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Will we see the Utah pass this year?

K2C Sooner

Sooner starter
Sep 2, 2012
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Catoosa OK
One of my favorite plays during the early Stoops era was the Utah Pass or whatever it was called. I could see Perine doing a Q on that play. Punish the defensive line on several carries, then mix it up with a shuttle pass.

Yep, then throw in that Ninga sheet.... Ha..........JJ
 
That play was fun to watch, and Q was perfect for it.
Back then though we had some hosses on the oline that could knock some asses back enough to make that play a motha to stop.
That game with horn where Q got 6 tds, we had the horns wretching with the shovel pass.

(really getting tired of living vicariously through the past)
 
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We've tried to run it pretty much every year for the last dozen at least after Q graduated, but it just hasn't worked very well. I think the big line splits helped with it, since it was almost always run between the tackles. I also think Heupel was better at deceiving linebackers with his eyes, to get them out of the running lanes than anybody since. It is likely true that Griffin's short stature made it a more effective play. He really could hide from the linebacker likely assigned to him.

But most of it is that we were the only top 20 team running the spread in the years he was successfully carrying on the shovel pass, or shuffle pass or Utah pass, though I don't think it was exactly the Utah pass, specifically.

The Utah pass involved a set back moving toward the LOS to catch a forward flip while running forward. The play we ran to Q, he went to two yards behind the LOS and turned around. It was like a middle screen without a deep drop.

For the OP, we did run the play in the spring game, so maybe you'll see it. But my guess is that that showed it just to make other teams prepare for it. It might help slow down a pass rush if they're aware that we might run it.
 
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We've tried to run it pretty much every year for the last dozen at least after Q graduated, but it just hasn't worked very well. I think the big line splits helped with it, since it was almost always run between the tackles. I also think Heupel was better at deceiving linebackers with his eyes, to get them out of the running lanes than anybody since. It is likely true that Griffin's short stature made it a more effective play. He really could hide from the linebacker likely assigned to him.

But most of it is that we were the only top 20 team running the spread in the years he was successfully carrying on the shovel pass, or shuffle pass or Utah pass, though I don't think it was exactly the Utah pass, specifically.

The Utah pass involved a set back moving toward the LOS to catch a forward flip while running forward. The play we ran to Q, he went to two yards behind the LOS and turned around. It was like a middle screen without a deep drop.

For the OP, we did run the play in the spring game, so maybe you'll see it. But my guess is that that showed it just to make other teams prepare for it. It might help slow down a pass rush if they're aware that we might run it.
We did??? Honestly, I can't recall us really trying to run that play very much at all after Q left. Maybe once or twice per season and sometimes I doubt we even attempted it at all.
 
We've tried to run it pretty much every year for the last dozen at least after Q graduated, but it just hasn't worked very well. I think the big line splits helped with it, since it was almost always run between the tackles. I also think Heupel was better at deceiving linebackers with his eyes, to get them out of the running lanes than anybody since. It is likely true that Griffin's short stature made it a more effective play. He really could hide from the linebacker likely assigned to him.

But most of it is that we were the only top 20 team running the spread in the years he was successfully carrying on the shovel pass, or shuffle pass or Utah pass, though I don't think it was exactly the Utah pass, specifically.

The Utah pass involved a set back moving toward the LOS to catch a forward flip while running forward. The play we ran to Q, he went to two yards behind the LOS and turned around. It was like a middle screen without a deep drop.

For the OP, we did run the play in the spring game, so maybe you'll see it. But my guess is that that showed it just to make other teams prepare for it. It might help slow down a pass rush if they're aware that we might run it.
If OU can develop a QB who can ad lib as well as Heupel did when he played it will happen. There were times when Heupel would move forward as if to run, then flip the ball to Griffin before reaching the line of scrimmage. Both Heupel's mobility and quick reactions and Griffin's stature made it successful.
As for the quarterbacking position in general, I feel that OU will have to have a prolific player at this position before OU can even think of its next national championship. That player is not on the roster at this time.
 
I have always loved this play and was under the impression that we got away from it after Q graduated. Yeah, we may have tried it here and there, but not with the consistency and the results we had when Q was our feature RB. Although Perrine, Ross and Mixon are much bigger than Q, I still think this could be an effective play for OU. However, a great deal of it depends on the ability of the linemen to "sell" the play and execute it and with our young O-line, I really don't expect to see it used or called much in the upcoming season. I guess we'll find out in September!
 
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I have always loved this play and was under the impression that we got away from it after Q graduated. Yeah, we may have tried it here and there, but not with the consistency and the results we had when Q was our feature RB. Although Perrine, Ross and Mixon are much bigger than Q, I still think this could be an effective play for OU. However, a great deal of it depends on the ability of the linemen to "sell" the play and execute it and with our young O-line, I really don't expect to see it used or called much in the upcoming season. I guess we'll find out in September!
It also depends on the creativity and play calling of the OC. Chuck Long was pretty vanilla
 
They ran the standard shuffle pass several times in the spring game, it would be easy to incorporate the addition halfback into the picture. I am getting excited to see what Riley brings to the offense.
 
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