FireChuckLandon.com- Believe the hype!

When we last left our favorite cheap-suit wearin’ scribe, he was connecting the Virginia Tech-Marshall game to Rich Rodriguez and WVU. That went over well.

This week? He is attempting to downplay Dana Holgorsen’s Air Raid offense. He says it’s EVERYWHERE in Conference USA! Everywhere, I tell ya! It’s commonplace!

Join us for a little bit of fun with Cheap Suit Chucky, won’t you?

Chuck Landon: Holgorsen’s new offense not so fresh in C-USA

New WVU coach Dana Holgorsen’s offense is cutting-edge football technology, right?
According to most reports, it is.

Opposing teams have never seen the like and have virtually no chance of stopping it, right?
Most opposing teams haven’t that are on WVU’s schedule, idiot.

Holgorsen is a football genius who puts the “Y” into X’s and O’s, right?
WTF does “Y” mean?

Not exactly.
Guhhhhhhhhhh!?

There are some misconceptions about the Mountaineers’ new offense heading into the soldout season opener against arch-rival Marshall at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in Morgantown.
Misconception #1- Marshall stands a chance against WVU.

Granted, Holgorsen’s offense will be a breath of unconventional fresh air in the stuffy Big East. But by wide-open Conference USA standards? It’s merely more of the same.
“Wide open” as in anybody can win the little ole Conference USA… right, UCF?

From Houston to East Carolina to Tulsa to Southern Miss, Marshall faces this sort of offense on a regular basis.
Right, Omar Brown?

“I mean, the offense he’s running is the exact same offense we’ve been going against since I’ve been here,” said the senior free safety. “It’s like basketball on grass, pretty much.
Yet, you all still can’t stop it.

“He brought it to West Virginia now.  But in our conference, that’s what most of the teams do.”

In C-USA, it’s the norm.

“Exactly,” said Brown. “I mean, they spread everybody out and they just get the ball on the outside perimeter. It’s nothing unique from our perspective.”
Yet, Holliday’s “Prevent” defense won’t be able to stop it on Sunday.

There are some differences, however. For example, Holgorsen employs a fullback, who often runs misdirection blocking routes, and his backfield lines up in the “Pistol” formation with a tailback behind the quarterback, who isn’t under center.
“Chalk Talk with Cheap Suit Chucky?” Time to patent that one! YOU CAN’T USE IT, LANDON!

Holgorsen’s offense also is more run/pass balanced than fans expect.
K

Just ask Chris Rippon.
For all of your football sources, go to any Marshall coach. Don’t bother to do any research yourself!

“Houston and East Carolina are more the old school really wide splits, throw the ball every single time,” said Marshall’s defensive coordinator. “What Holgorsen did at Oklahoma State and what we are expecting to see from West Virginia is incorporating more run.”
Yet, a strong emphasis has been put on the passing game.

So, it’s not really a pass-happy offense?

“No,” replied Rippon, “but they get big yards because there are a lot of one-on-one situations. If their guy is better than yours, then he’s going to make the play.
So says the Moo-U assistant coach.

“They are more of a horizontal passing game than vertical. They’re going to put a guy on the hash mark, a guy in the middle of the field, a guy on the numbers, a guy on the sideline and put him in grass. Find a space in grass where somebody’s not and we’re going to get you the ball and, now, you turn and get a mismatch or, at least, some yardage.
“So, they present the problem of expanding your zone coverage because they sitdown and throw it shorter. But with the run game we saw at Oklahoma State, you are caught in that bind.”

Long story short, Marshall’s defense can’t sell-out to the pass.
And they won’t sell out to make their athletic department money… Marshall likes being poor and relying on the government for cash.

“No, we can’t,” said Rippon. “And nor can we over-commit to the run. Ultimately, we still want to be able to control the run game. In most aspects if you can control the run game, then the pass game? You contain that.”

So, facing WVU isn’t that much different than playing most opponents. The first priority still is stopping the run.
“Stop the run and contain the big play,” said Rippon. “Don’t let them get behind you in the coverage. Make them earn it. Get them on the ground. Make them do it again. Maybe they drop the ball or maybe you get a sack. That’s what we’re looking for.”
This isn’t the teams of Bill Stewart, Rich Rodriguez and Don Nehlen. Those days are over, you idiots.

Will WVU complete passes? Yes. Will it break off some runs? Yes. Will MU’s defense bleed some yardage? Yes.
Bleeding… there will be plenty of that on Sunday.

But not because it’s cutting edge.
Cutting edge? Bleeding? CHUCK HAS GONE EMO!!!!

Don’t believe the hype.
Such a debbie-downer, aren’t you, Landon? You’re just scared of the inevitable.