West Coast Offense Success at Auburn

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Posted 5:01AM on Friday, December 31, 2004

NEW ORLEANS (AP) - The wishbone came and went. The veer fell out of favor. The run-and-shoot had its day in the sun, only to fade away. Al Borges doesn't expect the West Coast offense to become a relic of football history. "I don't think this offense will ever die," Auburn's offensive coordinator said Thursday, taking a break from Sugar Bowl preparations. "There will always be someone running some version of it." The third-ranked Tigers are sure glad they switched to the offense that was developed by Bill Walsh in the late 1960s, a scheme centered around short passes and precisely timed routes. On the way to Auburn (12-0) winning its first Southeastern Conference championship in 15 years, Jason Campbell completed nearly 70 percent of his throws, while Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown formed a dynamic alliance in the backfield. Borges, who joined Tommy Tuberville's staff before the season, has been hailed as a genius for turning the Tigers into an offensive powerhouse. But he's been doing this for years, becoming a convert to the West Coast philosophy as a high school coach in Salinas, Calif., in 1977 - the same year Walsh was hired as the coach at nearby Stanford. "We were running the wishbone, and I wanted to know how to throw the ball," Borges recalled. "So I went to see Bill Walsh. He wasn't the big name he is today." Campbell, who had endured an up-and-down career at Auburn, was thrilled when Borges was hired. The quarterback would get to spend his senior season in the offense of choice for those hoping to advance to the NFL. Nearly two-thirds of the teams that play on Sunday run some version of the West Coast. "I heard about it all the time," Campbell said. "I knew it was a fun offense to be in as a quarterback. I knew we would have the opportunity to be successful. Just working in that offense, with all the different formations and spreading the ball around, helps prepare you for the NFL." Not everyone runs a pure West Coast - if there is such a thing anymore - but most teams incorporate some aspects of the scheme into their offense. It certainly won't be anything new to No. 9 Virginia Tech (10-2), which faces the Tigers in Monday night's Sugar Bowl. "If you sit down and study it, everyone is running a version of it," said Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster. "We even run part of it. That term, West Coast offense, is thrown around too loosely nowadays." The West Coast has evolved over the past three decades, branching off in so many different directions that it defies a definitive label. Just look around the NFL. Mike Shanahan altered the blocking schemes and incorporated the shotgun in Denver's version. Up in Seattle, Mike Holmgren put more emphasis on screen passes. Atlanta's version of the offense takes into account the unique running skills of quarterback Michael Vick. To Borges, that flexibility is at the core of the West Coast's success - and, ultimately, its staying power. "It's the rage because of its diversity," he said. "The run-and-shoot, the wishbone - they all come and go. But this thing isn't going to fade away. If anything, it's gaining steam." The West Coast produced another success story in Auburn. Tuberville wanted to ensure that both Williams and Brown - each with a 1,000-yard rushing season on his resume - would play an integral role in the offense. Both had decided to return to Auburn for their senior season, skipping the chance to enter the NFL draft. Borges went to work, coming up with ways to use Williams and Brown in a variety of roles. He wasn't concerned with how many carries they got, but did want them to touch the ball as much as possible. That meant key roles for both in the passing game. That meant Williams would become the team's primary punt returner. "It definitely opened up a lot for our offense," Brown said. Indeed, the results were spectacular. Williams was named to the All-Southeastern Conference team as both a running back and returner. Brown rushed for 845 yards and caught 34 passes - more receptions than he had in his first four years at Auburn combined. Campbell thrived as well. He was the SEC's offensive player of the year, setting career highs with 19 touchdown passes and 2,511 yards passing. He had only six interceptions. "What they do best is get it to their playmakers, and that's their running backs," Foster said. "But they also can lull you to sleep, then hit you deep." The defensive coordinator has looked at plenty of film on West Coast-style teams, giving him an idea of what Virginia Tech will have to do in the Sugar Bowl. Auburn certainly prevents a daunting challenge, having been held under 20 points only once this season. "You've got to keep this thing dink, dink, dink. Then the offense gets impatient," Foster said. "If they have to start throwing the ball down the field, that's something they're not accustomed to."