Meyer's offense on the move
Versions of the Florida coach's system are sprouting up everywhere.
By ANTONYA ENGLISH and GREG AUMAN
Published December 9, 2004
Florida coach Urban Meyer arrived in Gainesville Tuesday with a reputation for one of the most innovative and complicated offenses in college football. And while there isn't an exact replica anywhere but at Utah, bits and pieces can be found in a number of places, including the NFL.
"You could compare it to St. Louis or Indianapolis, how they spread the field," said Josh Harris, who played quarterback under Meyer at Bowling Green and is now a rookie with the Baltimore Ravens. "Generally, it's three wideouts, one back, one tight end. You can have four or five wideouts, but we also would keep the running back in and throw there as well."
"He's a combination of all kinds of offenses," said USF defensive coordinator Rick Kravitz. "There's a little bit of BYU in there, a little of Tennessee. It's like he took the best parts of what everybody was doing and said "Let me put this in, let me add this wrinkle."'
In the collegiate game, it's comparable to several, including West Virginia, South Carolina and Northwestern. But opponents and analysts agree no one makes it more complicated and tougher to defend than Meyer.
"It's basically an offense that spreads the field, tries to create space and then looks to run and pass," ESPN analyst Chris Fowler said. "Option is the big component of it; they'll run some different looking option plays. They'll have option out of the shotgun or inside option where a flanker or a slot guy comes in motion like a shovel pass underneath. And also, they throw the ball a whole lot. It's very balanced and it's been very, very hard to defend."
Kravitz can attest to that. The Bulls defeated Bowling Green and Meyer 29-7 on Nov. 16, 2002.
It is the most lopsided loss in Meyer's four years as a head coach.But it wasn't easy.
"It was a nightmare," Kravitz said of the offense. "They had everything. All kinds of formations, motions and adjustments. It was a great offense."
It's an offense that has been tagged with nicknames such as controlled chaos, fastbreak on grass, basketball on turf. It relies on finesse, fakes and trick plays. Former UNLV coach John Robinson called it "an option offense with a good passer or a passing offense with an option running quarterback."
Meyer calls it too much praise about nothing.
"There is no offense," he said. "The offense is molded around the personnel we have. I think that is something we do better than anybody. The offense at Bowling Green with Josh Harris was significantly different than the offense for (Utah quarterback) Alex Smith because they are different players. It's an adaptable offense, and it has to be."
What you can't call it is Fun 'n' Gun.
Meyer has acknowledged he wants to bring the swagger back to Gainesville, but it won't be in Steve Spurrier's style.
"It isn't a Spurrier offense at all, they have very different principles," Fowler said. "But you also have the same kind of production Steve had, they just achieve it a little bit differently. They will run the ball quite a bit."
In leading Utah to an 11-0 regular season, Meyer focused on balance. The Utes ranked No.3 nationally in total offense (502.73 yards per game) and scoring (46.27). Utah averaged 244.91 yards rushing and 257.82 yards passing this season, nearly a perfect balance.
"The difference is that Urban and his group do a little bit more with the running game than they do with the passing game, so it's a balanced offense," ESPN's Lee Corso said. "There's more balance to it. But remember Steve Spurrier was in a class by himself when it came to offense. Urban Meyer has a good offense, but not in relationship to Steve Spurrier. What Spurrier did he did five to six years in advance of everybody else, so you can't compare anybody with him."
How Meyer will conform his offense to Florida quarterback Chris Leak and his receivers remains to be seen. In two seasons with the Gators, Leak has run very little option, isn't blessed with brilliant speed and is more of a dropback passer. And in Meyer's system, the quarterback is clearly the key.
"The quarterback has to make good decisions, to be efficient with the ball," Harris said. "Coach Meyer and his staff, they put a lot on their quarterback. It takes a lot to read the defense and manage the game. It takes a smart guy, because you make quick decisions."
Colorado State coach Sonny Lubick admits that much of Meyer's success at Utah was due to the fact that most teams couldn't figure out a way to defend his offensive schemes. But in the SEC, Meyer will have to adjust to a league where teams possess defensive speed that doesn't allow a team to survive on the option.
If history is any indication, Meyer most likely will just come up with new ways to be successful.
"He does a great job of adjusting with his personnel," Corso said. "I think they'll be very, very happy with him the University of Florida."