what Stanford did to Kelly and the Ducks in 2012 (and later) by just forcing the Bruin defense to bend until they break? If the Oregon defense can limit the Bruin offense and keep them off the field then that style of football can really be the Kelly-killer.
There are a few trips to the red zone where I think they’d rather have TDs than FG, but it’s hard for me to say it’s been difficult for them.
They’re currently ranked 13th in the nation in red zone offense and 1st in the Pac-12. 94% of their RZ trips have ended with points. They have 25 TDs and 7 FGs.
I think what you’re pointing to is some of the FGs they’ve had to settle for due to penalties. I completely agree that it’d be great to clean that up and turn those into TDs.
But I do believe in Oregon’s ability to score often in this game.
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On 10/7/2022 at 10:16 AM, Mic said:
That would indicate that either the pass has been called, or a run has been called, but not an either/or.
I wonder what the check-down would be if the pass is called and the receiver is covered? Would the QB have the option to pull it down and run instead? (disregarding the fact that, technically, there's is always the busted-play option of keeping the ball and trying to make some yards by the QB).
Apparently not, at least not by design.
That’s right, they’re two separate plays.
Throw it in the dirt. That’s what QBs are taught to do on busted screen passes.
I was just looking back, and WSU ran this play against Oregon. It was the pick six.
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On 10/6/2022 at 1:30 PM, Charles Fischer said:
This is another BIG subject, but I do not believe the Tunnel Screen was an RPO, but the whole series of the counter going one direction, with either the QB or RB running naked to the other side did have a Zone-Read element to it.
It is an old play out of the Chip Kelly playbook from 2012 vs. USC; either you had Mariota following the pullers, or you had DeAnthony Thomas one-one-one with DBs in the open field. It was good-or-good.
In this game we had how the QB follow the pullers at first, then they switched it so the RB would follow the pullers, and then with the defense's eyes going all over the place...we had play-action passes off of it?
Fantastic stuff by Dilly.
You’re right, this tunnel screen is not a RPO.
The Oregon Ducks Offense: Will Stein’s Heavy Veer
in Our Beloved Ducks
Posted
Thanks! They’re always fun writes.