Today's Tidbit... Slowing The Pass Rush With A Shovel
TCU's Dutch Meyer was a fan of behind-the-line passes, both screen and shovel varieties. His 1952 Spread Formation Football includes two versions of the screen pass, and seven shovel passes, so it's worth looking at one of his shovel passes that helped TCU win the 1939 Sugar Bowl.
Meyer had a heckuva team in 1938, as they finished 11-0 and had three first-round picks in the ten-team 1939 NFL draft. Quarterback Davey O'Brien was picked fourth by the Eagles, with center Ki Aldrich going #1 and tackle I. B. Hale going #8. Their opponent, Carnegie Tech, had one of the top teams in the East, entering the Sugar Bowl at 7-1, having lost to #5 Notre Dame 7-0 and beaten #1 Pitt 20-10.
In the first Sugar Bowl played in dry conditions, the pass-happy Horned Frogs as Carnegie Tech outrushed TCU 149 to 148, while TCU held the advantage in passing 225-59. Despite TCU punting only once, the Tartans' red zone defense allowed them to keep the game close.
After playing an uneventful first quarter, both teams inserted their second teams to begin the second quarter. TCU soon benefitted from a second-team coffin corner punt that left Carnegie Tech on its 6-yard line. A few minutes later, TCU got the ball back at the 48, running 11 plays before scoring on a one-yard run to take a 6-0 lead.
Not too long after that, TCU trailed for the first time during the season when Carnegie Tech scored on a 37-yard pass play and kicked goal to take a 7-6 lead that lasted into the third quarter.
In their first possession of the second half, TCU went 80 yards in five plays, with the fifth being a pass over the middle with a missed tackle by the Tartan safety that yielded a 43-yard touchdown.
As one of the first high-volume passing teams, TCU gained most of its yardage via downfield passing, completing 17 of 28 passes overall. However, teams that pass frequently must find ways to slow the pass rush, and since the draw play did not yet exist, TCU used shovel passes to slow defensive lines. While completing 5 of 8 shovel passes for 31 yards did not pad the stats, the play caused Carnegie Tech to hesitate when rushing Davey O'Brien.
Later, O'Brien booted a nine-yard field goal with 7 minutes left in the fourth quarter to seal the game for the Horned Frogs, ultimately earning them the title of the nation's top football team.
Football Archaeology is reader-supported. Click here to buy one of my books or otherwise support the site.
Great write up on this legendary TCU team, their coach and his concepts!