[BostonCard]

[quote author=GoodGrief link=topic=12497.msg124272#msg124272 date=1439493891]
My recollection was that occurred in the 4th quarter when they were totally gassed and we kept running Power because we could. Man, those were some good times.

True. But it was true all game; Stanford ran 50 times and passed 22. In most passing situations, Stanford called run; by my count, 5 of the 6 passing situations the team saw that game.

The reason Stanford won that game had little to do with surprise, though I suppose individual play calls may have shocked. It was because:

1) Stanford ran a ton
2) Was really successful at it
3) And therefore never saw too many passing situations.

It was the apotheosis of the exact opposite approach teejers imagines.
[/quote]

I think you meant to say "In most running situations, Stanford called run" or simply "In most situations, Stanford called run"

(or did we actually run in 5 out of the 6 passing situations we faced?)

Now, at the time, we did run in obvious passing situations (third and longish) a lot with Toby Gerhart.  But that was because Toby had a freaky ability to get 9 yards on third and 9.  In fact, that happened more before Luck and in Luck's first year.  Thereafter, we rarely were in clear passing situations, since we tended to a) run on first down and b) gain a fair number of yards on first down, so we often faced second or third and short.

This goes back to the mantra that I've always held, which is that effective execution makes playcalling largely irrelevant. We were good enough to gain five yards per cary when opponents were stacking the box against the run.  Andrew Luck could find the open receiver even when the opponent was expecting a pass.  That can make any coach, even David Shaw look brilliant.  You can call the play that was dictated by the situation and get the yards even when your opponent is expecting it, or you can run on a passing down knowing that your running back will still be able to get just enough yards for a first down, or pass on a running down knowing your QB has a high completion percentage and won't make a mistake, and has a good chance of finding the receiver downfield as your Orange Bowl opponent's linebacker who has been beaten over the top for the umpteenth time throws his mouthguard in disgust.

BC

[BostonCard]

[quote author=GoodGrief link=topic=12497.msg124272#msg124272 date=1439493891]
My recollection was that occurred in the 4th quarter when they were totally gassed and we kept running Power because we could. Man, those were some good times.

True. But it was true all game; Stanford ran 50 times and passed 22. In most passing situations, Stanford called run; by my count, 5 of the 6 passing situations the team saw that game.

The reason Stanford won that game had little to do with surprise, though I suppose individual play calls may have shocked. It was because:

1) Stanford ran a ton
2) Was really successful at it
3) And therefore never saw too many passing situations.

It was the apotheosis of the exact opposite approach teejers imagines.
[/quote]

I think you meant to say "In most running situations, Stanford called run" or simply "In most situations, Stanford called run"

(or did we actually run in 5 out of the 6 passing situations we faced?)

Now, at the time, we did run in obvious passing situations (third and longish) a lot with Toby Gerhart.  But that was because Toby had a freaky ability to get 9 yards on third and 9.  In fact, that happened more before Luck and in Luck's first year.  Thereafter, we rarely were in clear passing situations, since we tended to a) run on first down and b) gain a fair number of yards on first down, so we often faced second or third and short.

This goes back to the mantra that I've always held, which is that effective execution makes playcalling largely irrelevant. We were good enough to gain five yards per cary when opponents were stacking the box against the run.  Andrew Luck could find the open receiver even when the opponent was expecting a pass.  That can make any coach, even David Shaw look brilliant.  You can call the play that was dictated by the situation and get the yards even when your opponent is expecting it, or you can run on a passing down knowing that your running back will still be able to get just enough yards for a first down, or pass on a running down knowing your QB has a high completion percentage and won't make a mistake, and has a good chance of finding the receiver downfield as your Orange Bowl opponent's linebacker who has been beaten over the top for the umpteenth time throws his mouthguard in disgust.

BC