if you look at the last 5 national champions, they averaged 62% run/38% pass... and every one of those QBs got drafted--Cam Newton (1st Round), Tebow (1st Round), Flynn (7th Round), McElroy (7th Round) also note how two of them were last in the SEC in pass attempts per game, and one was 2nd to last... 2011 Alabama -- 59% run/41% pass -- 27.5 pass att/game 2010 Auburn -- 69% run/31% pass -- 21.1 pass att/game (last in SEC) 2009 Alabama -- 63% run/37% pass -- 24.7 pass att/game (2nd-to-last in SEC) 2008 Florida -- 62% run/38% pass -- 23.5 pass att/game (last in SEC) 2007 LSU -- 58% run/42% pass -- 31.6 pass att/game why have run-first teams done so well? because it's easier to control the game when you run the football... you're putting more of a pounding on the opposing defense, you are keeping the opposing defense on the field more and wearing them out more (while at the same time keeping the opponent's offense off the field), you are decreasing your chances of committing turnovers, etc
You also tend to create a lot of turnovers when you're forced to throw to provide most of your offense. Les wants to pass just enough to keep DBs and LBs on their toes and open up the running game, and that tends to win a lot of football games.
Exactly. He's gonna want to throw just enough to keep the defenses honest. People who are wanting or expecting Miles to open up the offense the way Petrino did after Nutt's departure can keep on dreaming. You don't recruit and keep all these running backs on the roster if you're running a shotgun heavy, pass-happy offense.
nobody could pass on that 2011 Alabama team. put it this way, since 2000, only three SEC teams have achieved a sub-90.00 pass efficiency defense, all three of them were coached by Saban, all three of them won the national title, and 2011 Alabama was the best of the three of them: 83.69 -- 2011 Alabama (12–1) National Champions 87.65 -- 2009 Alabama (14–0) National Champions 89.81 -- 2003 LSU (13–1) National Champions nationally, since 2000, there has only been one team that had a better pass efficiency defense than 2011 Alabama, and that was 2001 Miami (75.60 pass eff D) who went 12-0, won the National Championship, and had four 1st Round picks starting in their secondary: FS Ed Reed -- 1st Round pick -- 8× Pro Bowl SS Sean Taylor -- 1st Round Pick -- 2x Pro Bowl CB Mike Rumph -- 1st Round pick CB Phillip Buchanon -- 1st Round Pick so hopefully, we won't see another pass defense as good as that one until 2021...as for that Bama secondary of 2011, they are losing 3 of 4 starters (all three of the starting DBs they lost were All-Americans last year, and two were 1st Round picks)
Exactly! It's not as much how much you pass as it is can you pass. Having the ability to throw deep opens up a lot of things for the rest of the offense and keeps the defense honest. Just think how good LSU's running game would have been if there was even the threat of a down field pass being completed. Complete teams can still rely heavily on the run game and defense. But the threat of the deep ball when you actually have the ability to complete it keeps teams from walking up to the line of scrimmage and concentrating solely on stopping the run. If Miles can field a competent QB and shows the willingness to let it fly when teams stack the box the running game will be much improved.
Yeh were going to call for the head for the head of the winningest coach in LSU history and the coach who took LSU to a 13-1 record.. That would be smart