fairfield_06
08-12-2005, 12:21 AM
Here are some pieces of an article form espn.com that people might of seen that show how the passing game in football has evolved. This is a talk with Louisville soph quaterback Brian Bhrom
"Suppose a guy throws for 2,700 yards, with 18 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, and completes 53 percent of his passes," I said. "Where would that get him with Bobby Petrino?"
"I think he'd be on the bench," Brohm said. "That wouldn't fly in this system. Efficiency is the name of the game."
Congratulations, Brian. You've just benched Jim Plunkett in his Heisman Trophy-winning season at Stanford in 1970 -- and done it justifiably
Plunkett deserved the hardware he won, but his career passer efficiency rating was an anachronistic 129. Brohm and Louisville starter Stefan LeFors had a combined efficiency rating of 174.4 in 2004, a number that led the nation. The Cardinals' QBs teamed up to complete 71.3 percent of their passes, with 27 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Offensive football steadily has metamorphosed from the Notre Dame box to the single wing to the wing T to the wishbone to the I formation to the run and shoot to the West Coast to the spread, with countless other variations and mutations along the way. Where next, nobody knows. But for today, it's more important than ever to throw the ball -- not just frequently, but efficiently. High completion percentages and low interception totals are the modern imperatives.
Popular football theory says the running game is paramount, but look at the NCAA numbers from 2004. The top seven teams in passing efficiency had an average record of 11-1 and six were ranked in the final Top 25 -- five in the top 10. The top seven teams in rushing yardage had an average record of 7-4, and only four of them were ranked in the final Top 25 -- one in the top 10.
Archie Manning was a folk hero at Mississippi, throwing for 4,753 career yards with 31 touchdowns and 40 interceptions, and completing 53 percent of his passes from 1968-70. His sons, Peyton and Eli, dwarfed daddy. Peyton threw for 11,201 yards with 89 TDs and 33 picks, completing 63 percent. Eli threw for 10,119 yards with 81 TDs and 35 interceptions, completing 61 percent.
The same year Plunkett won the Heisman and Archie Manning finished third, Kansas State quarterback Lynn Dickey finished 10th in the voting -- while throwing an ungodly 28 interceptions with just seven TD passes. A quarterback would be busted down to the scout team before reaching such an interception total today. Nobody threw more than 19 picks in all of Division I-A last year, much less anyone who finished in the Heisman top 10.
How many Notre Dame fans have been dreaming of the Saturday when Brady Quinn starts playing like Joe Montana? Statistically, he's playing better than Joe ever did in a gold helmet. Quinn has 26 career touchdown passes and 25 interceptions in two years; Montana had 25 of each in his entire Notre Dame career. Quinn has thrown for 4,417 career yards; Montana threw for 4,121.
I know a lot of people have already seen this but I just find it crazy about how much things have changed.
"Suppose a guy throws for 2,700 yards, with 18 touchdowns and 18 interceptions, and completes 53 percent of his passes," I said. "Where would that get him with Bobby Petrino?"
"I think he'd be on the bench," Brohm said. "That wouldn't fly in this system. Efficiency is the name of the game."
Congratulations, Brian. You've just benched Jim Plunkett in his Heisman Trophy-winning season at Stanford in 1970 -- and done it justifiably
Plunkett deserved the hardware he won, but his career passer efficiency rating was an anachronistic 129. Brohm and Louisville starter Stefan LeFors had a combined efficiency rating of 174.4 in 2004, a number that led the nation. The Cardinals' QBs teamed up to complete 71.3 percent of their passes, with 27 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Offensive football steadily has metamorphosed from the Notre Dame box to the single wing to the wing T to the wishbone to the I formation to the run and shoot to the West Coast to the spread, with countless other variations and mutations along the way. Where next, nobody knows. But for today, it's more important than ever to throw the ball -- not just frequently, but efficiently. High completion percentages and low interception totals are the modern imperatives.
Popular football theory says the running game is paramount, but look at the NCAA numbers from 2004. The top seven teams in passing efficiency had an average record of 11-1 and six were ranked in the final Top 25 -- five in the top 10. The top seven teams in rushing yardage had an average record of 7-4, and only four of them were ranked in the final Top 25 -- one in the top 10.
Archie Manning was a folk hero at Mississippi, throwing for 4,753 career yards with 31 touchdowns and 40 interceptions, and completing 53 percent of his passes from 1968-70. His sons, Peyton and Eli, dwarfed daddy. Peyton threw for 11,201 yards with 89 TDs and 33 picks, completing 63 percent. Eli threw for 10,119 yards with 81 TDs and 35 interceptions, completing 61 percent.
The same year Plunkett won the Heisman and Archie Manning finished third, Kansas State quarterback Lynn Dickey finished 10th in the voting -- while throwing an ungodly 28 interceptions with just seven TD passes. A quarterback would be busted down to the scout team before reaching such an interception total today. Nobody threw more than 19 picks in all of Division I-A last year, much less anyone who finished in the Heisman top 10.
How many Notre Dame fans have been dreaming of the Saturday when Brady Quinn starts playing like Joe Montana? Statistically, he's playing better than Joe ever did in a gold helmet. Quinn has 26 career touchdown passes and 25 interceptions in two years; Montana had 25 of each in his entire Notre Dame career. Quinn has thrown for 4,417 career yards; Montana threw for 4,121.
I know a lot of people have already seen this but I just find it crazy about how much things have changed.