Army switching to the shotgun

Submitted by Ezekiels Creatures on April 17th, 2023 at 3:25 PM

 

https://twitter.com/slmandel/status/1647990859915468808

 

The rule change made life too hard for the head coach.

 

This spring, Monken is doing the unthinkable and moving his team to a primarily shotgun offense. He felt he didn’t have a choice in the wake of an under-the-radar NCAA rules change last year that eliminated blocking below the waist — known as cut blocking — anywhere but inside the tackle box

 

I don't think too many schools outside of Army, Navy, and Air Force are complaining about the rule change.

 

IndyBlue

April 17th, 2023 at 3:29 PM ^

Does it really affect their offense that much? I feel like most of the time for the few triple option teams left the cut blocking is done primarily against the defensive line (which would typically mean inside the tackle box).

TruBluMich

April 17th, 2023 at 6:07 PM ^

Sort of, any player could block below the waist up to 5 yards downfield as long as contact was initiated from the front. Now only players in the tackle box can cut block.  However, Army seemed to get away with a lot of chop blocks, cut blocks from the side, and cut blocks well past 5 yards downfield.

Ezekiels Creatures

April 17th, 2023 at 7:28 PM ^

Back when I was in high school there was cuts and chops all over the place, no in any box limitations. I hated them. I think the new rules go to far in some cases. But cuts and chops should be taken out.

https://twitter.com/PineNutPesto/status/1648105909372190722

 

WirlingDirvish

April 17th, 2023 at 3:34 PM ^

Is cut blocking really a stable of the triple option? I always thought they cut blocked because their OL is tiny and cut blocking was their only way to slow down opponents DL and LBs...

I guess the shotgun would help by putting the target further from the big angry guys that they can't slow down...

 

mGrowOld

April 17th, 2023 at 3:37 PM ^

Kinda off topic but man I miss the I formation triple option that Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas and others ran from the early 70's to the mid 90's.  IMO the greatest college football team I ever saw in my lifetime was the 1995 Nebraska Cornhuskers (where have you gone Tommie Frazier).

I know I'm really dating myself here but damn those offenses were fun to watch when they were really clicking.  Rule changes making it much easier to pass killed that offense just like the elimination of cut blocking is going to kill the wishbone.

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805wolverine

April 17th, 2023 at 4:04 PM ^

Agree.  One of the many reasons I prefer college football to pro football is the diversity of offensive philosophies and strategies you traditionally see at the college level.  In the pros it feels like every team has run the same damn offense for the last 30 years.  Makes me sad that the triple option has largely vanished, and probably gone for good soon.

Zoltanrules

April 17th, 2023 at 4:09 PM ^

mGrowOld: 1971 Nebraska with Tagge, Kinney, and Johnny Rodgers in the I- formation were the most dominant roided..err...running team IMHO.

My elementary school teacher at the time was a Nebraska alum and gave us extra recess time if #1 Nebraska beat #2 Oklahoma in the " Game of the Century", which they did on 397 yards rushing and only 65 yards passing en route to their second consecutive national championship.

BTW you need to weed your lawn ; )

AWAS

April 17th, 2023 at 6:49 PM ^

With our offensive line, I'd love to see this pulled out of the dustbin for a nice WTF change of pace.  I'm going to further backdate--the best I ever saw in person was the Auburn triple option featuring Bo Jackson.  He was seemingly always one missed tackle from taking it to the house.

Carcajou

April 17th, 2023 at 7:47 PM ^

To get good at triple option takes a lot of practice time. Back in the old days when Freshman practiced but didn't see the field and you were sure to have players to stick around for four years it made more sense. Nowadays you don't have that kind of time with players (the academies being one exception)

4roses

April 18th, 2023 at 7:41 AM ^

100%. I was a student for Bo's last years and while it wasn't the main offensive set, he would always bring it out inside the 5 yard line. It felt like it was unstoppable. With the O line, Boles, Hoard, and Bunch in the backfield and Taylor under center. Damn. LOVED IT.

Blue Vet

April 17th, 2023 at 3:45 PM ^

I'm like others here, clicking the post on the assumption the title referred to some bizarro new updated shotgun for the U.S. Army. 

So I was going to express my get-off-my-lawn displeasure. The M16 and .45 worked fine for me. 

But Army football. Got it.