The Spread: College Football’s Sexy Offense

Paul M. Banks a.k.a. The Sports Bank

These days, the Spread-Option system is the offense of choice in college football. The last three Champions (LSU, Florida and Texas) all run a version of it, as does a new front-runner for this year’s crystal football trophy, #5 Missouri. The trendy approach is utilized by programs all across the nation, but is also especially prevalent within the Big 10. Both local teams -Illinois and Northwestern- use it; NU even fittingly (and coincidentally) has the phrase “Spread far the fame” in their fight song. Senior skill position players Quarterback C.J. Bacher and Running Back Tyrell Sutton have worked the system productively enough to put themselves on pace to shatter most of the school career rushing and passing records and lead the Wildcats to a 3-0 start. I saw them work the spread on a day when all the elements: steady down pours complementing 96% humidity, did not favor prolific offensive production. The paid attendance was 19,000, but only the die-hards showed up to see NU give Southern Illinois “Purple Nurple,” beating the Salukis 33-7.

The weather was so bad that the dance team had just four “Lady Cats” and the student section numbered less than 100. Luckily, I was comfortably dry in the press box after a commute that required a Wisconsin Dells “Duck” vehicle instead of a car. Flooded roads all over the northern metropolitan area may have halted motorists, but Sutton (17-101, 3 TDs) and Bacher (21-29 passing, 0 INT) had no problem reaching their destinations. “We had the advantage of having some recent experience in conditions like this, and I don’t think it affected us much at all on offense,” Bacher said post-game. “For us to practice wet-ball drills this week was a great advantage for our team,” Sutton added.

Northwestern’s brand of the spread-option relies on a no-huddle and varying the speed that they get the ball off the line of scrimmage. “We know a lot of teams can’t keep up so we try to wear them out during the first series, first quarter, first half and try to play as fast as we can because we condition for it every day. We know a lot of teams aren’t conditioned to come out with the juices flowing, and we try to control the tempo and push the tempo as fast we can,” Sutton added.

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Cubbies of College Football

Paul M. Banks a.k.a. The Sports Bank

The media has certainly beaten a dead horse concerning the Cubs and 1908. But have you heard much about 1949? It’s the last time the Northwestern Wildcats won a postseason game. With college football bowl bids as plentiful as Amy Winehouse legal infractions these days, it’s quite a streak! Like the “Lovable Losers” in Wrigley Field, they’re another Chicago team that went through an embarrassingly LONG losing spell in the 60s, 70s and part of the 80s. However, in the last 25 years, both the ‘Cats (’05, ’03, ’00, ’96, ’95) and Cubbies (’07, ’03, ’98, ’89, ‘84) have been to the postseason a previously uncharacteristic 5 times!

Is this, the sixth trip, the breakthrough year for both? Many college football experts forecasted Northwestern to be 8-4 this season and their schedule certainly seems to be conducive to obtaining this mark. They looked impressive in week one, as their defense -a unit provoking much skepticism- held Syracuse to just 225 total yards. The Cats gained almost 500 yards of their own on the way to a 30-10 victory. Remember, Illinois went to the Rose Bowl at 9-3 last season, so an NU upset somewhere along the line could actually mean a BCS bid. No, Seriously! The Wildcats are coached by Pat Fitzgerald, a native of suburban Orland Park, and All-American Linebacker/National Defensive player of the year during his playing days at Northwestern. His teams won back-to-back Big Ten titles in 1995 and 1996.

Current star tailback Tyrell Sutton, a Doak Walker Award (best national collegiate running back) candidate, is on pace to become the school’s all-time leading rusher. That feat is quite impressive considering the school’s tailback tradition includes recent or current NFL backs Jason Wright, Damien Anderson, Noah Herron and Darnell Autry.

The final similarity they share with the Cubs is seeing their home field star on the silver screen. Universal Pictures shot the football scenes from the soon-to-be-released movie, “The Express” at Ryan Field. The movie profiles former Syracuse Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis, the first African American to win the prestigious award. Numerous films have featured the Friendly Confines.

You can hear my audio exclusives with Fitzgerald and Sutton, by following the hyper-linked text. They both address the program’s bowl game victory drought. For more Chicago sports analysis and talk go here.

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