🏈 Bama's offense. Bryant was an offensive genius.

[CtrlAltDel]

This was something I found very interesting. I copied it and am placing it here for everyone to enjoy. Unusual stats for a team known nationally and historically as a running team.

Was CPB really a conservative coach?

Coach Bryant was a coach that implemented whatever he felt would give the best chance of success.

He had some of the best passing quarterbacks in the nation during the 1960's and then changed his offensive attack completely in the space of a season when he decided that a new offense would give him a better chance to win.

Coming off a dismal 6-5-1 season in 1970 and losing his latest record-setting quarterback (Scott Hunter), there was no better time to right the ship and that's what he set out to do.

There was really nothing surprising about what he did. A lot of programs changed their offensive philosophies in the late 60's and early 70's. If you look at the NCAA offensive statistics, teams went from an average of 25 pass attempts per game in 1968 to only 18 attempts per game in 1975, while the rushing attempts per game increased from a low of 44 in 1966 to a high of 52 in 1975.

What set Coach Bryant apart is how effectively he made the change. The average offense in 1973 averaged 193 yards a game on the ground and 131 through the air. The 1973 Bama offense averaged 366 yards per game on the ground and 115 ypg in the air.

The average offense in 1964 gained 260 total yards per game, and 323 ypg by 1973, which is an increase of 25%. Bama's offense was gaining 312.9 ypg in 1964 and 481 ypg by 1973, an increase of 54%.

So Bama in 1964 outgained the average offense by 53 yards and by 1973 outgained the average offense by 157 yards (48%)...

 

[AFF]

Good memories.I don't know if I'd call Bryant conservative so much as he just adjusted to whatever gave him the best chance to win - like you said. And, in the early 70's nobody seemed to be able to effectively shut down the veer/wishbone. I think Saban exhibits qualities similar to Bryant in his desire to do whatever it takes to win by adjusting his philosophy to address the spread and the HUNH in the current era. They eventually devised defenses to slow down the wishbone. But I do remember the '73 season and how we routinely ran up incredible rushing yards while controlling the clock. That, along with his amazing defenses (the Redwood Forest) was an unbeatable combination. We didn't just beat teams, we beat the ever-loving sh#t out of them. People may call that style of football conservative today given the pass-happy style of offenses that have emerged. But back in the day Bryant was revolutionary and anything but conservative.

 

[psychojoe]

Spot on with adopting whatever it takes to win. His first three seasons, playing with Whitworth's players, he played defense, was conservative on offense, and used the quick kick as a way to flip field position. The tide won four game altogether in the 55-57 seasons, In 1958 they were 5-4-1, in 59 they were 7-2-2, and in 60 8-1-2. By 1961 he had a team of players he recruited, and the result was 11-0 and the first of his national championships.