Mike Leach and holding, and other fun facts.

by pleaseplaykindle on Apr 17, 2009 10:51 AM CDT Comment 11 comments

I was reading through this Michael Lewis (author of Moneyball, Blind Side, among others) about Mike Leach and his transformation of the offensive side of college football. Lewis tends to dramaticize things a bit, but still, this article is a pretty insightful look at the Tech offense, and Leach in general (he wants to start a student pirate army, for example).

Then, I got to page six, where Leach talks about Tech's play during the 2006 Texas Tech-Texas A&M game. Excerpt:

On another [play], a [TTU] touchdown was nullified by a holding call on the receiver Robert Johnson far away from the action. If you are the captain of a pirate ship, you cannot complain too much about lawless behavior - and Texas Tech is one of the most heavily penalized teams in college football - but still it's painful to watch a crew member drop treasure overboard. (Later, watching a videotape of the incident, Leach actually says, "Johnson's got to do a better job holding.")

I suppose its possible he means that he's got to do a better job by not holding, but I think this can be taken as read. Lewis' article's premise is that the genius of Leach is on the cusp of being discovered (as of 2006 anyways) and that his offense exploits inefficiencies in college football defenses. While I can't argue against that, maybe it would help out opposing defenses if, you know, penalties were called the way they're supposed to be.

That said, this a great read and worth a look.

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I can see it either way...

… but it’s hard to imagine a coach whose philosophy is to encourage holding. Additionally, everyone’s gripes last year were with holding on the line, not the receivers. I imagine that what Leach meant is that his receiver needs to get a better idea of the amount of contact that’s permissible between a CB and a WR.

by TXinDC on Apr 17, 2009 11:56 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Jake Long

was the number one pick, and he openly said even before he was drafted that he was good because he held and could hide it

Ian Johnson gets on one knee.
Sam Bradford gets on both.

by acho81 on Apr 18, 2009 5:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

It is a great article...

Leach makes the Big 12 more interesting, and that’s a good thing. Trying to find some hidden meaning out of quote from several years ago is a bit of a stretch though…

by the1austin on Apr 17, 2009 1:20 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

whats the phrase?

If you ain’t cheating, you’re not trying.

I’m sure football coaches talk about ways to maximize all sorts of situations without framing it as ‘cheat’.

by Blitzburgh on Apr 17, 2009 7:02 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The lone Leach quote I will remember

“Aw, yeah, the violence is awesome. That’s the best part.”

by bamfor on Apr 17, 2009 7:22 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Every Offense

and every play for that matter encourages holding because it happens on every play. There is a technique to holding and if your hands are not inside then you are holding incorrectly. That is what Coach Leach was talking about.

by LEMILES on Apr 18, 2009 8:43 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Correct...

As a left tackle a run-based offense, I was thought to hold correctly to block better….you are taught to hold inside, around the top of the numbers. If you watch a game at any level, look at the line and they do it almost every play. It’s when you grab the on the outside around the shoulders that holding is called.

by bignick573 on Apr 18, 2009 6:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Can't stomach a whole article

but I appreciate the excerpt.

I watched enough flagrant holding in our loss to TT last fall. How any coach can successfully brow-beat officials into looking the other way is beyond me. Sure, I’ve got sour grapes & we all have to live w/ that game in Lubbock last year. But my view is it created a false sense of TT prowess that harmed the league & TT had their pants pulled down on the nat’l stage when such flagrant calls were penalized. Unfortunately, that game created a false sense of some other school’s prowess.

by HalfmileHorn on Apr 18, 2009 10:52 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

if it is inside the frame of the defender's shoulders, i.e. the breastplate the shoulder pads

it is not holding

I’ve been told that by college officials, and yes, college coaches teach it that way.

I Am The 12th Man.com

by Beergut on Apr 21, 2009 3:41 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Beergut

you must be high again, sounds like your substance abuse problem is overwhelming you. Just think ‘when TT lines up to put the annual prison-rape, beat-down ’on your hapless aggys. You see, you can’t complain about their holding then & not now – get it? You’re an aggy, you ought to get it.

by HalfmileHorn on Apr 21, 2009 8:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The quote in question was made tongue planed firmly in cheek…Leach does that from time to time, you know.

Tech gets called for plenty of penalties. To actually think that Leach, or any coach, has the power to have a ref look the other way is absurd. ESPECIALLY given that Tech is one of the most penalized teams in country year in and year out. Texas didn’t lose to Tech because of holding, they lost because of Crabtree and Harrell. Likewise, Tech didn’t lose to Ole Miss because holding was called, they lost because Ole Miss was better.

by Tech92 on Apr 23, 2009 8:15 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs