Oregon’s New Will Stein Offense: TemPro With the Pistol?

[FishDuck Article]

Will Stein's new Oregon offense brought to you by FishDuck writer DAZENCONFUSED. OBD readers examine this first look at the TEMPRO.

 

 

Oregon's New Will Stein Offense: TemPro With the Pistol?

FISHDUCK.COM

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Oregon’s new young inexperienced offensive coordinator Will Stein is seen as a rising star in the coaching ranks. Though he has just one...

 

[Smith72]

Great read DazenConfused!  I can't wait to learn more.

 

One of your last points gives me encouragement,

"Duck fans can rest assured we will have a play caller that believes in not only attacking all parts of the field, but attacking the weak spot of the defensive scheme."

 

Go Ducks!  Win the Holiday Bowl! Come on Spring ball!

[lownslowav8r]

Sorry, all I see is pistol and that means plod, predictable, and defeat to me. We’ll see next year I guess but not an auspicious start after painful years of Cristobal’s pistol. 

[Just Ducky]

MarinoOs offensive sets weren’t the problem. Many teams have used pistol for some success in the past.

 

However; MarinoOs conservative play calling is what killed the offense before the ball was even snapped. We all knew what was coming and so did the opponents. That’s what left the sour taste in our mouths. Any $200 DC could outsmart that.

 

Just my opinion.

[1Ducker1]

UTSA's O under Stein averaged 6.8 yards a play--not bad to me at all.

[Charles Fischer]

On 12/26/2022 at 7:30 AM, lownslowav8r said:

Sorry, all I see is pistol and that means plod, predictable, and defeat to me. We’ll see next year I guess but not an auspicious start after painful years of Cristobal’s pistol. 

I suggest you read the full article, as nobody has been a bigger critic of the Pistol than yours-truly, but I see a system in place with this offense. Power run until the defense adds more to the box, and then throw over the top?

 

Is there any offense in college football that throws deep eight times a game?

 

Coach Boles will also go into some differences later this week, but I will admit to being impressed with the offensive system.

[EastBayDuckDad]

I think that more than any other issue, the timing of the play calls out of the pistol was the glaring problem under Cristobal. Oregon found itself in third and long way too many times due to the predictably of pistol-run on 1st and 2nd downs.

 

It wasn't talent level either. Witness the quality of the O-line and running backs last year. The QB we all thought was mediocre is now a Baltimore Raven.

 

It worked against tOSU because their DC refused to adjust and Moorhead let it all hang out with passing on early downs. It didn't work against teams (Utah) that knew what was coming because of the plodding power run and when used, the RPO was lots of R and not much P. 

 

IMO, the pistol as part of a dynamic true RPO offense with a Bo Nix at the helm is a going to be very different animal than one that pounds it's chest and dares you to stop it when staring at 7 or 8 in the box.

[DUCati855]

It'll be fun to be able to take my hand gestured pistol and shoot targets again. With Cristobal I seemed to always be pointing it at the side of my head.

[lownslowav8r]

On 12/26/2022 at 9:22 AM, EastBayDuckDad said:

IMO, the pistol as part of a dynamic true RPO offense with a Bo Nix at the helm is a going to be very different animal than one that pounds it's chest and dares you to stop it when staring at 7 or 8 in the box.

I did read the entire article and certainly hope my pessimism is unfounded. I fear that the pistol works against slower, less athletic defenses but starts to fail against team speed. I remember in the last year of Mario-ball when the team experimented by running pistol plays (universally stuffed) then running non-pistol running plays (universally worked). The offense then moved away from the pistol. I fear the formation will always put running backs and offensive linemen at a disadvantage against the fast, powerful run defenses that Oregon faces at its level of play (vs the slower defenses found where this offense arose). 
 

Edited December 26, 2022 by lownslowav8r

[1Ducker1]

Also remember that AB wasn't too good with the deep throws.

[Charles Fischer]

On 12/26/2022 at 9:35 AM, lownslowav8r said:

I fear the formation will always put running backs and offensive linemen at a disadvantage against the fast, powerful run defenses that Oregon faces at its level of play (vs the slower defenses found where this offense arose). 

OK...I will let-the-cat-out-of-the-bag early.  Coach Boles will later explain how the Pistol formation under Stein is different than most, as both the QB and RB are not as deep, thus less time for a DE or OLB to cover both players in a Zone Read.

 

Oregon ran a bit of the Pistol in 2014 and you never heard a peep from me, because it was a shorter Pistol that worked.

 

The problem with Cristobal's Pistol was the lack of variety of plays, the predictability of early down plays, the ease of keys for the opposing defenses to watch and because the formation was so deep--the extra time the defense had to negate the Zone Reading.

[Drake]

On 12/26/2022 at 7:30 AM, lownslowav8r said:

Sorry, all I see is pistol and that means plod, predictable, and defeat to me. We’ll see next year I guess but not an auspicious start after painful years of Cristobal’s pistol. 

The Pistol can be effective when coupled with RPO Options for the QB. If the QB never runs , and rarely passes downfield, then the pistol just signals to the defense a high probability of a run, or short swing pass. 
 

I think if there are RPO plays from the formation, a smart QB will run, or pass, and be able to exploit the defense that tries to stack the box all game. 
 

My take is that we have a QB, and capable WRs, that can “stretch” the field and possibly exploit a defense that doesn’t adjust.

 

Also, after reading Charles comment, the QB will be more shallow, with the RB the same distance from the LOS as they are in the normal shotgun formation. Different style of play from Will Stein’s version vs the “not the pistol again” version from our past. 
 

I hope. 
 

 

Edited December 26, 2022 by Drake

[idontrollonshobbas]

On 12/26/2022 at 10:20 AM, Drake said:

The Pistol can be effective when coupled with RPO Options for the QB. If the QB never runs , and rarely passes downfield, then the pistol just signals to the defense a high probability of a run, or short swing pass. 
 

I think if there are RPO plays from the formation, a smart QB will run, or pass, and be able to exploit the defense that tries to stack the box all game. 
 

My take is that we have a QB, and capable WRs, that can “stretch” the field and possibly exploit a defense that doesn’t adjust.

 

Also, after reading Charles comment, the QB will be more shallow, with the RB the same distance from the LOS as they are in the normal shotgun formation. Different style of play from Will Stein’s version vs the “not the pistol again” version from our past. 
 

I hope. 
 

 

Add the fact that as Charles' article pointed out yesterday, Klemm is one helluva O-line coach who represents an upgrade from Mariø and Mini-me.   Rather than straight ahead drive blocking into a stacked box, we now have a stunting scheme with pulling lineman that can augment Bo's read-option fakes and deep balls.  

 

Getting defenders back on their heels and guessing will open up lanes for the up the gut pistol runs from our bigger backs who can also pass block for the deep balls.  

 

https://forum.fishduck.com/topic/8192-i-admit-i-wasnt-sold-on-adrian-klemm-at-first-but-now-how-about-you/?_rid=147

 

[Haywarduck]

Another thing is Dowdell might be the runningback even MariØ could have been successful with the pistol being called over and over. The weapons upgrade next season for Nix and Stein might be something special.

 

I love the idea of more deep balls, and hopefully Nix has even more time to dial in the throws to his wide receiver group. The offense might  be the don't cry, after Dowdell runs over a few guys, and then bye bye as our receivers blow away the backfield on the next play. The 'Don't cry, bye bye' offense.

Edited December 26, 2022 by Haywarduck

[Washington Waddler]

     In addition to a stronger run game in 2023 that could make the power/read formations out of the Tempro pistol more dynamic and formidable, it’s fun to consider how Franklin and Jurion Dickey could create mismatches both on deep and mid routes if defenses are forced into cover 1.

[lownslowav8r]

Good to know the RB depth is much shallower since that is my main concern. The Mario-no-o pistol gave the defense so much time to react. I’ll mark myself as cautiously optimistic

[woundedknees]

On 12/26/2022 at 10:37 AM, idontrollonshobbas said:

... Bo's read-option fakes and deep balls.  

 

Getting defenders back on their heels and guessing will open up lanes for the up the gut pistol runs from our bigger backs who can also pass block for the deep balls.  

 

https://forum.fishduck.com/topic/8192-i-admit-i-wasnt-sold-on-adrian-klemm-at-first-but-now-how-about-you/?_rid=147

 

I snorted when I saw fakes and deep balls, especially in light of past failings.

 

My grandson said I sounded like a rerun of Beavis and Butthead...

 

I sincerely applaud the fact that Oregon appears to have landed not one but two consecutive OC's who delight in controlling the LOS and freeing the QB to use, confuse, and abuse opposing DCs at will!

[idontrollonshobbas]