Florida Gators
Gator Fall Classic (Day 2)
Weis offers insight into his philosophy of using running backs as receivers
Thursday, September 22, 2011 | Football, Women's Tennis, Scott Carter
Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps lead the Gators in rushing after three games. That's about as surprising as the Gators running out of the tunnel wearing orange helmets.
Rainey and Demps also lead the team in receiving. Some seem surprised at that with new offensive coordinator Charlie Weis calling the plays.
They shouldn't be. In each of Weis' five seasons as New England's offensive coordinator, eight players caught a touchdown pass. In his final three seasons in New England from 2002-04, six players caught 25 or more passes each season.
Weis loves to spread the ball around and the running backs are often the quarterback's favorite target. A year ago in Kansas City, the tailback tandem of Jamaal Charles (45) and Thomas Jones (14) combined for 59 receptions. Rainey (11) and Demps (8) have combined for 19 through three games, putting them on pace for 76 receptions during the regular season.
Many of those receptions have come after quarterback John Brantley has looked downfield for a receiver and then checked down to either Rainey or Demps out of the backfield.
“We'll keep taking those shorter routes as long as they want to keep giving them to us, until they start coming up and playing those and then being able to go deeper,'' Brantley said. “Every play you want to get a profit. You don't want to lose yardage.''
During a speech right before fall camp opened at an Ocala Gator Club meeting, someone asked Weis how often he would call plays to throw the ball to Rainey and Demps in his pro-style offense.
“A lot, a lot and an awful lot,'' Weis said. “You want me to say it again.''
Weis shared some of his philosophy on Tuesday, recalling a talk he once had with former New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms when Weis was on Bill Parcells' staff.
“He told me the difference between throwing for 3,000 yards in the NFL and throwing for 4,000 yards was check down and flare control,'' Weis said. “And that always stuck with me. Everywhere I've always gone, I always try to get these quarterbacks to have a clock in their head. Read it downfield, but when that clock ticks, dump the ball off.
“There's a lot of times a receiver will come open just after he dumped the ball off and everyone will say, 'I was wide open.' That's OK with me because of that clock in your head. 'Boom, boom, boom, boom, gone.' That's one of the ways you avoid having a whole bunch of sacks.”
