Oregon offense INNOVATION: OREGON’S HURRY-UP SCHEME
Coach Chip Kelly became a near-instant sensation at Oregon as his quirky version of the spread offense proved virtually unstoppable—with Kelly as offensive coordinator in 2007-08 and, especially, as head coach beginning in 2009. In 2010, the Ducks led the nation in scoring (47 points per game) and total offense (530.7 yards per game). Oregon’s version of the system is a run-fi rst attack that spreads the defense not so much to isolate overmatched defensive backs, but to unclutter the middle of the fi eld for speedy backs such as LaMi- chael James. Kelly also has proven to be a master of cat-and-mouse, running the same play from mul- tiple formations and fi ne-tuning his zone-read run scheme to thwart the usual defensive adjustments. But what really sets the Ducks apart is their pacing. They like to spend as little as 13 seconds between plays, preventing defenses from getting their bearings, let alone substituting. To facilitate this hyper-speed, Kelly has devised a sideline play-calling system that, instead of the usual hand signals or player shuttles, employs a series of four-square placards with words and images that include everything from a map of New Hampshire to the king from Burger King ads. Oregon practices nearly as fast as it plays. The staff maps out each practice in fi ve-minute segments, and there is almost no downtime. If he had directed Gone With the Wind, Kelly jokes, his strategy would have been: “Get right to Atlanta, burn the buildings, and yell, ‘Time!’ ” And, yes, the world is taking notice. Dozens of eager high school coaches make pilgrimages to Kelly’s offi ce in Eugene during the last week of February each year.
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AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
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