Around the Nation board

[rscl70]

Defenisvely, I have experience getting used by the Wing-T, then figuring it out and twice snuffing it.

I'm a fan of it for its uniqueness, and it's ability to get the most out of available talent, not so much for its effectiveness.

I don't know if this is the complete key to stopping it, but we were often told "follow the guards -- they'll lead you to the play."

That's why I liked the USAT diagram. Simple as it was, it showed a variation where the guards take you away from the play.

I also remember one year when we used corners (me) to take on the guards while the OLBs and DEs blew up the plays. Definitely not one of my more finesse-filled days, but always cool to say you did it!

Almost enough Wing-T talk to have its own thread. 

I once heard Ed Glass say that the defense had to disrupt the Wing T in the backfield.  If you let them get to the line of scrimmage you're beat.  Glass was the head coach at North Canton Hoover and played Perry every year.

[K-Mack]

In non Wing-T news, I can't say enough about all the work people put into Kickoff, especially behind the scenes. Coleman, Mann, Tipps, McGraw, etc. -- big shouts out.

All of the features were good reads (although I haven't read Clyde's Kehres piece yet, I'm told it's great).

At least one thing I forgot to mention. MWC writer Sean P. Fallon filed his stuff on time, even though his wife delivered a baby right before it was due.

And we sent it back for some updates afterward. I think he did those too, but it's really all a blur.

Although we didn't edit as much as we wanted, we did more than we'd ever done before. We even sent stuff back to writers for improvement for the first time.

Anyway ... am I getting killed on the Liberty League board yet?

[K-Mack]

Defenisvely, I have experience getting used by the Wing-T, then figuring it out and twice snuffing it.

I'm a fan of it for its uniqueness, and it's ability to get the most out of available talent, not so much for its effectiveness.

I don't know if this is the complete key to stopping it, but we were often told "follow the guards -- they'll lead you to the play."

That's why I liked the USAT diagram. Simple as it was, it showed a variation where the guards take you away from the play.

I also remember one year when we used corners (me) to take on the guards while the OLBs and DEs blew up the plays. Definitely not one of my more finesse-filled days, but always cool to say you did it!

Almost enough Wing-T talk to have its own thread. 

I once heard Ed Glass say that the defense had to disrupt the Wing T in the backfield.  If you let them get to the line of scrimmage you're beat.  Glass was the head coach at North Canton Hoover and played Perry every year.

Yeah, I mean I'm sure Frank's right too ... no offense would be so simple to let someone take you to the ball on every play. Plus, the Wing-T can set you up like that and then give the ball to someone different and bust a big play.

Which is another defending the Wing-T strategy, perhaps in line with what Glass was saying (although he probably meant knock pulling linemen off their paths, etc.) ... the other strategy was tackle everything. On every play.

How you like that one? Tall order or foolproof plan?

[rscl70]

Defenisvely, I have experience getting used by the Wing-T, then figuring it out and twice snuffing it.

I'm a fan of it for its uniqueness, and it's ability to get the most out of available talent, not so much for its effectiveness.

I don't know if this is the complete key to stopping it, but we were often told "follow the guards -- they'll lead you to the play."

That's why I liked the USAT diagram. Simple as it was, it showed a variation where the guards take you away from the play.

I also remember one year when we used corners (me) to take on the guards while the OLBs and DEs blew up the plays. Definitely not one of my more finesse-filled days, but always cool to say you did it!

Almost enough Wing-T talk to have its own thread. 

I once heard Ed Glass say that the defense had to disrupt the Wing T in the backfield.  If you let them get to the line of scrimmage you're beat.  Glass was the head coach at North Canton Hoover and played Perry every year.

Yeah, I mean I'm sure Frank's right too ... no offense would be so simple to let someone take you to the ball on every play. Plus, the Wing-T can set you up like that and then give the ball to someone different and bust a big play.

Which is another defending the Wing-T strategy, perhaps in line with what Glass was saying (although he probably meant knock pulling linemen off their paths, etc.) ... the other strategy was tackle everything. On every play.

How you like that one? Tall order or foolproof plan?

If I remember correctly what Glass said, he was advocating the liberal use of the blitz against the Wing T.  Tackle everybody?  A good way to defend the Tripple Option, but I'm not so sure about the Wing T.

[K-Mack]

Defenisvely, I have experience getting used by the Wing-T, then figuring it out and twice snuffing it.

I'm a fan of it for its uniqueness, and it's ability to get the most out of available talent, not so much for its effectiveness.

I don't know if this is the complete key to stopping it, but we were often told "follow the guards -- they'll lead you to the play."

That's why I liked the USAT diagram. Simple as it was, it showed a variation where the guards take you away from the play.

I also remember one year when we used corners (me) to take on the guards while the OLBs and DEs blew up the plays. Definitely not one of my more finesse-filled days, but always cool to say you did it!

Almost enough Wing-T talk to have its own thread. 

I once heard Ed Glass say that the defense had to disrupt the Wing T in the backfield.  If you let them get to the line of scrimmage you're beat.  Glass was the head coach at North Canton Hoover and played Perry every year.

Yeah, I mean I'm sure Frank's right too ... no offense would be so simple to let someone take you to the ball on every play. Plus, the Wing-T can set you up like that and then give the ball to someone different and bust a big play.

Which is another defending the Wing-T strategy, perhaps in line with what Glass was saying (although he probably meant knock pulling linemen off their paths, etc.) ... the other strategy was tackle everything. On every play.

How you like that one? Tall order or foolproof plan?

If I remember correctly what Glass said, he was advocating the liberal use of the blitz against the Wing T.  Tackle everybody?  A good way to defend the Tripple Option, but I'm not so sure about the Wing T.

It's definitely an option strategy, and it stands to reason you could do it with Wing-T. But I might be confusing my strategies.

Tackle everybody might not be the worst across-the-board defensive strategy ... if not for those pesky rules on pass plays.

[Hustle]

I know I mentioned this before, but the single wing actually made a comeback in Northern Va. about 5 years ago. A few teams who didn't have the spread offense personally went to versions of the Wing-T and single-wing to keep up, and they were so well-coached it actually worked. Osbourn (Manassas, Va.) won the Division 6 state title this year running the single wing, I believe. Last time I covered them they didn't have a true QB, any of 3 backs could get the snap, they ran the spin plays, etc.

Just as a note of correction: Osbourn switched to the spread last year.

And I know it's been a long time for K-Mack, but numbers for the QB who led them to the state title (he graduated in the spring): 290 rushes, 1,789 yards, 6.1 YPC, 26 TDs; 133 comp., 261 att., 2,428 yards, 32 TDs, 11 INT. So yeah, they had a QB who, not surprisingly, was Virginia's Player of the Year for Group AAA and is now suiting up at West Virginia.

I'm certain Keith will trust me on this.

['gro]

NCAA President Myles Brand (RPI '64) takes part in the official groundbreaking ceremony for RPI's new athletics complex.


_{(left to right): Myles Brand '64, President Shirley Ann Jackson,
Samuel Heffner '56, Erik Swanson '08 & Dr. Eddie Ade Knowles
officially break ground on the new East Campus Athletic Village}

Full Story

[Pat Coleman]

Nice tip, thanks.

[frank uible]

Apparently this means that I will need to wait until 2009 in order to have a squint at this project in any substantially completed form - as I tool up and down Route 2 with time on my hands.

[Tom33]

Thanks for the read on the sports complex.

[K-Mack]

I think 'gro put that here at least partially as a reference to the not-yet-completed ATN & Friends List of Famous D3 Alumni.

In other news, look what I found:

Godfrey shines at receiver this time
By NOAH TRISTER
AP Sports Writer

LITTLE ROCK (AP) — No matter who was playing quarterback for Henderson State, Greg Godfrey was a worthy target.

"This was by far his best game as a receiver," coach Scott Maxfield said.

Godfrey had five catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns in the Reddies' 44-7 win over Texas College on Saturday night. Godfrey teamed with quarterbacks Garett Manning and Roch Charpentier to help Henderson State to an easy win in its season opener — and he earned a place in The Associated Press Small College Spotlight.

You're right, Henderson and TC are not ones of us, but the AP Small College Spotlight?

I wonder whose idea that was, if it has anything to do with the popularity of small-college websites showing tangible proof that some people love college football, and not just I-A, and if D3 teams will get spotlighted much.

Since there's 238 of us by our count (NNA, etc., included), we certain have about as much opportunity as D2 and NAIA combined to do noteworthy stuff.

We shall see.

[K-Mack]

OK,
Took a weekend there to draft a few fantasy football teams and decompress from Kickoff before beginning the four-month whirlwind from Thursday through the Stagg Bowl.

There were some questions asked of me on other boards, I might as well repeat my answers here for those of you who don't frequent those boards but would be interested in the answers.

[K-Mack]

This definitely fits with the discussion we were having here:

TGP had a LL sighting on the 101 South near Topanga Canyon Blvd.  Old guy driving a 540 Beamer with a WPI alumni sticker on the back.

Bizarroneers are kicking it in SoCal!

I saw something else weird this week, can't remember at the moment.

Promise it wasn't another Bates sticker though.

[K-Mack]

Reminder to self:

I must be drunk.

I just voted for Rochester to win the LL in the poll.

Agreed on the drunk part.....UR is the fad pick. Scott Green can't step out on the field and actually play.  RPI has the most talent, on paper, right now at the start of camp.

Respectfully posed question here:  Have you seen a LL game any time recently? What do you think of the quality?

[labart96]

Speaking of the LL, when can we expect an East Region ATN?