Before the Andersen era got underway, fans were told that they new staff would retain the fly sweep from the old playbook. And many fans saw in last Friday's game, that play didn't seem that effective. But what many didn't notice was that the staff not only ran the fly sweep, they had also brought back one previous element of the fly offense and introduced a brand new one.
Under the previous staff, OSU ran two just plays from the fly offense playbook in games. As Peter can tell you and watchers of Oregon high school football can further attest, there's a lot more to the fly offense than a couple of plays. Previously, OSU had run two fly offense plays in games:
Fire Arc Arizona – Fly sweep
Fire Arc Ghost – Fly sweep action, inside hand-off to TB.
In the game against Weber State, we saw not only the fly sweep, we also saw the very productive counter/dive play to the TB off fly sweep action - essentially equivalent to the old Fire Arc Ghost play. Weber State committed two defenders to stopping the fly sweep but was in the process giving up good yardage to the counter/dive play. This is intended to keep the defense honest - if you're committed to stopping one play, we'll make you pay with the other. Some of our best gains in the inside running game came off the fly sweep action and not from the zone read plays to the TB. OSU's best success with the fly sweep in the past came when we ran both plays but in recent years, Fire Arc Ghost had been absent from making an appearance in games.
The third and brand new element was the TD pass off fly sweep action. Yes folks, there is a passing game in the fly offense but I was surprised that Riley and staff never implemented any of the passing plays as part of a fly package. In other words, when a defender sees the fly man in motion, you now have to not only think outside run, inside run, but pass too. The fly offense has some really nice passing plays to TEs too.
That has got me to thinking - Are we going to see more of the fly offense implemented in addition to the zone read and other spread offense elements? That diversity in offense could be enough to keep defenses guessing and give our largely untested QBs a chance to be very productive.
Under the previous staff, OSU ran two just plays from the fly offense playbook in games. As Peter can tell you and watchers of Oregon high school football can further attest, there's a lot more to the fly offense than a couple of plays. Previously, OSU had run two fly offense plays in games:
Fire Arc Arizona – Fly sweep
Fire Arc Ghost – Fly sweep action, inside hand-off to TB.
In the game against Weber State, we saw not only the fly sweep, we also saw the very productive counter/dive play to the TB off fly sweep action - essentially equivalent to the old Fire Arc Ghost play. Weber State committed two defenders to stopping the fly sweep but was in the process giving up good yardage to the counter/dive play. This is intended to keep the defense honest - if you're committed to stopping one play, we'll make you pay with the other. Some of our best gains in the inside running game came off the fly sweep action and not from the zone read plays to the TB. OSU's best success with the fly sweep in the past came when we ran both plays but in recent years, Fire Arc Ghost had been absent from making an appearance in games.
The third and brand new element was the TD pass off fly sweep action. Yes folks, there is a passing game in the fly offense but I was surprised that Riley and staff never implemented any of the passing plays as part of a fly package. In other words, when a defender sees the fly man in motion, you now have to not only think outside run, inside run, but pass too. The fly offense has some really nice passing plays to TEs too.
That has got me to thinking - Are we going to see more of the fly offense implemented in addition to the zone read and other spread offense elements? That diversity in offense could be enough to keep defenses guessing and give our largely untested QBs a chance to be very productive.
