Split-T
Encyclopedia
The split-T is an offensive formation in American football
that was popular in the 1940s and 50s. Developed by Missouri Tigers
head coach Don Faurot
as a variation on the T formation
, the split-T was first used in the 1941 season and allowed the Tigers to win all but their season-opening match against the Ohio State Buckeyes
and the 1942 Sugar Bowl
versus Fordham. Bud Wilkinson
, who coached under Farout with the Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks
during World War II
, brought the split-T to the Oklahoma Sooners
, who won a record-setting 47 straight games and two national titles between 1953 and 1957.
was legalized in 1906, most teams continued to focus on running the ball (except in desperate situations) into the 1930s. During this time, the University of Minnesota
football team used the T formation
to great effect, winning five national championships. In the basic or tight-T formation, three running back
s would line up about five yards behind the quarterback
. The offensive linemen would form a fairly tight group in front of the backs. In the split-T, the offensive line was spread out over almost twice as much ground. This forced the defensive front to widen as well, which created gaps for the offense to exploit. The use of a split end to aid the passing game was optional, and was not an integral feature of either the split-T or the tight-T.
Faurot used the new formation to create what may have been the first option offense
in football, which was a precursor of the wishbone
, veer
, and some modern run-first spread offenses. With the defense spread out, the offense would leave only two defensive players unblocked. The blocking schemes were simple, with very little of the pulling or trapping of the more traditional power-running offenses.
The two unblocked players could be called the inside player, usually the defensive tackle or an end, and the outside player, usually the defensive end
or a linebacker
. If the inside player had been charging upfield
or swinging outside, a play could be called for the onside halfback
to get the handoff and dive inside his position. This was eventually developed into an option, where the handoff could be quickly withdrawn to allow the play to actually go outside.
If the dive play had not been called, or if it was an option and the quarterback kept the ball, the quarterback would run toward a spot just inside the outside defensive player. If that player closed on him, he would pitch
the ball back to the outside trailing halfback, aiming for a spot outside that outside defensive player. When executed correctly, this resembled the two-on-one fast break of basketball
, from which Faurot originally derived the concept.
developed the split- by doubling the space between the offensive linemen (causing the line to stretch 14 instead of 7 yards from end to end) and "splitting off" a wide receiver to one sideline while keeping a tight end in close. When he combined this new formation with the athletes he had at running back and quarterback, Coach Faurot created an offensive juggernaut. In that year, the Missouri Tigers finished the season 8 and 1 and received a bid to play Fordham (then an elite football program) in the Sugar Bowl. The Tigers lost that bowl game 2–0 because rainy conditions and a wet field did not allow the split-T to be used effectively.
Faurot got the idea from the "two-on-one" fast break in basketball
when he was a player at Missouri in the 1920s. He knew that these types of plays forced the defensive player to make a decision about whom to guard and "that made[him] wonder if the same thing couldn't be done in football." The idea worked and teams using the split-T were able to run into gaps created in the defensive line by those decisions.
In 1946, Jim Tatum
became the Oklahoma
head coach. He installed the "split-T" offense that he had learned as an assistant coach under Don Faurot at the U.S. Navy
's Iowa Pre-Flight
school football team during World War II. In his first year, he turned around Oklahoma's losing record and delivered a Big Six Conference
championship. In 1947, Tatum left Oklahoma for Maryland
, where he saw even more success with the split-T, including a consensus national championship in 1953.
Bud Wilkinson
, also an acolyte of Faurot at Iowa Pre-Flight, was the next Sooners head coach. In 1953, after losing to Notre Dame
and tying Pittsburgh
, Oklahoma beat arch-rivals Texas
, 19–14, and went on to win their next 46 games in a row, setting an NCAA record that stands to this day. Notre Dame book-ended the streak when they again beat Oklahoma in Norman
, 7–0 on November 16, 1957.
Other top football programs used the split-T during this period as well. These included Alabama
, Houston
, Notre Dame, Texas, Michigan
, Penn State
, and Ohio State.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
that was popular in the 1940s and 50s. Developed by Missouri Tigers
Missouri Tigers football
The Missouri Tigers football team represents the University of Missouri in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team has competed in the North Division of the Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996...
head coach Don Faurot
Don Faurot
Donald Burrows Faurot was an American football and basketball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Northeast Missouri State Teachers College, now Truman State University, from 1926 to 1934 and at the University of Missouri from 1935 to 1942 and again from 1946 to 1956...
as a variation on the T formation
T formation
In American football, a T formation is a formation used by the offensive team in which three running backs line up in a row about five yards behind the quarterback, forming the shape of a "T"....
, the split-T was first used in the 1941 season and allowed the Tigers to win all but their season-opening match against the Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
and the 1942 Sugar Bowl
Sugar Bowl
The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...
versus Fordham. Bud Wilkinson
Bud Wilkinson
Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of 145–29–4. His Oklahoma Sooners won three national championships and 14...
, who coached under Farout with the Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks
Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football
The Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks represented the U.S. Navy pre-flight school at the University of Iowa in the college football seasons of 1942, 1943, and 1944.- History :...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, brought the split-T to the Oklahoma Sooners
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
, who won a record-setting 47 straight games and two national titles between 1953 and 1957.
Basics
Although the forward passForward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
was legalized in 1906, most teams continued to focus on running the ball (except in desperate situations) into the 1930s. During this time, the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
football team used the T formation
T formation
In American football, a T formation is a formation used by the offensive team in which three running backs line up in a row about five yards behind the quarterback, forming the shape of a "T"....
to great effect, winning five national championships. In the basic or tight-T formation, three running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
s would line up about five yards behind the quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. The offensive linemen would form a fairly tight group in front of the backs. In the split-T, the offensive line was spread out over almost twice as much ground. This forced the defensive front to widen as well, which created gaps for the offense to exploit. The use of a split end to aid the passing game was optional, and was not an integral feature of either the split-T or the tight-T.
Faurot used the new formation to create what may have been the first option offense
Option offense
The option offense is a generic term that is used to describe a wide variety of offensive systems in American football. Option offenses are characterized as such due to the predominance of option running plays employed in these schemes. Option offenses have traditionally relied heavily upon running...
in football, which was a precursor of the wishbone
Wishbone formation
The wishbone formation, also known simply as the ’bone, is an offensive formation in American football. The style of attack to which it gives rise is known as the wishbone offense...
, veer
Veer
The Veer is an option running play often associated with option offenses in American football, made famous at the collegiate level by the Houston Cougars. It is currently run primarily on the high school level, with some usage at the collegiate and the professional level with varying degrees of...
, and some modern run-first spread offenses. With the defense spread out, the offense would leave only two defensive players unblocked. The blocking schemes were simple, with very little of the pulling or trapping of the more traditional power-running offenses.
The two unblocked players could be called the inside player, usually the defensive tackle or an end, and the outside player, usually the defensive end
Defensive end
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years...
or a linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
. If the inside player had been charging upfield
Backfield
The backfield is the area of an American football field behind the line of scrimmage. The backfield or offensive backfield can also refer to members of offense who begin plays behind the line, typically including any backs on the field, such as the quarterback, running back, and/or fullback.-Play...
or swinging outside, a play could be called for the onside halfback
Halfback (American football)
A halfback, sometimes referred to as a tailback, is an offensive position in American football, which lines up in the backfield and generally is responsible for carrying the ball on run plays. Historically, from the 1870s through the 1950s, the halfback position was both an offensive and defensive...
to get the handoff and dive inside his position. This was eventually developed into an option, where the handoff could be quickly withdrawn to allow the play to actually go outside.
If the dive play had not been called, or if it was an option and the quarterback kept the ball, the quarterback would run toward a spot just inside the outside defensive player. If that player closed on him, he would pitch
Lateral pass
In American football, a lateral pass or lateral, officially backward pass , occurs when the ball carrier throws the football to any teammate behind him or directly next to him...
the ball back to the outside trailing halfback, aiming for a spot outside that outside defensive player. When executed correctly, this resembled the two-on-one fast break of basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, from which Faurot originally derived the concept.
History
In 1941, Don Faurot of the University of MissouriUniversity of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
developed the split- by doubling the space between the offensive linemen (causing the line to stretch 14 instead of 7 yards from end to end) and "splitting off" a wide receiver to one sideline while keeping a tight end in close. When he combined this new formation with the athletes he had at running back and quarterback, Coach Faurot created an offensive juggernaut. In that year, the Missouri Tigers finished the season 8 and 1 and received a bid to play Fordham (then an elite football program) in the Sugar Bowl. The Tigers lost that bowl game 2–0 because rainy conditions and a wet field did not allow the split-T to be used effectively.
Faurot got the idea from the "two-on-one" fast break in basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
when he was a player at Missouri in the 1920s. He knew that these types of plays forced the defensive player to make a decision about whom to guard and "that made
In 1946, Jim Tatum
Jim Tatum
James M. "Big Jim" Tatum was an American football and baseball player and coach. Tatum served as the head football coach at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , the University of Oklahoma , and the University of Maryland, College Park , compiling a career college football record of...
became the Oklahoma
Oklahoma Sooners football
The Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The team is currently a member of the Big 12 Conference, which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletic Association...
head coach. He installed the "split-T" offense that he had learned as an assistant coach under Don Faurot at the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
's Iowa Pre-Flight
Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks football
The Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks represented the U.S. Navy pre-flight school at the University of Iowa in the college football seasons of 1942, 1943, and 1944.- History :...
school football team during World War II. In his first year, he turned around Oklahoma's losing record and delivered a Big Six Conference
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
championship. In 1947, Tatum left Oklahoma for Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football under Jim Tatum (1947–1955)
From 1947 to 1955, Jim Tatum served as the head coach of the Maryland Terrapins football team, which represented the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association college football. Maryland hired Tatum to replace Clark Shaughnessy after the 1946 season...
, where he saw even more success with the split-T, including a consensus national championship in 1953.
Bud Wilkinson
Bud Wilkinson
Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to 1963, compiling a record of 145–29–4. His Oklahoma Sooners won three national championships and 14...
, also an acolyte of Faurot at Iowa Pre-Flight, was the next Sooners head coach. In 1953, after losing to Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
and tying Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
, Oklahoma beat arch-rivals Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
, 19–14, and went on to win their next 46 games in a row, setting an NCAA record that stands to this day. Notre Dame book-ended the streak when they again beat Oklahoma in Norman
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
, 7–0 on November 16, 1957.
Other top football programs used the split-T during this period as well. These included Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
, Houston
Houston Cougars football
The Houston Cougars football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents the University of Houston. The team is commonly referred to as "Houston" or "UH" . The UH football program is currently a member of the Conference USA intercollegiate athletic conference, and is coached by...
, Notre Dame, Texas, Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
, Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
, and Ohio State.