Posts
Interesting comments from Papa Bowden on Ralph the Fridge and running the option. Actually, it's a great article to learn about football philosophies:
There was talk early in the week that Maryland might be the best offense you've faced this season. Did that end up being the case?
Bowden: Our coaches felt like this was the best offense we've faced. Ralph Friedgen is really a brilliant offense man. He was in the pros with Bobby Ross (at San Diego). Then he was at Georgia Tech. One of the biggest things he does that most schools won't do is run the option. Most schools that feature the pass won't play with the option because you've got to really work on the option, plus you expose your quarterback to blows. But they ran the option, and they run a good option.
We did play the option pretty good
Somebody gets the dive, somebody gets the quarterback and somebody gets the pitch. If somebody doesn't do it, it's straight to the goal line. We stopped that pretty good. But it makes you quit doing so many things you wanted to do. Half your blitzes, it knocks them out. Because if you play man-to-man and they run the option, if that quarterback is coming with the ball and everybody has their backs turned to it, he runs a long way.
So we did a pretty good job of stopping the option, but look what else it opened up.
That No. 44, the coaches told me last week, Mickey and them, that the guy we are afraid of is No. 44. He takes the ball down hill all the time.