"wildcat" is often misused

Submitted by Magnus on
I keep reading over and over again that Denard Robinson is going to be used in the "wildcat." The "wildcat" is a fancy new name for the single wing, which has been around for decades upon decades. There's nothing new in football (except the A-11 offense, which was quickly extinguished). Everything is recycled. The single wing offense has some different variations, but ultimately it's an offense in which your quarterback is primarily a runner. Whereas your typical pro-style offense or option offense has a quarterback who runs and hides whenever he doesn't have the ball, the single wing employs that quarterback as a runner and blocker. That forces the defense to account for the QB as a runner and gives the offense an "additional" blocker. In a typical offense, the RB runs and the QB hides, which leaves 9 guys to block 11. In the single wing, the QB runs, which leaves 10 guys to block 11. Robinson will NOT be employed in the wildcat. First of all, he's able to pass the ball. But most importantly, he's THE BACKUP (OR STARTING) QUARTERBACK. If he's in the game, he's running the read option as a quarterback. He's no more in the "wildcat" than Pat White was for four years or than Dennis Dixon or Vince Young or Juice Williams. Please stop saying Robinson will play in the "wildcat." He will play quarterback in Rich Rodriguez's offense, and Rich Rodriguez's offense is not the single wing.

Sommy

August 24th, 2009 at 1:50 PM ^

I think the distinction that has to be made here is that most people, at least before this week, were expecting Denard to exclusively be used in a number of designed runs this year (ala Carlos Brown last year), with Tate running the show. I think that's where the Denard/Wildcat thing got started. With his emergence in practice over the past few weeks, it's become clear that he's not just a threat with his legs.

WildcatBlue

August 24th, 2009 at 2:40 PM ^

In order for a creature to be correctly termed feral it must have escaped into the wild from a state of domesticity, or at least captivity. Are you suggesting that you have a pet Wolverine? Is that where MGoMilk comes from? (I hate to consider the alternatives.) PS when I read the thread title I had a moment of: "yeah, it's true. I have so much more to offer!"

petered0518

August 24th, 2009 at 1:54 PM ^

From the perspective of a non expert, I think that when most people suggest Denard will be used in the wildcat they are saying that it will be a play with a designed run for the quarterback. I mostly saw this suggestion before Denard got to campus when everyone thought he had no arm. So while it is unlikely to see him in this role(since he has shown he can throw) it is not entirely impossible, since Feagin was used in this capacity last year. In summary, my guess is that when most people say "Wildcat" they are in fact referring to ISQD. And I totally agree, it would be foolish to use Denard in this way if he has the passing skills. EDIT: Someone above me said basically the same thing, he just typed quite a bit faster apparently

Magnus

August 24th, 2009 at 2:01 PM ^

I don't think any halfway intelligent person thought Robinson had "no arm." The biggest question about Robinson was his accuracy. The coaches wouldn't have gone as hard after Robinson to play QB if he was just another Feagin. Regardless, just like a reverse isn't a reverse when the QB just hands off to the split end (it's an "end around"), Rodriguez's quarterbacks don't operate the single wing/wildcat.

R Kelly

August 24th, 2009 at 2:12 PM ^

Thank You for posting this, I was a single wing QB (actually called a fullback) in HS. I get annoyed hearing everyone talk about the "wildcat" like its something new, when in reality it is the oldest offense in football.

Erik_in_Dayton

August 24th, 2009 at 2:12 PM ^

Yes, the use of this term is very annoying. Sports journalists are incredibly lazy in their use of labels. I suspect that this comes from their general lack of understanding of the sports they cover...This post points out why I take things on this blog seriously and take little on ESPN, the Free Press, etc. seriously...

Super J

August 24th, 2009 at 2:54 PM ^

I hate the term "wildcat" like I hate the term "presence of mind". When Arkansas did it they had two powerhouse running backs they wanted to get more touches each. Best solution let one of them start taking the snap and bypass the middleman. It is the same choice a pop warner coach would make in their situation.

Topher

August 24th, 2009 at 5:37 PM ^

"It is the same choice a pop warner coach would make in their situation." Funny you mention Pop Warner, because Warner himself invented the single wing we are all now discussing! What the "wildcat" or whatever you want to call it really brought to Arkansas was misdirection - the threat of two explosive backs handling the ball on any one play. In most modern offenses, they've got so much invested in the passing game that only one running threat is on the field and everyone knows he's the only one who will take a handoff. Well-done misdirection can be absurdly effective, check out Bellevue High (the team that beat De La Salle) for the best-run Wing-T a lot of people have ever seen. What I think is ridiculously stupid is how the NFL defenses were so flummoxed by the direct snap for a few weeks, and then the NFL started acting like they invented it which they always act like. The sheeple press followed and treated Malzahn like a genius.

Topher

August 24th, 2009 at 5:33 PM ^

http://www.coachwyatt.com/wildcat.html Since Gus Malzahn, who brought the "wildcat" to Arkansas, was a well-read high school coach it is reasonable to conclude that he got the term from Hugh Wyatt's Scholastic Coach article or a derivative of it. Wyatt has been interviewed in some national articles to set the record straight, but is the first to admit he's merely shifting his own formation to accommodate a football concept from the pre-war era.