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It's our pleasure to offer a Q&A session with Brian Flinn, WR's Coach and Recruiting Coordinator from Villanova University. Villanova is coming off an NCAA Division 1 (subdivision) national championship season in 2009, and they run an explosive, high octane spread offense.

In Franklin’s one year as Middle Tennessee State’s offensive coordinator the Blue Raiders had their best season in program history, finishing 10-3 with a 42-32 win over Southern Miss in the New Orleans Bowl.

It would be hard to argue that the spread offense hasn't been one of, if not the most influential aspect of American football over the last decade (2000-2009). From the beginning of the decade to the present, the concept and execution of spreading the football field in order to create mismatches in both the passing and running games has changed the game forever on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

Tebow vs FSU

Like fishing stories told on front porches at dusk or tall tales traded around bar stools after last call, the legend of Tim Tebow seems likely to only grow larger in this part of the country.

Ronnie Brown Throwing Out Of The WildCat Offense

With the Miami Dolphins traveling to Gillette Stadium this weekend, the New England Patriots defense will be forced to immerse itself in full preparations for Miami’s unique offense.

Rich Rodriguez, head coach at the University of Michigan recently said: “There’s so many variations of the spread that’s different" - so when the Chairman of The Board speaks, I decided to dig a little deeper. In an effort to make the piece more interesting in regards to the many pieces of the spread offense in football, I decided to use 'The Long Tail' model to explain the spread offense 'family'.

Nick Saban was asked at the 2009 SEC media day about the spread offense he's seeing so much in college, and you could tell by his answers he was focused the most on the University of Florida style of spread offense, featuring a dual threat quarterback.

New Mississippi State head coach Dan Mulllen, who was the offensive coordinator under Urban Meyer at Florida, talked about his definition of the spread. Mullen is considered the architect of Meyer’s attack, which worked well at Utah and Bowling Green before Gainesville.

The start of Michigan's football season is two months away, and coach Rich Rodriguez hopes his second year is better than his first.   The Wolverines suffered their worst showing in four decades, finishing 3-9. They were hounded by a poor defense that allowed 28.9 points, a program worst, and missed a postseason bowl for the first time in 33 years.  Rodriguez sat down with Angelique Chengelis, Michigan beat writer for The News, and talked about a number of topics.

Highlights from Sentinel staff writer Chris Harry's Q&A with Florida Gators football coach Urban Meyer.

Coach Hand, thanks for participating in another round of Q&A with Spreadoffense.com – Tell us a little about the 2008 season and how the team looked wrapping up spring ball on April 18th, 2009?

As soon as Miami Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown shifted behind center Samson Satele to take the shotgun snap, one could hear the buzz of anticipation spread throughout the stands while sensing the panic of surprised defensive coordinators.   The Wildcat was about to strike.   The ancient version of the old college Wing-T was hatched by first-year coach Tony Sparano and quarterbacks coach David Lee on a flight last year following a 31-10 rout by eventual NFC champ Arizona that dropped Miami to 0-2. That chat resuscitated the Dolphins’ offense and fueled an 11-5 season.

Last year, the Ute offense had an unquestioned leader and the potency of its attack ebbed and flowed with the consistency of one player, fifth year senior quarterback Brian Johnson.   Coming out of high school, the heir apparent to #1 pick Alex Smith was supposed to bring a style more traditionally suited to the spread option offense the Utes employed after Urban Meyer’s hiring prior to the 2003 season.

If Saturday’s spring fling was any indication, the days of Virginia’s offense being the caboose of NCAA statistical data are over.   New offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon gave us a taste of what Cavalier football is going to look like come September and the taste offered a sweet glimpse into the future.  

Pat White - Zone Read

Pat White, the all-time rushing quarterback in NCAA history out of West Virginia University connected with Mississippi's Mike Wallace for a 39 yard TD pass to lead the South to a 35-18 win over the North in the 2009 Senior Bowl, a showcase game for many of college football's top prospects.

Like most NFL fans, Billy Granville heard all the hype about the Dolphins' Wildcat offense back in September. So as an ex-NFL player, he was naturally curious to see exactly what it was all about.

Tulsa Golden Hurricane

When Rice Coach David Bailiff prepared for Tulsa’s fast-paced no-huddle, spread offense, he noticed that the videotapes had recorded some of the action in midplay.

Pat White, the 4 year starting quarterback of the West Virginia Mountaineer's highly productive spread offense and a leading preseason Heisman candidate in 2008 broke another Mountaineer record on Saturday, this time not with his magic leg's, but with his arm.

College Football made some revisions this off-season to its 266 page rule book that will significantly help an already established offense that runs out of the no huddle spread offense in 2008 and beyond.

Tuberville said Auburn's new spread offense has not only created excitement on the team, but in recruiting. He said the interest in Auburn's summer camps ``is up tremendously'' because of the spread.

It's a pleasure to have Nunzio Campanile in our second coaches Q&A session, Athletic Director and Offensive Coordinator at Don Bosco Prep High School in New Jersey.  The Ironmen average over 40 points per game and have compiled a record of 88-5 over the past eight years.    

ANN ARBOR - The Michigan quarterbacks and running backs were trying to execute the same play over and over again.   Quarterback in the shotgun, running back standing next to him. Quarterback hands to running back, then carries out the fake in the opposite direction.   It's the most basic play in Wolverine coach Rich Rodriguez's spread-option offense, and the first day of spring practice for the Wolverines yesterday was definitely a time for covering the basics.

When Tim Tebow sidled up next to Dan Connor at Friday's Maxwell Awards luncheon at Harrah's Atlantic City, it was impossible to tell which one was an NFL-bound linebacker.   For the record, it's Connor, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound bundle of muscle. Penn State's all-time leading tackler, Connor is expected to be a first-round pick in next month's draft.

One criticism of Rich Rodriguez during his tenure as head football coach at West Virginia involved his sometimes conservative offensive play calling, which some said prevented his players from using their often superior athleticism to win games.   New WVU offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen is fully aware of the talent he has inherited, and promises not to make that mistake.

I had a chance to sit down and talk a little spread offense with Herb Hand, Co-Offensive Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach at Tulsa.  The Golden Hurricane is coming off an impressive 63-7 win in the GMAC bowl vs. Bowling Green in January.

Oregon running back practices patience at grueling pre-draft event.   Jonathan Stewart had heard all about the sapping schedule that is the NFL Scouting Combine.   Or so the prodigious running back from the University of Oregon and Lacey's Timberline High School thought.

Auburn's new spread offense brings a number of changes, especially for coach Steve Ensminger. The sixth-year assistant has expanded his duties from tight ends to inside receivers coach and added about five more players to his group. "I'm excited about it," said Ensminger. "I've enjoyed coaching tight ends and will still be coaching tight ends but it puts a new position on there and a few more people to coach.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – New West Virginia University wide receivers coach Lonnie Galloway has been involved with some outstanding football programs and he believes the challenge of working for a BCS conference school was just the next logical step in his coaching career.

In the weeks after Thanksgiving Break last year, Darryl Stonum finally decided to turn off his cell phone.   A senior at Dulles (Texas) High School at the time, Stonum received dozens of annoying, unwanted calls every day. But he wasn't being hounded by telemarketers or overbearing parents.   Pete Carroll, Urban Meyer and Nick Saban - some of the biggest coaches in college football - along with recruiting coordinators from countless marquee programs across the country flooded his inbox with messages after former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr retired.  

The 2007 college football season is barely two months behind us, but spring practice, believe it or not, is already upon us.   Texas kicks off the spring practice schedule on Friday. Miami, Mississippi State, Stanford and defending national champion LSU are among the teams that begin practicing next week.