Washington Football Preview - Fullback
by John Berkowitz on Jul 23, 2009 5:03 AM PDT
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PrintThe Pro Set offense is a football dream for fullbacks and tight ends in these pass-happy days of the spread offense. At Washington, we appreciate smash mouth football and the Pro Set allows us to bring back some of our joy. Utilizing the fullback in the passing game (as done successfully at USC) is a great change up, keeping opposing defenses guessing.
Something Ty Willingham had in ample supply at Washington was good fullbacks. Problem: he did a fairly poor job utilizing this talent, wasting the talents of Luke Kravitz , while limiting the opportunities of Paul Homer. Homer, a senior and big contributor for the past three years, has a huge opportunity to become an integral element of the passing game in 2009. If Homer can supply 15-20 passes, it will be a huge boost for the Husky offense. Lining up behind Homer is junior Austin Sylvester, who has spent most of his time on special teams since arriving at UW. The junior from Reno will get his first chance to show what he can do carrying the ball and blocking this season.
The future at fullback is playing his senior season at O'Dea HS this fall. Zach Fogerson is one of the top FB recruits in the country and could see time as a big back, fullback, or even an inside linebacker once he dons the purple and gold. Zach originally committed to Willingham and now is firmly committed to joining his older brother Johri at Washington under Coach Sarkisian.
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A dying breed
FB are slowly being pushed to the way side with the increaing popularity of the spread offenses that we love so much here on uwdawgpound.
Sark & Co should have a big advantage when going after TE’s and FB’s since not to many schools use them.
The popularity of the various flavors of Spread offenses actually helps teams like USC and UW with more traditional Pro Style offenses – the more that defenses have to adapt to and slow down Spread offenses, the less they are prepared for and designed to stop Pro Style offenses. Also, it should give Pro Style teams a leg up on recruiting FB and TE types, which carries the added bonus that sometimes TE prospects become OT’s or DE’s and FB’s sometimes become ILB’s.
Love watching the big guys rumble for big yards
Everybody knows I like the spread offense. But that doesn’t mean I don’t like other offenses too. I can’t remember the opponent, but I remember Zach Tuiasosopo on a fb dive that he broke for a 50 yard touchdown. I love seeing big guys breaking big runs.
"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"
That was fun!
I remember seeing Zach in the grocery store in Woodinville after the huge win over the cougs in 2003. I got to shake his hand and tell him thanks for the “big” win. He was very appreciative of that.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
In a few years it won't be a "rumble"
USC fullbacks don’t rumble down field like a runnaway freight train. They run more like an express train on high octane fuel.
We are coming to the end of the rumbling, stumbling, and bumbling fullbacks. You are going to see more athletic and speedier fullbacks that can catch as well as run on campus then ever before. The position is going to be overhauled by coach Sark.
The model is going to be that of Tom Rathman- a guy that can catch as well as run, versatility is key.
All I saw was purple
Completely agree and should be taken advantage of!
USC and Washington should be recruiting the top 1 and 2 fullbacks in the west every season from here on out. And like SC we need to improve the play of fullback and make the position into a legit scoring threat from anywhere on the field.
USC has done a magificant job of involvong the FB into a legit big play position. They use them in screens, hot routes, and the wheel route for a HUGE play has become a Trojan staple in the offense. Now I’m not sold on the idea that USC evolutionized the fullback position. Tom Rathmun was an all-do guy as a 49er FB. The guy blocked, scraped off blocks to catch passes in the flat, led the charge on mulitiple screen routes, you name it.
Pete Carroll was an assistant under the legendary Bill Walsh and I think this may be where Carroll got the idea to make the fullback into a legit big play position so valuable. Currently at SC under Carroll, you can see the simularities of the FB position between the current crop of SC fullbacks and a lot of the stuff that Tom Rathmun did for the Niners.
I think Sark is going to follow Carroll’s blueprint on fullbacks. Their is nothing more dangerous then having a shifty, elusive, and fast tailback and a lead blocking, pass catching, and head ramming fullback in the same backfield.
We’ll see our fullback position evolve into a legit scoring threat position from anywhere on the field in the near future. WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
Norm Chow
Didn’t he bring in the offense for Carroll? Carroll was the defensive guy, right? He brought in Chow to run his offense. Correct me if I’m wrong there.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Chow
Indeed Norm Chow put in the offense. But keep in mind that Pete Carroll is THEE guy at USC and it is his program and his responsiblity to over see everything involved with the program.
Now I think Norm Chow is arguably the best offensive coordinator in college football. He ran LaVell Edwards offense for years at BYU and for the short stint at NC State tutored Rivers as a young college QB phenom. The stuff at SC is what legends are made of.
Yet what Chow did at SC was not completely his own offense. The stuff USC ran was much different then what he ran at BYU. Chow tailor made the offense to fit into both LaVell Edwards and Pete Carroll’s style. I’m sure both Carroll and Chow sat down to discuss what characteristics of the offense was needed. That way the coaching staff would know what type of prep recruits to go after.
I’m sure Chow wanted the tall, speedy wideouts, something he never really got while at BYU. Carroll wanted the versatile fullbacks so that the position was not wasted. Wasted in terms of not just bringing in a body to block. The idea is to send any one player into the game that can score anywhere on the field- including the fullback position- sort of a Tom Rathman-esque quality. And in order to do that recruiting more versatile FBs was essential.
Chow implemented the offense and ran it, but it was tailor made around what Pete Carroll wanted in terms of personnel, potential production, and potential output and recruited in that direction.
All I saw was purple
Looking forward to...
…the DAWGS lining up and being able to pound opponents again. I know we may be in the infancy of this process and don’t have all the personnel that we’d like to have. But at least the process is starting and it’s only going to get better! GO DAWGS!!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
If we can develop...
…the RB into a receiving threat, it should open up the inside for the FB, as defenses will need to be committed to more options. It paradoxically should save the FB from being in the impossible position to cover every stunt, and save Jake from relentless pressure.
I’d love to see Homer on a quick draw knocking the snot out of some surprised LB’s and safeties.
Recruiting News
LSU game is becoming more and more a very key game for UW. Hayes Pullard has also listed this game as his official visit. We need to make sure that we not only put on a good show (win…maybe, hopefully) but we need to show these kids what Husky Stadium is all about! Rock the Montlake!
Homer had 7 carries and 4 receptions last year.
I’d bet he ends up more in the neighborhood of 25 carries and 20 catches this year.
drops
Hopefully that 20 catch number doesn’t come from 30 touches. If I remember right from watching last year, he had several drops. I hope I was incorrect on my viewing.
I know!...
…it was painful to watch!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
I think in the spring game...
…he looked solid though.
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
this was a highlight of the spring game...
….watching jake work thru his progressions in the 2nd half and having time to dump it off to paul in the flats.
by then the defense was spread thin and he had some good gains.
by PandG on Jul 23, 2009 6:31 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Homer/Spring practices
Homer had a great spring, I went to two practices and the spring game, and I didn’t see him drop a pass. I expect him to be very solid this year.
"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"
Homer is ready to have a big year.
25 carries and 20 receptions seems about right as mentioned above.
by John Berkowitz on Jul 24, 2009 8:19 AM PDT up reply actions
Spring game
Worked late last night and to wind down starting watching the Spring game on gohuskies.com. First possession, 2nd or 3rd play, Locker to Homer for around 9 yards.
Agreed he was solid...
…and like Locker really looked tuned in after being coached up by this new staff. What a huge difference!
Washington Husky Football-Undefeated 1991 National Champions 12-0!
Tom Rathman is the Benchmark
I hope you’re right Lear. We need production from every skill position on the field. Our wideouts and TE have no excuse but to catch the ball this year. Last year was different because of our youth movement, likewise for our TEs. But this year their is no excuse and Sark won’t tolerate an excuse anyway.
I think what we’ll see is a passing game early on in the season. Our receivers had difficulty catching the ball last season for multiple reasons. Sark is NOT going to relive that. I think he’ll come out firing, I think he’ll come out passing to find out which kids will make a catch and which kids are still hesitant. This will lead us to a better passing game that should make significant strides for the duration of the season in order to move the chains.
And I also think Sark is going to implement the FB position a lot more. I think we are going to see a lot more of our fullbacks involved with the passing game. It’s crucial because let’s face it, a fullback’s job consists as a personal protector for the QB in the pocket. Secondly he is a lead block for a tailback. Third he’s a decoy in misdirection running plays. That’s it!?
We need to start taking advantage of the fullback position. On defense, the FB is usually the forgotten man, especially on passing downs. Tom Rathman was a brilliant FB for the 49ers. Pete Carroll was a 49er assistant during the Walsh era that involved Rathman at FB. I see a lot of the same principles of USC fullbacks in comparison to Rathman with the Niners.
In a couple of years, the UDub FB position is going to be key for our offense, as it is at USC. Since UDub has been down and out over the last 5 to 6 years, I’ve watched a lot of what USC has been doing and I can tell you that Carroll is using his fullbacks in reflection to how Walsh used his FBs (Rathman) with the 49ers. We are going to see more athletic fullbacks on campus very, very soon and it is a good thing.
All I saw was purple
Good summary, Crazi
Assuming your comment in the third paragraph was about what the FB used to be, you’ve ID’d what will be necessary to create a truly multiple threat offense out of the pro set. It can’t be emphasized enough how each option creates opportunities for the other.
Many variables involving good offensive play
1) skill and talent at every position
2) playbook, gameplan, and exectution
3) deception and Decoy
4) gameday adjustments and halftime adjustments
Looking at those four categories which one did we excell at best? We haven’t had much deception since the Neuhiesel era. Skill and talent has been sporadic w/ holes near and far. Our playbook, gameplan, and execution has been horrible at best, simply because we’ve jumped from one offensive system to another. And we all know TW was never prepared to make gameday adjustments or halftime adjustments.
We’ve struggle more or less in each category for the last 5 to 6 years and this would ultimately explain the recent fall of the Dawgs. Defense? That’s another awful story…
All I saw was purple
I thought you didn't like trickery?
Isn’t deception and decoy the same thing as trickery?
I agree the FB position will be much more important than before, but “In a couple of years, the UDub FB position is going to be key for our offense” is quite a stretch. I’d say the FB position, even in a more important role, is still going to be less important than most every other offensive position. QB’s, linemen, running backs, and wide receivers will be more “key” for our offense.
"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"
A HUGE difference Lear
Every offensive series has deception, i.e. counters, traps, and draws. If one play stands alone without a counter to the play then that play will be easy to expose. That is why a good Offensive Coordinator will have counter plays in all of the offensive series.
The defense might recognize the formation and have a feeling as to what to expect. Read the blocking leverage of pulling guard/tackle and come to the misguided conclusion that it is a trap. But what the defense doesn’t see is that Locker baits the defense into reacting to the pulling guard/tackle, but doesn’t recognize the tight end is hooking the DE for a sizable gain on a “Naked”. Their is beautty in deception and deocy, but not in the double whammy Scooby Doo reverse passes. Sometimes Urban Meyer’s offense looks like it was drawn up by Pee Wee football coaches or in the sand lot. Hey, does anyone have a bottle cap?
But when Florida comes out with a “double whammy Scooby Doo reverse pass” then it is trickery and gimmicky.
Why do the double whammy Scooby Doo reverse passes work? Because the opposing defense is playing careless defense and not remembering their assignment.
Deception and Decoy is ball faking. Why do some programs get defenses to bite on the fake more then others? Because they perfect the ball fake. We haven’t had much luck with this for a very long time and it’s about time we start, because when you perfect it, it is a very useful tool.
All I saw was purple
It's all the same thing
I play action pass, a flea flicker, a “double whammy scooby doo reverse pass”, it’s all trickery and it’s all about catching the defenses off guard or off balance. A good offensive coordinator finds a way to score points, that’s all that matters. If trickery/gimmicks score points, you are a moron not to use them.
All that matter is who has the most points when the clock runs out, it doesn’t matter how you get those points, just that you have more than the other team. Like I’ve said, I don’t care if we start running the veer, all I care about is scoring more points than the other guys.
"Bow Down to Washington"
"Kick the tires and light the fires!"
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