The Fishbone Offense

Just take a Split-Back Veer & run it from an "I" & you have an "I-BONE"!

Erk Russell ran the "HAMBONE" at Georgia Southern!

August 30, 1986|RICHARD HOFFER, Capsules by RICHARD HOFFER

Georgia Southern at Florida

Georgia Southern managed to win the Division I-AA championship last season in only its fourth year of college football. But playing Florida today may really be rushing it. Eagle Coach Erk Russell, who led his 1985 team to a 13-2 record, admits as much. "Realistically we don't have a chance to beat Florida." The Gators, 9-1-1 last season at a somewhat higher level of competition, return passing sensation Kerwin Bell. Bell is a former walk-on player who might be more famous today if his team hadn't been prevented from appearing on TV because of NCAA sanctions. Bell has thrown for 4,301 yards and 37 TDs in his last two seasons. For the first time, Bell will be throwing with a bowl in mind; although the Gators won't be on TV during the regular season, they do qualify for the Southeastern Conference championship and postseason bowl play. The Eagles, who dropped football in 1941 and didn't resume it until 1982, showcase an under-6-foot tandem. Quarterback Tracy Ham, 5-10, throws to Monty Sharpe, 5-9. It's called the Hambone Offense because Ham accounted for 54% of Georgia Southern's total offense last season. However, Russell wonders how it will fly in Gainesville, Fla. "I'm wondering how our players will react to playing in front of 72,000 screaming fans. Most of our players have never even been in a stadium with that many people, much less played in front of them."