News Post

Running the Wildcat in NCAA Football 09

04:20 PM - July 30, 2008 by RaychelSnr

The Wildcat formation is one of the newest and most innovative offensive formations in college football. The University of Arkansas used the offense to near perfection with Running Back Darren McFadden at the helm. Unfortunately with the departure of coach Houston Nutt and McFadden, the Razorbacks no longer feature the offense in their playbook. However, three teams in NCAA Football do and our very own Noah Weber is here to take a look at the formation and how to run it to perfection. Check out his article Running the Wildcat in NCAA Football 09.

Quote:


	"Darren McFadden would line up at quarterback in a modified shotgun formation, a receiver would come in motion, and they would run any number of plays that involved snapping the ball directly to either McFadden or the motion back, and then running, passing, or both."

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Member Comments

# 1 Solidice @ 07/30/08 04:30 PM

i have notice that the ask corso feature will sometimes have that formation in it even if its not in your playbook. i have seen it with Texas Tech, Arkansas State, and UTEP while using their playbook. i don't use it for every down, but on 4th downs when it automatically uses it, and it wants to go for it, the wildcat formation plays would sometimes show up.

# 2 hogfan @ 07/30/08 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pike


	Nice read on how to execute the Wildhog offense (it was renamed after Malzahn left, not that Nutt had the right really...just sayin). However, you are incorrect to say this was a major reason for Arkansas remaining competitive in the SEC last year. We had the best player in the nation, one of the best O-lines, and a second 1st round pick behind McFadden in Felix Jones--that had more to do with our success the last 2 years than a 'gimmicky' offensive set. Basically, our run game was dominate (and if we had even a sliver of a pass offense, we'd have been a BCS team, but that's spilled milk.) The WildHog was part of that, but mostly a small part. You'd see it a few times a game. It was effective because of how little teams did see of it, and when it was laid on them they had little experience in how to handle it (what practice team player is going to really replicate what DMac is capable of?). It's curious too that the play is in the Ole Miss book. The Wildcat/hog was not Nutt's invention (he's nowhere near that imaginative) but Gus Malzahn's over at Tulsa. You won't see it at Ole Miss, simply because they have no one to run it. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a long time before we ever see it again, considering the talent that was required to make it effective. Sorry for the nitpick, but the article was great all the same.

Actually, they do have a version called the "Wild Rebel". They have smaller guy running it... WR or something(185 lbs).

# 3 allconsoles @ 07/31/08 03:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pike


	The 'WildRebel'? wow, had no idea to be honest! You have to love how Nutt has taken that idea as his own lol. I doubt it will work anyway near like it did with DMac, as the guy had a pretty decent arm to throw with. That's the key to this set--you have to make the D fear the pass just enough to give yourself some running room.

nowhere has it been said that nutt has taken the idea as his own that just like saying no other team can run the spread the wishbone etc unless they come up with it ow their own

# 4 o 99 PROBL3MS o @ 07/31/08 05:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pike


	The 'WildRebel'? wow, had no idea to be honest! You have to love how Nutt has taken that idea as his own lol. I doubt it will work anyway near like it did with DMac, as the guy had a pretty decent arm to throw with. That's the key to this set--you have to make the D fear the pass just enough to give yourself some running room.

I know you seem like a Nutt basher but I just would like to inform you of something....It was Gus' idea to run the "Wildcat" formation but he wanted to use Peyton Hillis as the QB in the formation.

It was Danny Nutt's idea to use Darren as the QB in the "Wildcat" formation. This comes from Darren himself so I know it to be fact. Lay off Nutt man. My goodness!

# 5 vexerr @ 07/31/08 11:28 AM

the wildcat is hidden in the TAMU playbook. its actually lumped in with another shotgun formation and when one of the wildcat plays is picked its as though its a completely different formation than the one its listed under, kinda weird.

# 6 Juice Malone @ 07/31/08 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vexerr


	the wildcat is hidden in the TAMU playbook. its actually lumped in with another shotgun formation and when one of the wildcat plays is picked its as though its a completely different formation than the one its listed under, kinda weird.

Thats just like maryland, who has some power I plays lumped in with their goaline set.

# 7 vexerr @ 07/31/08 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Juice Malone


	Thats just like maryland, who has some power I plays lumped in with their goaline set.

As with Cincinnati's goalline. (I think thats the playbook I am thinking of)

# 8 firespy93 @ 07/31/08 04:02 PM

Thats like South Carolina. They have those Emory and Henry plays in their ace big set

# 9 Psyblast @ 07/31/08 04:23 PM

Great read.

# 10 JRobizzle @ 01/06/09 04:45 AM

Has anyone noticed that not all of the Packages work. For instance, "QB Wideout" won't work at all.

# 11 Bad_Intentions @ 01/06/09 08:26 AM

I notice some times when I try to do the WR pass, it doesn't give me the passing icon to throw to the WR, thus rendering the play utterly useless.

# 12 seawolves9 @ 01/06/09 11:42 AM

Yeah, I haven't gotten the QB wideout package to work yet, after trying endlessly in practice. Either way, I haven't been able to effectively use this formation yet.

As for the guy who thought he was a genius about Nutt and was in love with Darren McFadden, and said the formation wouldn't work for anyone else. I think McCluster has done just as good a job as anyone could. Same with Ronnie Brown.

# 13 olemiss86 @ 01/06/09 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pike


	Nice read on how to execute the Wildhog offense (it was renamed after Malzahn left, not that Nutt had the right really...just sayin). However, you are incorrect to say this was a major reason for Arkansas remaining competitive in the SEC last year. We had the best player in the nation, one of the best O-lines, and a second 1st round pick behind McFadden in Felix Jones--that had more to do with our success the last 2 years than a 'gimmicky' offensive set. Basically, our run game was dominate (and if we had even a sliver of a pass offense, we'd have been a BCS team, but that's spilled milk.) The WildHog was part of that, but mostly a small part. You'd see it a few times a game. It was effective because of how little teams did see of it, and when it was laid on them they had little experience in how to handle it (what practice team player is going to really replicate what DMac is capable of?). It's curious too that the play is in the Ole Miss book. The Wildcat/hog was not Nutt's invention (he's nowhere near that imaginative) but Gus Malzahn's over at Tulsa. You won't see it at Ole Miss, simply because they have no one to run it. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a long time before we ever see it again, considering the talent that was required to make it effective. Sorry for the nitpick, but the article was great all the same.

That Wild Rebel worked really good this year with McCluster.

# 14 sccavs64 @ 01/07/09 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JRobizzle


	Has anyone noticed that not all of the Packages work. For instance, "QB Wideout" won't work at all.

yeah this does not work, think it subs you're qb with another wr. you can go into the depth chart and sub him in, but of course that takes forever and is annoying.

# 15 zoltan @ 01/07/09 09:56 PM

its also in utahs playbook hidden in some trips formation i think, but i know its in there........

haha its secretly in every playbook......

# 16 sccavs64 @ 01/07/09 11:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zoltan


	its also in utahs playbook hidden in some trips formation i think, but i know its in there........ haha its secretly in every playbook......

thats so weird. is it the wildcat entire playbook or just a few plays?

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Running the Wildcat in NCAA Football 09