Tim Tebow... can there be too much of a good thing? Maybe. When Tim Tebow takes too much of the rushing load, the Gators have a losing record. There have been seven games in ’07 and ’08 when Tebow had more than 40 percent of the team’s carries. Gators have lost four of them.
On the other hand, in the most impressive wins of the Gators ’08 season (against LSU, Kentucky, and Georgia), Tebow averaged only 27.5 percent of the Gator’s carries.
Spreading the ball around to the Gator's amazing troop of playmakers has paid off with a trip to Atlanta for the SEC Championship and a realistic shot at the National Title.
Here are the stats on Tebow's percentage of carries:
2007
W KY (Tebow – 8; Team - 33; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 24.2% - W)
Troy (Tebow – 17; Team - 46; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 36.9% - W)
TN (Tebow – 18; Team - 46; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 39.1% - W)
Auburn (Tebow – 19; Team - 28; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 67.8% - L)
LSU (Tebow – 16; Team - 32; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 50.0% - L)
- B/R Ticket Guide
KY (Tebow – 20; Team - 37; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 54.1% - W)
GA (Tebow – 13; Team - 35; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 37.1% - L)
Vandy (Tebow – 6; Team - 36; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 16.6% - W)
SC (Tebow – 26; Team - 48; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 54.2% - W)
Fla At (Tebow – 11; Team - 31; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 35.4% -W)
FSU (Tebow – 13; Team - 38; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 34.2% -W)
Mich (Tebow – 16; Team - 32; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 50% - L)
2008
Hawaii (Tebow – 9; Team - 38; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 23.6% -W)
Miami (Tebow – 13; Team - 27; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 48.1% - W)
Tenn (Tebow – 12; Team - 35; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 30.7% - W)
Miss (Tebow – 15; Team - 35; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 42.9% - L)
Ark (Tebow – 12; Team - 38; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 31.6% - W)
LSU (Tebow – 12; Team - 41; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 29.3% - W)
KY (Tebow – 9; Team - 41; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 21.9% - W)
Georgia (Tebow – 12; Team - 38; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 31.5% - W)
Vandy (Tebow – 11; Team - 38; - Tebow’s % of Gator carries – 28.9% - W)
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about 1 month ago
Interesting idea. Don't see that as a strong correlation, but agree with the principle of multiple threats being more effective.
from about 1 month ago
My basic premise is that when Tebow's carries exceed 35%, the offense starts becoming predictable... at 35%+, opposing defensive coordinators start to see the two-man (Tebow-Harvin) offense coming at 'em from a mile away... like British Redcoats in the Revolutionary war. Sure, the two-man can beat the average teams, but not the elite teams.
An extreme example would be the '07 Auburn loss. Tebow had 67.8% of the carries, and Harvin had 14.2%... 82% of the carries between them. The DC's don't need to be rocket scientists to game plan for that two-man O. In the '08 Ole Miss game, Tebow/Harvin had 71% of the team carries... they crushed Tebow and contained Harvin. SEC DC's ain't dummies... they've figured out the two-man.
In the '08 LSU game, we see the opposite extreme... Tebow/Harvin accounted for 36% of the carries, and Demps, Rainey, James, and Moore combined for 64%. Tebow still had 12 carries, which is about right for a Spread Option QB. The balanced O in that game would score 50+ on any college D in the last ten years.
The BG/Utah Spread Option is the most explosive offense in college football. The Mullen two-man? Well, it kinda sucks.
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