If you are old enough to recall the early days of the Wishbone

[WoadBlue]

you may be interested to know that Steve Worster died.

Worster was the super FB for whom the Wishbone was largely designed. HC Royal and OC Bellard - lacking a QB who could pass at the top level - wanted an offense that would allow the amazing backfield depth to be used every down, and to start it with Worster. To this day any form of Wishbone must start with the handoff or fake to the FB up the middle. Though Worster was a super star and Texas was loaded at RB, the offense also required a QB who could run a nearly pass-free offense with the dexterity of a brilliant passing game QB. And the two best Wishbone QBs remain, I think, the first Longhorn to run it (James Street) and the first Sooner to run it (Jack Mildrin).

The QB must read the middle of the D in order to know whether to hand the ball to the FB or pull it and keep going down the OL, where the QB must read the DE and MLB and OLB and perhaps a DB or 2 in order to decide whether to pitch to the RB or turn upfield with the ball. The less the QB actually keeps the ball for a carry, the better the Wishbone is working. The QB running the ball is the last option in the Wishbone. The Wishbone is most dominant when the FB gets the ball more than any RB/HB - and that requires both a QB who reads the D quickly and correctly and an FB who is a terror up the middle as ball carrier and blocker.

 

[NBBears20124ACHAMPS]

you may be interested to know that Steve Worster died.

Worster was the super FB for whom the Wishbone was largely designed. HC Royal and OC Bellard - lacking a QB who could pass at the top level - wanted an offense that would allow the amazing backfield depth to be used every down, and to start it with Worster. To this day any form of Wishbone must start with the handoff or fake to the FB up the middle. Though Worster was a super star and Texas was loaded at RB, the offense also required a QB who could run a nearly pass-free offense with the dexterity of a brilliant passing game QB. And the two best Wishbone QBs remain, I think, the first Longhorn to run it (James Street) and the first Sooner to run it (Jack Mildrin).

The QB must read the middle of the D in order to know whether to hand the ball to the FB or pull it and keep going down the OL, where the QB must read the DE and MLB and OLB and perhaps a DB or 2 in order to decide whether to pitch to the RB or turn upfield with the ball. The less the QB actually keeps the ball for a carry, the better the Wishbone is working. The QB running the ball is the last option in the Wishbone. The Wishbone is most dominant when the FB gets the ball more than any RB/HB - and that requires both a QB who reads the D quickly and correctly and an FB who is a terror up the middle as ball carrier and blocker.

My high school runs to perfection here in the largest classification in NC. The QB, FB and 2-3 RB’s have the speed/vision to take it to the house every play. The only thing that stops them are fumbles (90% are unforced). Took awhile to get used to but it’s really fun to watch. Especially when you run it 20 straight times and then the RB runs a seam and catches the defense off balance for a long TD pass.

 

[WoadBlue]

My high school runs to perfection here in the largest classification in NC. The QB, FB and 2-3 RB’s have the speed/vision to take it to the house every play. The only thing that stops them are fumbles (90% are unforced). Took awhile to get used to but it’s really fun to watch. Especially when you run it 20 straight times and then the RB runs a seam and catches the defense off balance for a long TD pass.

Fumbles - the bane of OU wishbone offense. The one that I found the funniest was Sooners at Nebraska - I forget the year. One of those super Sooner HBs took the ball at the OU 5 and ran all the down the field and then fumbled at the Nebraska 5. He gained 90 yards on 1 play and then fumbled the ball away.

Fundamentals win and lose games.

OU mastered having somebody open every pass play. All Ds were 100% focused on stopping the stable of super runners, so if you got pass protection, a receiver would be WIDE open. OU had a TE named Keith Jackson that many NLF scouts thought was bound for the Hall of Fame because his yards per catch was so high. But that was not him - it was the fact that the OU wishbone meant he usually caught a pass with no defender within 10 yards.

 

[cralls]

Ran the bone in hs back in mid 70's. So much fun. Called my own plays in jv games in 10th grade. Wishbone right or left were my 2 calls lol.

 

[sammyk]

My high school runs to perfection here in the largest classification in NC. The QB, FB and 2-3 RB’s have the speed/vision to take it to the house every play. The only thing that stops them are fumbles (90% are unforced). Took awhile to get used to but it’s really fun to watch. Especially when you run it 20 straight times and then the RB runs a seam and catches the defense off balance for a long TD pass.

Best triple option coaches in NC high school and yes New Bern does a great job at it

Mickey Lineberger South Point
Tommy Pursley NE Guilford
Ryan Habich Watauga
Todd Shuping Grimsley