As we mentioned yesterday, Brian Kelly announced that the Notre Dame offense would play both Everett Golson and Malik Zaire in the Music City Bowl against LSU. Yes, the dreaded two QB system is here and Kelly didn’t completely rule out using it next year either.
I’m not overly keen on the idea. The whole “if you have two QBs, you don’t have one” has rung true more often than not. Despite that mantra, there are still examples of teams that have pulled it off with varying degrees of success.
In my mind, there are four ways this could go down. Let’s take a look at each one and examples of success, if any, such a method has provided.
1) Alternation
Whether it is switching off every series or even every quarter, this is one of the more obvious ways to get two QBs playing time. However, I honestly can’t think of a single team that managed to pull this off with any success. This is what you do in a spring game or against a weak opponent at the start of the season to see which QB will eventually take the role.
The issue with alternating in this method is that no QB can really establish their own rhythm or really their place on the offense. If you succeed, congrats, have a seat on the bench. If you fail, head to the bench and stew on it for a series.
If Kelly goes this direction against LSU, in my opinion, he is 100% planning for 2015 and not really trying to win the football game. I just can’t see this working.
2) The Role Player
We’ve heard it before: the passing QB and the running QB. Many teams have actually run this kind of system and some have had loads of success, most notably Florida who won a national title in 2006 with a two-QB system of Chris Leak and Tim Tebow.
The running QB tends to have a totally separate package just for them. What can make this method especially deadly is that this running QB, unlike a wildcat RB, is still a passing threat. The moment a defense sells out for the run, there goes a pass (or jump pass) sailing (or floating) over their heads for a TD.
This is the method that I personally think Kelly is most likely to use. Zaire is clearly the better runner and his passing game, especially anything requiring touch, still needs a lot of work. On the other hand, Golson’s arm has been mostly money all season long; however, his running has been beyond suspect and still doesn’t have a handle on the zone read option.
3) The Relief Pitcher
While I doubt Kelly dips into this pool in the bowl game, this method is certainly in his bag of tricks and used it liberally in the 2012 undefeated regular season.
This is slightly different from having a role player as it is a true sub, but unlike alternating, Kelly made this sub depending on the game situation. More often than not, when Tommy Rees came in for Everett Golson, it was to close out a game, whether it was the two-minute drill against Purdue or practically the entire game against Michigan. Pitt was a notable exception here as Kelly required Golson to come back in and give the Irish the needed spark with his ability to extend plays to lead that comeback effort.
However, the 2012 situation was so unique. There was a clear physical talent difference between Golson and Rees with experience, pose, and pre-snap reads being the major benefits to having Tommy in. Because of that, I don’t think we will even see this in 2015 should Kelly stick with two QBs. Golson and Zaire are far more similar in skillset and Golson, to this point, hasn’t shown that he has made that classic upperclassman step in his decision-making and pre-snap reads.
4) The Crazy: Two QBs on the Field at Once
Before you think I’m out of my mind, this has been done before. Moreover, it actually worked and nearly helped major underdog, University of Louisiana-Monroe, upset Baylor in 2012 and actually upset a then top-ten Arkansas team that same year.
Now, ULM’s “Funroe” offense is a stroke of mad genius, but it works so well not just because of the two QBs on the field, but the kind of QBs on the field. As SBNation explains:
The secret to such a system is dexterity. Browning throws left-handed, Wells right-handed. Both quarterbacks run only to their throwing sides. And ULM head coach Todd Berry said that while both players appear to be making calls, the snap and read responsibilities are determined by which hash the ball is on; the left-handed QB snaps on the left hash, the righty on the right. For maximum effectiveness in personnel groupings as well as clarity for quick substitutions, all of ULM’s quarterbacks are trained at running back and wide receiver.
So in order to run this straight-up defense coordinator nightmare, you need both a right-handed and a left-handed QB. And guess what Notre Dame just happens to have on their roster?
Will this actually happen? Probably not. However, if BK just wants to go absolutely crazy and use a month of practice to pull out all the crazy stops, tossing this package in the game would be the most entertaining thing ever. Think of the talent that ULM was running this with. Now sub in ND’s roster.
Even LSU’s superb passing defense would have fits.
This is my new dream. I want to see this. I don’t care how gimmicky it is because I will enjoy every second of it, even if it blows up in the Irish’s face.
We just need a name for this–Double Domer? Double Barrel Shotgun? The Ultimate BK Troll? Let’s get weird.
- Epilogue - January 3, 2022
- HLS Podcast Finale - January 2, 2022
- The Final Fiesta: Notre Dame vs Oklahoma State NCAA ’14 Sim - December 31, 2021
jdthom1
So glad I checked your site today.
#1 I agree, going that route Kelly is not trying to win the game and he has to understand the importance of beating an SEC giant like LSU in terms of recruiting, forward momentum, etc. If it were Rutgers, maybe.
#2 Probably the route he goes but he has done that before with Rees/Hendrix and it didn’t work. The problem I think stems from the run game, which depends on a mobile QB regardless of who is taking snaps. With Golson in, defenses play the way they have since Purdue and don’t really acknowledge Golson as an option run threat, leaving a defender unblocked. Plus I’d like to see Zaire air it out more than he did against USC if he plays.
#3 Agree. Such a unique situation in 2012
#4 AGREE. I am rooting for this, at least for the bowl game. It solves the problem with the run game with Golson in the game I mention above and would be tons of fun to watch. I have thought the solution could be having Folston/McDaniel or Folston/Bryant in the backfield at once but this would be even better.
Irish Elvis
it’s a long-standing tradition that the most popular player is the backup quarterback. with the 2 QB situation, Brian Kelly may very well expose the flaws of Malik Zaire. WHY DO YOU HATE TRADITION, BRIAN
TERRY
I would be pleasantly surprised if LSU is held under 50 points.
They won’t be nice like USC and hold the score down – they will run up the score.
This whole thing is more and more like the emperor’s new clothes.
Ryan Ritter
Both QBs are going to be naked? I don’t follow.
Bayou Irish
Dammit, Ryan. That’s a duLac violation on top of everything. What happened was Terry, if that’s in fact his real name, just finished reading a collection of stories by H. C. Andersen and is applying one of those themes to our team: that Brian Kelly has been exposed as a sham, a fraud, a huckster, a charlatain. But seriously, if you look at our defense, even with the return of the guys we’re getting back, we’re going to be challenged to stop LSU’s running game. That said, LSU broke 40 three times, but only against teams that are arguably (a lot) worse than ND is now.
TERRY
1) It is my real name
2) I heard the story years ago. I’m not calling Kelly any of those names.
3) My point is this – just because this team has won the required 6 games which ‘entitle’ it to go a bowl game, after the Southern California embarrassment this team does not DESERVE to go to a bowl game – that has been my point all along .
In all the discussion I have seen about the upcoming game I do not recall one serious argument that this team deserves to go to a bowl game.
We’re ‘entitled’, therefore we go. That seems to be the new Notre Dame standard.
Irish Elvis
I’m just piecing some things together here…
1. less than 50, and within 25 points. So LSU 49, ND 24 is an acceptable bowl game score (notes for later)
2. The Emperor’s New Clothes are sponsored by Under Armour, and that’s quite a bit better than anything Adidas ever provided.
3. There may not be a good way to persuade any individual how to feel about a given team. Neither “entitlement” nor “deserving” enter into the decision process; a bowl game is the next game on the schedule. Michigan fans claimed to “deserve” a victory earlier this year due to bettering ND’s total yardage, which is silly because it’s points on the scoreboard that matter. Similarly, many fans felt ND was “entitled” to victory over FSU due to the controversial pass-interference penalty. Nevertheless, once that call was made, the teams proceed onward. ND plays a neutral site game every year — one might say we’re “entitled” to do so because of our independent status and national fan base; at its root, it’s a game on the schedule, so we play it because we’ve contracted to do so.
To take a longer view, eight of Notre Dame’s 2015 opponents have qualified for bowl games. None of them have passed up the opportunity for practice time or an additional game. I’d prefer for ND to stay off of a list that includes Temple, UMass, Wake Forest, and Virginia — next year’s opponents not attending bowl games.
TERRY
From Ryan’s previous post I have been arguing one thing and one thing only – this team does NOT deserve to go to a bowl game. The fact that by virtue of having won 6 games it is entitled to go to one is meaningless to me.
To repeat – I have not seen anyone make a serious argument that this team deserves to go to a bowl game. The ND administration could have refused a bowl invitation. Granted somewhere someone’s feathers would have been ruffled, but – feces occur.
Passing up some more practice time and an additional game – The defense is decimated and I wouldn’t be surprised to see more injuries during practices and in the game. With a beat up defense what can be accomplished in practice if they can’t go all out for fear of more injuries? I prefer to think of the team going home to be with their families at Christmas, then coming back to school in January.
During winter workouts – think of the humiliation, the embarrassment of the USC game, wherein the ND coach publicly thanked the SC coach for not making the score any worse. Then do a few extra curls, run a few extra laps, let that sit in your gut for a while – for 9 months. Don’t forget that the last NC came after a blowout loss to Texas A&M the year before. (Yes I know that was in a bowl game.)
Your point – “neither ‘entitlement’ nor ‘deserving’ enter into the decision process” sums up our disagreement in a nutshell.
That’s where we differ – They DO enter into MY decision process.
Get it?
TERRY
Read the story and get back to me
Ryan Ritter
I watched the Disney movie. Does that work?