Spread Offense Official Website

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.

 

But after struggling with injuries including a redshirt year in 2006 to recover from a knee injury and dealing with a severely separated throwing shoulder early in the 2007 campaign, Johnson, mostly to preserve his health, became less of a threat on the ground and more of a traditional passert.

 

Though still able to hurt defenses on occasion with his legs, the Ute coaching staff was wary of exposing Johnson to excessive contact and potential injury by running him frequently. Subsequently, the quarterback run game that was a staple of the true spread attack was largely abandoned as Johnson became a passer, first and foremost.

 

To compensate, he Utes relied heavily on Matt Asiata running off a direct snap in what has been termed the “Wildcat” formation in football circles, as well as substituting speedster quarterback Corbin Louks for run plays to run from the quarterback position, something they weren’t willing to do with Johnson. It proved to be a successful formula that in tandem with a suffocating defense, paved the way to an undefeated season.

 

Now that Johnson has graduated, it looks as if we’ll be seeing more of the quarterback taking off in 2009. Both Louks and newcomers, JC transfer Terrance Cain and freshman Jordan Wynn, who are competing for the starting job at quarterback this season are ideal fits for the spread option attack in that both Louks and Cain are very comfortable running the football, while Wynn flourished in a similar system in high school.

 

None are as adept yet as Johnson throwing the football and the fact that they are very comparable skill wise in Kyle Whittingham’s eyes leads many to believe we’ll see a lot more production on the ground from Ute quarterbacks. The coaches will most likely be less concerned about injury with these three as they were with Johnson as each seem capable of starting and giving Utah more depth at QB then they’ve had the last few years.

 

From the wrinkles new offensive coordinator Dave Schramm has installed in the offense this spring, it looks like the Utes will be going downfield through the air a little less this season and playing to their new quarterbacks’ strengths, which is running the spread on the ground and attacking with the short passing game.

 

Utah’s corps of receivers including the talented playmakers Jereme Brooks and David Reed will be counted on to break tackles and turn those quick hitters into big gains.

 

Regardless of who comes out on top in the quarterback competition, Louks or Cain, expect to see more tucking the ball and taking off from the qb position this year at Rice-Eccles.