Steve Spurrier may go down as the greatest coach in SEC history. Certainly there will be other contenders, and many fan bases will have opinions. If Spurrier is the greatest, it is not only because of his Fun ‘n’ Gun that defined the 1990s; it is also his adaptation, especially at South Carolina.
The 1990s passing attack has evolved in Columbia. Now there is much heavier use of shotgun and the zone read, but that doesn’t mean there has been a complete break from the past. Many of the concepts Spurrier has used all his career are still very much present in his offense. Take Carolina’s first touchdown against North Carolina. Here’s the video, if you don’t remember:
The play works by forcing the play side safety to choose. The slot receiver, on this play Damiere Byrd, releases to the inside and then runs a 10-15 yard dig route. On the outside Shaq Roland runs a deep post. On the backside Nick Jones runs a corner route to try to occupy the backside safety.
The play side safety can drop deep to cover Roland or can come up to try to take away Byrd, which is probably the route he sees. The safety comes up and Shaw throws over the top, vintage Spurrier.
Posted with Blogsy
