The Wisconsin Badgers’ new Phil Longo offense seemed like a letdown late in the first half of Saturday’s season opener. Through nearly 29 minutes, the Air Raid attack had been grounded, managing just seven points against a .500 MAC team.
Up until that point, quarterback Tanner Mordecai had attempted 20 passes (including one wiped from the record by penalty). Only two had been targeted 10 or more yards downfield, and only one of those had been completed.
This wasn’t the deep ball offense Longo had made famous at UNC, the one that sent Sam Howell to a starting job in the NFL and Drake Maye to a list of Heisman candidates. Instead, this was a play-it-safe offense whose average throw was 4.2 yards downfield.
Of course, it’s worth remembering that Longo doesn’t often use the term Air Raid to describe his offense. He prefers another two-word description: Don’t Blink, which led to the key play of the Badgers’ win.
Tanner Mordecai finds Chimere Dike for the TD! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/S3VD5qhE9e
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 2, 2023
Wisconsin Badgers and Tanner Mordecai Strike When Buffalo Blinks
The Don’t Blink offense is constantly looking for an opening in the defense and stands poised, ready to strike when it’s located. That happened in the final minute of the first half.
Facing first and 10 from the Buffalo 29, receiver Chimere Dike lined up on the left, with the wide side of the field at his disposal. Skyler Bell was in the slot next to him. CJ Williams was on the right side. Tight end Hayden Rucci lined up on the left side of the line.
Here’s what happened, along with a replay that shows the routes run.
Rucci ran a short crossing route to the right, going out past the 25 yard line. Williams crossed right in front of him going in the other direction. The running back also came out to the left side, giving Mordecai two safety valve targets on that side. The three short routes pulled all three linebackers above the 20, giving Dike and Bell a chance to find holes in the zone coverage downfield. Which leads us to the second phrase Longo likes to use: Chasing Grass.
Phil Longo Has Chimere Dike Chasing Grass
Receivers in a Phil Longo offense don’t have set routes. Instead, they try to find open areas, and quarterbacks are trained to throw to the patches of green, trusting that a receiver will see the same thing he does.
Bell found one, running a post to the end zone and pulling both safeties in his direction. Williams found another, cutting right at the 10 and going to the middle of the field. When Mordecai’s pass found him, the nearest defender was six yards away. At 20 yards, it was Mordecai’s longest throw of the day to that point, and it gave Dike a chance to win a footrace to the end zone and put Wisconsin ahead to stay.
Follow me on Twitter @ShawnKrest Follow us @WiSportsHeroics for more great sports content. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest in Wisconsin sports, click here!. We cover the Milwaukee Brewers, Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Bucks, Wisconsin Badgers, and Wisconsin High School Sports. Additionally we provide the latest news coverage on the NFL, MLB, and NBA.