The off-tackle is to Shaw what the 3rd-and-1 fade route is to Sark
Shaw runs what got him there Derek. He's never been shy about expressing it either. He fully believes in mano y mano. And i love his attitude and commitment to his running game. We would have lost one game, maybe, with him as our head coach. He might have bootlegged out on that run, but Sparty was ready for anything they ran. Shaw runs 5 fucking plays all game with a few twists and surprises. Second - guessing Shaw is chickenshit. He got to the rose bowl with those same 5 plays and variations. He doesn't go wacko and panic like Sark when he gets behind by 7.
I respect Shaw more than any coach in this conference (Carroll was similar), and it isn't close. He is so smooth as a head coach ( Sark is squatted down, pacing, shitting his panties). You'd prolly see a huge wet mess on Sark's khaki's where he shit his pants by being behind by 7, at any point because he freaked the fuck out being behind. Shaw just strolls the sidelines mellow, at all times.
SARK shit his britches during the Illinois game after 1 quarter, not trusting his running game or All American TE to pick up a first down and control t.o.p. (he didn't try either for fear of actually failing at both. He did this for 4 years. He was the worst TOP coach in the country. Mostly TOP fell in his lap. It wasn't his brilliant playcalling. Sark held this team back. This team wa s ready to spread it's wings. Sark just preferred to keep the ball from the opponent, rather than pummel opponents with A first round TE, 3 future NFL WR's, a future starting NFL tb, , a 5th year SR qb, and an OL amongst the best in the conference. Fuck that, let's get cute and not only confuse the other team, but confuse our own team with the sissy tempo bullshit.
Shaw would have loved to trade for ASJ, Sankey, k. SMITH, Kasen Williams, Stringfellow, Mickens, Dex Charles and traded cash for Riva and Hatchie (if forced to) He we have found serviceable the rest of our oline, BECAUSE THEY ARE QUALITY RUN BLOCKERS. I'd take our defense over Stanford so that's a bonus. In other words, If Shaw coached this team we could be in Pasadena. Stanford wasn't better than us, by any fucking means. Stanford ' s coach was just W A Y better than ours.