Very well written and it say's it all!
http://www.statecollege.com/news/co...ffensive-philosophy-in-his-own-words,1466331/
by Mike Poorman on December 13, 2015 10:00 PM
Let’s have Penn State’s new offensive coordinator, Joe Moorhead, tell you about his offensive philosophy. In his own words.
Without a huddle.
At a quick pace.
And perhaps with a short glance or two to the sidelines.
This is what Moorhead said in 2009, when he left Akron for UConn, where he was before taking the same offense to his most recent stop, Fordham.
“We’ve been a multiple, no-huddle offense,” he said -- and, as we’ll soon see, still says. “We’ve looked to dictate the tempo of the game at a very fast tempo. And (we) try to keep it simple and get the ball to our playmakers, and get our speed and space.”
Moorhead was at Akron from 2004-08, serving as offensive coordinator the final two seasons. (The Zips lost to Penn State in Beaver Stadium 48-10 in 2004 and 34-16 in 2006.) His stint in Akron was followed by three seasons (2009-11) at UConn, when the Huskies averaged 27.3 points per game, and the last four seasons at Fordham. The Rams averaged 31.2 points in Moorhead’s first year (2012), then skyrocketed to 37.6 to 40.6 to 36.8 points per game.
By comparison, over the past two seasons under James Franklin and departed offensive coordinator John Donovan, the Nittany Lions have averaged only 20.6 points (2014) and 23.7 points (2015).
Fast forward to this past offseason. Here’s what Moorehead still had to say about his offensive philosophy heading into Fordham’s 2015 season, after going 6-5, 12-2 and 11-3 in his first three years in the Bronx:
“From a philosophical standpoint, we are an attacking type of outfit, offensively and defensively and special teams-wise,” Moorhead says. “We’re up-tempo, no-huddle, 75-plus plays the past three years. We broke the school and league record for scoring the past two years in a row.”
Moorhead made those comments in a May 2015 interview with Emory Hunt Jr. of “FBGU’s Talkin’ Ball with the Czar.” You can watch the 11-minute interview here.
For Moorhead, a record-setting quarterback at Fordham in the 1990s, it’s been the same offense, basically, at each stop. The basic tenets – get used to that Joeism – have remained the same.
“We have basic tenets of the spread offense,” he says. “We want to be up-tempo. We want to be attacking. We want to dictate the speed of the game. We want to get our kids in the best play possible against the look that is presented. That’s one thing about being no-huddle and having the coaches change the play affords you that opportunity.”
CONCEPTUALLY SPEAKING
A Moorhead offense has a lot of moving parts. Fast moving parts. But for the backs, receivers and quarterback, it is predicated more on understanding concepts, rather memorizing plays and routes that are followed come hell or defensive high water.
“In our passing game structure, every one of our routes falls into a concept or family,” Moorhead explains in another online video by Hunt, called “Get Coached Up.” (The link is here.) “That way, our kids know what the defining characteristic of a concept is instead of rote memorization. They are conceptually understanding where a play fits in a concept. And once they understand what the concept is and what the play is, then there are rules that go with each pass route.”
Moorehead, admittedly, does not show a large variety of formations. His standards are 2 x 2 (two receivers each to the left and right), 3 x 1 (three receivers one side, one to the other) and 3 x 2 (five receivers and no running backs).
The sets and tenets are, by design, not overly complicated.
“It sounds simplistic,” Moorhead admits, “but when we talk as a coaching staff relative to the things we want to do scheme-related, there are really three simple criteria: Is it sound? Can we teach it? Can they execute it? If it doesn’t meet any of those criteria we don’t put it in our game plan.”
SIDELINE SIGNAL-CALLERS
At Fordham, the players looked to the sidelines to three or four signal-callers to get the basics of the next play. Signals changed weekly. And varied from mimicking the shooting of a hockey puck and the rolling of a bowling ball to displaying giant pictures of political figures.
“They’re (the signal callers) incredibly important,” Moorhead told the Fordham student newspaper in a November 2015 article. “That’s how the whole thing operates. There aren’t wristbands. There’s not a huddle. It’s not like it’s 1953 with people shuttling plays in and out and people coming out of the game. It’s the vital cog of the communication aspect of our offense and if it’s not right, then we can’t do anything right.”
The players themselves create most of the signals. “They have ownership of the signals between (Fordham offensive coordinator Andrew) Breiner and the offensive staff and the players,” Moorhead said. “They create the signals.”
That’s one way college football can be fun. Which Moorhead said he thinks is important.
“We want our kids to know it is still a game,” he says. “When you were young, you never talked to your mom or dad and said, ‘I’m doing to the field to work a game of football.’ We said that we were going to go play a game of football. I’m not saying we’re not demanding on our kids or coach them to do things right all the time. But at the same time there has to be a degree of working them to be their best and be very demanding, while having them understand it is still a game.”
Fordham went 12-2 in 2013 and made it to the second round of the FSC playoffs. The next preseason, Moorhead was asked about getting caught up in any preseason hype.
His answer – especially the last sentence – is what may have sealed the deal when interviewing with his new boss, James Franklin.
“They’re kids,” he says. “That’s our job as coaches to remind them on a daily basis of the things that it takes to be successful—hard work, discipline, accountability, attention to detail—all those intangible things. And then your preparation, effort, execution on a weekly basis.
“You try,” Moorhead added, “to go 1-0 every week.”
http://www.statecollege.com/news/co...ffensive-philosophy-in-his-own-words,1466331/
by Mike Poorman on December 13, 2015 10:00 PM
Let’s have Penn State’s new offensive coordinator, Joe Moorhead, tell you about his offensive philosophy. In his own words.
Without a huddle.
At a quick pace.
And perhaps with a short glance or two to the sidelines.
This is what Moorhead said in 2009, when he left Akron for UConn, where he was before taking the same offense to his most recent stop, Fordham.
“We’ve been a multiple, no-huddle offense,” he said -- and, as we’ll soon see, still says. “We’ve looked to dictate the tempo of the game at a very fast tempo. And (we) try to keep it simple and get the ball to our playmakers, and get our speed and space.”
Moorhead was at Akron from 2004-08, serving as offensive coordinator the final two seasons. (The Zips lost to Penn State in Beaver Stadium 48-10 in 2004 and 34-16 in 2006.) His stint in Akron was followed by three seasons (2009-11) at UConn, when the Huskies averaged 27.3 points per game, and the last four seasons at Fordham. The Rams averaged 31.2 points in Moorhead’s first year (2012), then skyrocketed to 37.6 to 40.6 to 36.8 points per game.
By comparison, over the past two seasons under James Franklin and departed offensive coordinator John Donovan, the Nittany Lions have averaged only 20.6 points (2014) and 23.7 points (2015).
Fast forward to this past offseason. Here’s what Moorehead still had to say about his offensive philosophy heading into Fordham’s 2015 season, after going 6-5, 12-2 and 11-3 in his first three years in the Bronx:
“From a philosophical standpoint, we are an attacking type of outfit, offensively and defensively and special teams-wise,” Moorhead says. “We’re up-tempo, no-huddle, 75-plus plays the past three years. We broke the school and league record for scoring the past two years in a row.”
Moorhead made those comments in a May 2015 interview with Emory Hunt Jr. of “FBGU’s Talkin’ Ball with the Czar.” You can watch the 11-minute interview here.
For Moorhead, a record-setting quarterback at Fordham in the 1990s, it’s been the same offense, basically, at each stop. The basic tenets – get used to that Joeism – have remained the same.
“We have basic tenets of the spread offense,” he says. “We want to be up-tempo. We want to be attacking. We want to dictate the speed of the game. We want to get our kids in the best play possible against the look that is presented. That’s one thing about being no-huddle and having the coaches change the play affords you that opportunity.”
CONCEPTUALLY SPEAKING
A Moorhead offense has a lot of moving parts. Fast moving parts. But for the backs, receivers and quarterback, it is predicated more on understanding concepts, rather memorizing plays and routes that are followed come hell or defensive high water.
“In our passing game structure, every one of our routes falls into a concept or family,” Moorhead explains in another online video by Hunt, called “Get Coached Up.” (The link is here.) “That way, our kids know what the defining characteristic of a concept is instead of rote memorization. They are conceptually understanding where a play fits in a concept. And once they understand what the concept is and what the play is, then there are rules that go with each pass route.”
Moorehead, admittedly, does not show a large variety of formations. His standards are 2 x 2 (two receivers each to the left and right), 3 x 1 (three receivers one side, one to the other) and 3 x 2 (five receivers and no running backs).
The sets and tenets are, by design, not overly complicated.
“It sounds simplistic,” Moorhead admits, “but when we talk as a coaching staff relative to the things we want to do scheme-related, there are really three simple criteria: Is it sound? Can we teach it? Can they execute it? If it doesn’t meet any of those criteria we don’t put it in our game plan.”
SIDELINE SIGNAL-CALLERS
At Fordham, the players looked to the sidelines to three or four signal-callers to get the basics of the next play. Signals changed weekly. And varied from mimicking the shooting of a hockey puck and the rolling of a bowling ball to displaying giant pictures of political figures.
“They’re (the signal callers) incredibly important,” Moorhead told the Fordham student newspaper in a November 2015 article. “That’s how the whole thing operates. There aren’t wristbands. There’s not a huddle. It’s not like it’s 1953 with people shuttling plays in and out and people coming out of the game. It’s the vital cog of the communication aspect of our offense and if it’s not right, then we can’t do anything right.”
The players themselves create most of the signals. “They have ownership of the signals between (Fordham offensive coordinator Andrew) Breiner and the offensive staff and the players,” Moorhead said. “They create the signals.”
That’s one way college football can be fun. Which Moorhead said he thinks is important.
“We want our kids to know it is still a game,” he says. “When you were young, you never talked to your mom or dad and said, ‘I’m doing to the field to work a game of football.’ We said that we were going to go play a game of football. I’m not saying we’re not demanding on our kids or coach them to do things right all the time. But at the same time there has to be a degree of working them to be their best and be very demanding, while having them understand it is still a game.”
Fordham went 12-2 in 2013 and made it to the second round of the FSC playoffs. The next preseason, Moorhead was asked about getting caught up in any preseason hype.
His answer – especially the last sentence – is what may have sealed the deal when interviewing with his new boss, James Franklin.
“They’re kids,” he says. “That’s our job as coaches to remind them on a daily basis of the things that it takes to be successful—hard work, discipline, accountability, attention to detail—all those intangible things. And then your preparation, effort, execution on a weekly basis.
“You try,” Moorhead added, “to go 1-0 every week.”
Last edited:
