There is a tendency when an offense suddenly starts producing to look for the dramatic explanation. A new coordinator must have installed a different system, discovered some previously unused formations or introduced a collection of plays that defenses simply haven’t seen before. Sometimes that happens, but more often the explanation is considerably less complicated. The plays were already there. The difference is how those plays are being taught, how the personnel are being deployed and whether the quarterback understands what the defense is telling him.
After watching Oregon’s offense against Northwestern and Ohio State, I have been drawn to one particular concept that appears to be playing a significant role in the Ducks’ turnaround under interim offensive coordinator Jay Johnson. It involves the use of six-man blocking surfaces, particularly those designed to account for defenders through the C-gap, and the run-pass options that can be built around them.
