Lost amidst UCLA Bruins head coach DeShaun Foster’s “freeze heard around the world” at last week’s BIG-10 Media Day was poignant conversation from the likes of Ethan Garbers and J. Michael Sturdivant about the nuances of offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s new philosophy, approach, and scheme.
Here are three major takeaways from their commentary.
What UCLA Bruins Players Are Saying About Eric Bieniemy’s New Offense
Concepts Not Plays
Everybody spoke about how Bieniemy’s offense is predicated on brand-new language – one that has taken most of the spring and through the summer months to learn fluently. Players described a complexity of language that spoke to many variations one initial concept could take.
For as sophisticated an offensive mind as Chip Kelly was, he foundationally communicated his offense through more visual means, as evidenced by all the visual sideline posters teams all across the country had over the years in emulating his pace and space offense.
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When players described Bieniemy’s new style, it was eerily similar to how Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers players described Phil Jackson’s Triangle Offense, which was predicated on establishing axiomatic concepts on the court, where the individual player variation and creativity could work from.
That involved dissecting information in a new way linguistically – and also why most believed it took on the order of one year to fully master that offense.
While Jackson’s primary concept was floor balance, Bieniemy’s seems to be on defensive stress, and UCLA fans can only dream if the gutty Bruins have similar transcendent success.
Versatility
When hearing what the players had to say and then studying Bieniemy’s offense from his days at the Kansas City Chiefs to the Washington Commanders, the key thread is versatility. He’s as likely to line up in empty five-wide formations as he is in 11 (one running back, one tight end) or 22 (two running backs, two tight ends) personnel.
Bieniemy offenses are as likely to run zone schemes, as they are gap schemes or power. Furthermore, offensive linemen are equally likely to line up narrow split as they are wide split.
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Thus, the Bruin players who will be most successful under this new regime are the ones who can do multiple things well, have several skill sets, and demonstrate a willingness to expand their value.
Rico Flores, Keegan Jones, Spencer Holstege, and Sturdivant come to mind as players most likely to benefit from this approach.
Pass-Heavy
Bieniemy has never had a 1,000-yard rusher, nor a running back have a 200-carry season, and his quarterback with the Commanders last season, Sam Howell, led the NFL in pass attempts. Unlike Kelly, who predicated methodical directionality with his running game and usually relied on a lead back in every game, Bieniemy seems to favor a much more running-back-by-committee approach as a commoditized supplement to a frequent short passing game.
This coincides with Garbers speaking on the importance of Keegan Jones returning to the roster in the Spring after potentially transferring to UConn, and his expectations from the senior speedster as being “huge.”
It seems Bieniemy’s offense could even resemble that of the famous Joe Tiller – Purdue offenses of the early 2000s with Drew Brees as the signal caller. Those offenses were known as “basketball on grass.”
It will be fascinating to see how much the offensive line’s development will allow Bieniemy to ratchet up all aspects of his offensive intention.
Some pearls of wisdom from the Bruin contingent last week. Just about a month away from the opening kickoff in Hawaii.