Hawaii vs. New England?

Question

Everybody always rips Colt Brennan and Hawaii because they pass the ball every single play and everyone says that Coach June Jones' style wouldn't work in the NFL. Brennan gets no accolades for his gaudy stats, and Hawaii gets no respect even though they are undefeated.

Well it seems to me that New England's offense is almost identical nowadays, pass the ball every damn play, half the time don't even put a running back in the backfield. Heck, Maroney didn't even have a carry till midway throughout the third quarter last night. And yet New England's offense is considered the greatest thing since slice bread and people talk about Tom Brady like he's God.

It seems to be that people can't claim both. How can people claim Hawaii's offense wouldn't work in the NFL, when the NFL's best offense is nearly identical? How can people rip Colt Brennan when he runs the same offense as Tom Brady and has gaudy number similar to Brady's? Which way is it?

Thanks,
Kevin

Note:
1. I'm not asking who would win a game between New England and Hawaii.
2. Timmy Chang was one of my favorite players and I was hoping he'd at least make the NFL, but I knew his chances were limited. To compare Brennan to Chang is like comparing Bill Gates to a homeless person.
3. I'm not saying June Jones' offense can work with any personel. I'm just saying that it could work with the right personel. Last time I checked Jeff George was not considered a good QB.

4. How can Brennan simply be disregarded as the product of a spread offense and not even be invited to the Heisman cerimonies in world where Eric Crouch and Troy Smith won the Heisman? It's ridiculous. It would be like if people said Brady should go to the Pro Bowl because he's just the product of NE's spread offense.

Answer 1

People are reading your question and they think you mean who would win a game between New England and Hawaii.

This illiteracy rate is out of control!

But in all seriousness New England is the only team in the NFL capable of using shotgun and spread formations as much as they do. I see the similarities and the points in your argument, but NE is so far and away from anything Hawaii does or is capable of doing, even in translation to the college game, that its really no comparison.

Hawaii's offense is much closer to Texas Tech or even Florida's if Florida didn't have a fullback playing under center (Tebow), and look how much respect those teams get. Hawaii should probably be in the title game, or they should at least have been given the chance by voters. But to say that Jones' style would work in the NFL is going a little far.

Brennan should be a Heisman candidate, though. System or no, he's tearing apart anyone he plays. And didn't Ty Detmer win the Heisman after he set the NCAA passing mark? And didn't Ron Dayne and Ricky Williams each get the Heisman after they broke the rushing mark? So why are we shutting out Colt?

Answer 2

5Kids should get the 10 points...Thank God someone can read a question!

Here's my answer (U.H. alum and fan for over 20 years):

I would agree that New England's offense is very similar to U.H.. and that Coach Jones's offense, with a little tweaking, would work in the NFL, as it essentially follows the same philosophy as the Pats' offense.

The Patriots work a lot of mismatches....similar to what Indy did before all of their injuries at WR. Both will many times spread the field with 4 wideouts then run the ball up the middle with either Maroney or Addai. Both will often put 2 TE's in on short yardage situations, and either pass to them on a mismatch vs. a smaller DB or simply run the ball if the linebackers back off the line of scrimmage.

Coach Jones's offense utilizes many of the same principles (just without any TEs). Watch the games, and whenever the defense puts a 5th DB in, you'll more than likely see the shovel pass to the RB or the WR screen--Hawaii's version of a running game, to keep defensive secondaries honest.

To compare Colt Brennan and Timmy Chang is ignorant....anyone who actually watches U.H. games rather than the ticker on ESPN knows that the two QBs are worlds apart. I'd like to see how Brennan does in the NFL as well. The popular argument is that Brennan is a "system QB". I don't get how people who haven't seen him play on a regular basis can immediately use that to proclaim him a bust. Dude is a playmaker and has pinpoint accuracy. Time will tell...

Answer 3

The offense won't work in the NFL because Hawaii's coach June Jones was once a head coach in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons using the exact same offense.

His record during his tenure = 19-29.

In addition, he got into a highly publicized confrontation with his QB at the time, Jeff George.

Before this year, New England's offense was one of the more balanced offenses in the league and consistently had a 50:50 run:pass ratio. Even this year, the run:pass ratio has only increased to 45:55 as opposed to Hawaii's run:pass ratio of 25:75. The main reason for the increase is the addition of Randy Moss. Any offense coordinator with Moss will do what is necessary to maximize his potential so the Patriots are throwing more passes this year.

During Jones' tenure with the Atlanta Falcons, he had a few solid wide receivers: Terrance Mathis, Eric Metcalf, Bert Emanuel. However, no one came close to matching the abilities of Randy Moss. The Patriots are averaging 40 points a game this year which would be an all-time NFL record. From 1994-1996, the Falcons never finished higher than 11th in the NFL scoring.

The Patriots are also currently 7th in the NFL in rushing. If they actually focused on running the ball, they would be ranked higher than 7th. The best June Jones' Falcons finished in total rushing offense was 27th out of 30 despite having Craid Ironhead Heyward (Rest in Peace) in the backfield.

What I really want to see is Urban Meyer try to bring his spread option offense into the NFL. I'm pretty sure it won't work given the speed of NFL defenses, but it's worth the price of admission.

Answer 4

New England 84, Hawaii 0

I'm LITERALLY just back from a trip to see Hawaii beat Boise St. and they're a fine team... but to compare them to a NFL team is simply not to understand the difference in talent between college and the pros, and while I have tremendous respect for what Colt Brennan has accomplished this season, to compare him with Tom Brady is nuts.

Now I don't think Brady is the most physically gifted QB in the league, but he's a lot like Joe Montana in that he gets the most out of teams that are already pretty damn good. Whould the Patriots be undefeated w/out Brady? Unlikely... but they would still be a strong playoff team with guys like Rivers or Hasselbeck at the helm.

Answer 5

I've never really heard of people ripping the offensive style Hawaii has but I have just heard that Colt Brennan is in a systematic offense and he will be a bust in the NFL. New England has been using the empty back field shotgun look a lot this year very sucessfully obviously. Seeing as how the NFL is a copy-cat league, maybe more teams will start using it and thus create systematic QB's who will suck anywhere else they play. By the way i hate the f n patriots.

Answer 6

i think Colt Brennan is gonna be a special player in the NFL. no doubt in my mind. i have a feeling Brohm is going to be a bust, i just don't get drawn into this guy. Dixon will also do incredible things as he has the pass first, run second mentality, and when he does run, he's unstopable. Brennan proved he can pass 60 times a game. if you can pass the ball 50+ times a game and be efficient without a running game, you are carrying your team. Brennan is doing that now, and he will do that in the NFL. mark my words. you do what you do best. in Hawaii's case, it's pass the ball. the Packers and Patriots both find passing the ball to be more effective as they recognize the depth at that position. the same goes for Brennan. i think Hawaii is a great team, and yet again i'm going to be dissapointed in the BCS for wondering what the best team is.

Answer 7

Being one dimensional in the NFL is not a recipe for success. It works in college football because many college defenses aren't nearly as talented or well coached as in the NFL. This is evident by the scores in NFL games compared to those in college. It's not that uncommon to see college scores like 35-42 or 65-34 on a weekly basis, but, the Patriots aside, you don't see that very often in the NFL. So you can't really compare college playcalling to the NFL. They're two totally different beasts.

Sunday night's game was, in my opinion, a clear example of why passing too often isn't good. While New Enlgand and Brady racked up a lot of yards, he only threw for one touchdown. Take away Samuel's interception return and they would have lost the game. When you let a defense know what plays you're going to call, it just makes their job that much easier.

Football is a game of strategy and letting your opponent know what you're going to do isn't smart at all.

Answer 8

Almost every player on the Patriots offense and defense has been drafted and they are the absolute best, the cream of the crop.

The speed of New England's defense would have Hawaii's head spinning. Brennan would be hit on every play.

Also, June Jones coached in the NFL. Didn't work out too well, as I recall.

Answer 9

Passing that much is good only if your team can execute at the level that the Patriots have. Historically, no team has executed the percentages that they have so far, and certainly, there are not many college teams that can execute quite like that. The Patriots really are an exception to the rules. The difference IS that when the Passing games gets a little roughed up, the Patriots have a pretty solid running game to back it up. Hawaii doesn't have quite the same two sided attack.

Answer 10

That Chang kid looked pretty good in college too, so where is he now? Its not too hard to look good against the mountain west! You need to beat Lousiana Tech by more than a last second field goal to start comparing yourself to New England! Dont even get me started on that San Jose ST game.