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Moorhead Offense: Oregon’s Split Zone RPO

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Coach Joe Moorhead is known all throughout the coaching ranks as a master schemer and architect of one of the smartest RPO based offenses in the nation. He has designed an offense with the Oregon Ducks that allows them to keep the physical style of run game they’re known for, while adding another layer. The RPO system that Coach Moorhead ...

 

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Love seeing the defense read and the correct choice being made. 

 

I also love seeing how our offense can be creative, while keeping the defense on their toes. We have to keep the defense guessing, now if we can just add a little more hurry up the defense won't know what hit it!

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I'm new to the RPO scheme of offense.  At first glance I love the multiple ways one can attack.

 

However, the key is having a QB make good reads and wise decisions quickly!  So far this year we have a 6th year senior making bad reads and wrong decisions.  

 

Coaches have the incredibly important decision to choose wisely.  At this point if Brown is the choice call the exact play.  Don't have him read or make a decision.

 

But then why use him at QB?

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On 10/7/2021 at 7:01 AM, Smith72 said:

But then why use him at QB?

 

Whew!  Tough question that I don't think we are going to get our answer to...

Mr. FishDuck

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Great analysis.  Dumb question...in the video, looks like the LB is crashing down to stop the run.  Why is the correct decision not to pull and pass to TE in the flat?  Looks like he would be uncovered.

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Another great article. Thank you Coach.

 

I do note that the RPO seems to work better with McSorley at QB and Barkley at RB?  And being an OC under a hands off HC, James Franklin, also likely helps?

 

This O was so-so at Mississippi State and it isn't lighting up the Pac-12.

 

Love the O in theory, but it still comes down to the Jimmies and the Joes.

 

Love AB's guts. But he is a square peg trying to fit into an RPO role.  Have to make the right decisions and you have to be far better than a 50% passer for the RPO O to really hum.

 

Thanks again.

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On 10/7/2021 at 10:00 AM, Haywarduck said:

Love seeing the defense read and the correct choice being made. 

 

I also love seeing how our offense can be creative, while keeping the defense on their toes. We have to keep the defense guessing, now if we can just add a little more hurry up the defense won't know what hit it!

Yeah, it’s a great package that uses the strengths of the offense well. And tempo could definitely be a nice too, but Coach Moorhead has always kind of done that sometimes up tempo, sometimes check with me type tempo. 

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On 10/7/2021 at 10:01 AM, Smith72 said:

I'm new to the RPO scheme of offense.  At first glance I love the multiple ways one can attack.

 

However, the key is having a QB make good reads and wise decisions quickly!  So far this year we have a 6th year senior making bad reads and wrong decisions.  

 

Coaches have the incredibly important decision to choose wisely.  At this point if Brown is the choice call the exact play.  Don't have him read or make a decision.

 

But then why use him at QB?

I do understand some of the frustration with Brown’s decisions on option plays, but to be fair, he has shown great decision making on this particular option this year.
 

Where I’ve noticed he doesn’t make good decisions are in the speed option variety. He calls his number far too often in the speed option than he should. Because of his ability to run, the RB is usually in the better position.

 

I think this stems back to where he got away with it against Fresno on the last play. He was able to fake the defender on that one and get a TD when the read probably really called for a pitch. Ever since, he has basically tried to do the speed option himself. 

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On 10/7/2021 at 11:25 AM, Duckman said:

Great analysis.  Dumb question...in the video, looks like the LB is crashing down to stop the run.  Why is the correct decision not to pull and pass to TE in the flat?  Looks like he would be uncovered.

Not a dumb question at all. The read key is the OLB, but it’s the MLB that’s crashing on the scrape. They also bring a corner of I’m remembering correctly. 

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Question on the hurry up, do you see a decrease in Ab's ability to make good decisions when we do the hurry up? Maybe this is also why we don't see the hurry up as much as we desire?

 

Maybe we need a qb who doesn't just look cool under pressure, but thrives in dynamic situations. It seems AB just doesn't thrive under the RPO, or the hurry up?

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On 10/7/2021 at 11:37 AM, Jon Joseph said:

Another great article. Thank you Coach.

 

I do note that the RPO seems to work better with McSorley at QB and Barkley at RB?  And being an OC under a hands off HC, James Franklin, also likely helps?

 

This O was so-so at Mississippi State and it isn't lighting up the Pac-12.

 

Love the O in theory, but it still comes down to the Jimmies and the Joes.

 

Love AB's guts. But he is a square peg trying to fit into an RPO role.  Have to make the right decisions and you have to be far better than a 50% passer for the RPO O to really hum.

 

Thanks again.

Thanks for reading!

 

And honestly, I think most offense work well with generational talent like Barkley lol. Our back are a pretty good duo though, and I’ll be interested to see how the younger backs fill in with Verdell out. 
 

I also believe that the whole Coach Cristobal tells his coordinators what to run is a myth, so I don’t think it’s hard for Coach Moorhead to work for him. But I think my opinion on that is fairly understood around here. 
 

When someone asks that, and we really think about it, the Oregon offense went to much more Shotgun under Coach Moorhead. It would have happened last year, but with no off-season, Moorhead kept the running game from the last scheme intact. If last year had an off-season, you would have seen the offense of now sprinkled with pistol. That doesn’t seem like a HC telling a coordinator what to call. It seems more like one telling an OC that if more of your plays are designed for another alignment, use it. 
 

I also don’t think Coach Cristobal would have called a pass on second down at the end of the last game. 
 

As far as AB, I think his RPO stuff is pretty accurate. It’s his downfield stuff that needs the most improvement. And his decisions on the speed option. Which is not an RPO, despite what announcers say lol. 

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Thanks Coach. So true that Barkley's are rare indeed. The shoot out with SC in the Rose Bowl was so much fun to watch. Unless you're a DC?

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On 10/7/2021 at 7:07 PM, Jon Joseph said:

Thanks Coach. So true that Barkley's are rare indeed. The shoot out with SC in the Rose Bowl was so much fun to watch. Unless you're a DC?

Absolutely no fun at all if you’re a DC! Lol

 

He's crazy good. Wish he could shake the injury bug he’s dealt with in the NFL. Though as an Eagles fan, I wish for it to be outside of the NFC East!

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On 10/7/2021 at 8:48 PM, Coach Eric Boles said:

Absolutely no fun at all if you’re a DC! Lol

 

He's crazy good. Wish he could shake the injury bug he’s dealt with in the NFL. Though as an Eagles fan, I wish for it to be outside of the NFC East!

 

What! Are you of the Philly folks who booed Santa Claus?

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