12-16-2020, 03:55 PM
On evolution:
Shaw's 2011 team was an offensive juggernaut. Per BCF Tools, offensive efficiency was 1.38 (3rd in the country). Points per drive was 3.52 (2nd in the country). The defense was adequate (25th in defensive efficiency, 33rd in defensive points per drive). Then Andrew graduated.
Shaw's 2012 and 2013 teams were no longer offensive juggernauts (especially 2012, with Nunes at QB for a bunch of games). Offensive efficiency was .10 (52nd in the country) in 2012 and 0.52 (30th in the country) in 2013. Offensive points per drive were 2.06 (73rd in the country) in 2012, and 2.61 (29th in the country) in 2013. Yet we went to a Rose Bowl both years, mostly on the strength of the defense (1.37 defensive ppd, 14th in the country in 2012 and 1.57 defensive ppd, 18th in the country in 2013). To me, that is evidence of evolution.
By 2015, the standouts on defense had left and Shaw's 2015 team was back to relying on its offense. Its offensive efficiency was 1.27 (4th in the country) and defensive efficiency was .15 (52nd); ppd were 3.56 (2nd in the country) for offense; 1.93 (48th) for the defense. Again, evidence of evolution.
As CTCard has noted many times, the offense that we run now bears little resemblance to the power running, play-action passing offense we ran from 2011 to 2017 (and even 2015 to 2017, though they featured heavy running with McCaffrey and then Love were different than what we did earlier in Shaw's term in 2011 to 2013). Now, the offense has generally been worse than it was in 2011 and 2015 when it was at its peak, but we are definitely running a very different offense now, so the idea that Shaw has not changed a style of offense that he has been running since 2011 challenges the premise of this thread.
BC
Shaw's 2011 team was an offensive juggernaut. Per BCF Tools, offensive efficiency was 1.38 (3rd in the country). Points per drive was 3.52 (2nd in the country). The defense was adequate (25th in defensive efficiency, 33rd in defensive points per drive). Then Andrew graduated.
Shaw's 2012 and 2013 teams were no longer offensive juggernauts (especially 2012, with Nunes at QB for a bunch of games). Offensive efficiency was .10 (52nd in the country) in 2012 and 0.52 (30th in the country) in 2013. Offensive points per drive were 2.06 (73rd in the country) in 2012, and 2.61 (29th in the country) in 2013. Yet we went to a Rose Bowl both years, mostly on the strength of the defense (1.37 defensive ppd, 14th in the country in 2012 and 1.57 defensive ppd, 18th in the country in 2013). To me, that is evidence of evolution.
By 2015, the standouts on defense had left and Shaw's 2015 team was back to relying on its offense. Its offensive efficiency was 1.27 (4th in the country) and defensive efficiency was .15 (52nd); ppd were 3.56 (2nd in the country) for offense; 1.93 (48th) for the defense. Again, evidence of evolution.
As CTCard has noted many times, the offense that we run now bears little resemblance to the power running, play-action passing offense we ran from 2011 to 2017 (and even 2015 to 2017, though they featured heavy running with McCaffrey and then Love were different than what we did earlier in Shaw's term in 2011 to 2013). Now, the offense has generally been worse than it was in 2011 and 2015 when it was at its peak, but we are definitely running a very different offense now, so the idea that Shaw has not changed a style of offense that he has been running since 2011 challenges the premise of this thread.
BC