For any of you older Ags that were around in the Bellard days, do you know if he ran the same traditional wishbone that he initially implemented at Texas or was it somewhat different? There is tons of info on the wishbone he ran at Texas but not so much in his A&M years.

Different folks I've spoken with say different things. Some say it was exactly the same, others say it was drastically different. I've also heard conflicting reports about who actually called the offense, Bellard or Tom Wilson.

Was it a true wishbone with two tight ends or did he put wideouts out there? Any flexbone, single/double wing, or any offshoots like that?

The reason I ask is that I'm putting together a history of Aggie football for my grandfather(class of '46 and a professor at A&M) for his 95th birthday. Unfortunately I can't find much info on the Bellard years and that was well before my time. All of my grandpa's betamax recordings(yes, beta) of all the games are after 1980 so I can't watch them. Do you know how hard it was for me to find a working beta VCR?

One note I thought that was pretty cool was that Royal asked Bellard to implement a 3 back option offense after seeing the Ags beat Bama in the Cotton Bowl in '68 with the option. Bellard created the wishbone because Royal wanted an offense similar to A&M's offense that beat Bama.

Run by Cushing library next time you're on campus. I worked there as a student compiling all the football games (video and photographs and articles). Just ask them for the years you are looking for and they'll pull everything they have.

Please post your findings. I'd be interested to see what you find out.

Before my time also, but check out youtube. There are several to choose from and you can see formations. Looks like the used Roaches as a wideout most of the time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGkrzJhviJw

Thanks jeff and 83. Most of my info I've gotten has been from google picking my dad's and uncle's brains. But they were 70's grads and while they watched games, they weren't big into the formations and such so their info is sketchy.

I've been going backward from the 2012 season and once I went past 1980, the info has gotten a lot harder to find.

*edit*

83, that video is great! Never thought to look on youtube. First time I've see a wishbone with a slot receiver. It's almost like that first play is a transition from the wishbone to a wing T formation.

I also always loved the wideouts with their hands on the ground.

[This message has been edited by zafzo (edited 1/18/2014 11:59a).]

In the early years (1972-1975, Bellard ran the conventional Wishbone formation. He occasionally split out a wide receiver (Doug Teague, for one) instead of a tight end, but the plays were the same. In 1976 and 1977, he began to vary it somewhat and went to what he called the FlexBone, I believe. The idea was to throw the ball more. But he never threw it any more.

The Wishbone was a wonderful formation and a hell of a lot of fun to watch. We had Bucky Sams (an undersized fullback), and Skip Walker and Bubba Bean as the halfbacks. The QB keeper or the delayed pitch to the trailing halfback were some of the prettiest plays to watch you have ever seen. You saw a sample of that style of play when we beat t.u. with Stephen McGee running the option. The triple option is still the best scheme ever for college football. The option was originated by Bud Wilkinson in the 1950's at OU and was called the Split T. OU won 47 games in a row running the Split T until finally Notre Dame ended the streak.

Bill Yoeman refined the option attack further at U of H with the Veer which was the first triple option and was the basis for Bellard developing the Wishbone with three backs. I remember living in Chicago in about 1967 and listening to U of H beat the stuffings out of the defending national chamption, Michigan State, in East Lansing behind Warren McVey at halfback in the Veer. Duffy Daugherty never knew what hit Michigan State.

Bellard's innovation was to move the fullback one or two steps closer to the QB instead of even with the halfbacks as was the case with the Straight T which dated back to the 1940's I believe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwj52szadLE

not sure if this is Bellard, or another coach at this time

I would contact David Walker the A&M QB in the mid 70's on facebook, I'm sure he could give you a ton of info on formations.

Great offense, but if we were behind, it was very difficult to catch up.

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One note I thought that was pretty cool was that Royal asked Bellard to implement a 3 back option offense after seeing the Ags beat Bama in the Cotton Bowl in '68 with the option. Bellard created the wishbone because Royal wanted an offense similar to A&M's offense that beat Bama

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This is not how he told the story to me...

[This message has been edited by 78750Aggie (edited 1/18/2014 2:22p).]

I remember Ballard's formation called the "T-Bone."

If it would help, pm me and I will give you
coach "Mad Dog" Melvin Robertson's contact info.
He coached against Emory in High School and also
Texas, he was D coordinator at UH first game of
Texas Wishbone, Tie 20-20. Houston got homered
by ref on TD by Paul Gibson. Coach was also at
A&M 72-78 as DC.
Coach is old school, no cell or email but he's
got great stories and unbelievable memory, and
will talk to anybody about football.

Since when are you interested in research? Here's what you had to say about the conference with the best bowl record:

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Overall, the SEC didn't do so well in the bowl games this year

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Walker posts on occasion on this board....

Thanks guys, I appreciate it. He has pretty much every A&M history book imaginable so I'm going more for my perspective and other fan's perspectives.

GARCHAG, thanks. Trying to send a PM but getting access denied error. Not sure why unless a paid subscription is required for that feature.

Rocco, are you stalking me? I feel strangely aroused and and horribly dirty at the same time.

[This message has been edited by zafzo (edited 1/18/2014 2:28p).]

Thanks 83Aggie. That '75 Texas game rekindles some fire. Woodard, Bubba Bean, Skip Walker, Osborne, Swilley, on and on. And that rendition of the War Hymn had some bounce to it. Though not on the film, I liked how the Spirit was played slower then; seemed a little more majestic to me.

The wishbone was good but when it got behind it could not catch up. This cost Bellard his job. Was hard headed. Had nothing he could do when got 14 or more down. Would have clearly lost this years Duke game. Air Raid is a far superior offense to the Bone.

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Please post your findings. I'd be interested to see what you find out.

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Sorry, thought profile had contact.
email garch1@tx.rr.com
He has garage full (coach cave) of articles, pics, game film, etc. from UH, A&M, Miss. State
scanned a lot of it.

I think the biggest difference between the TAMU Wishbone and that later run by OU was our lack of a truly gifted running QB such as Thomas Lott or Jamelle Holloway.

OU ran the wishbone before A&M.
Coach Royal had the excellent backs coming back so he asked coach Bellard to develop a triple option attack with three backs.
This was the foundation of the zone read.

[This message has been edited by ashley (edited 1/18/2014 6:03p).]

Put that '75 defense with Johnny and this offense and we have two MNCs at a 30pt margin per game.

You got that right "Mad Dog" said the exact same
thing but he included the '73,'74, and'76 defense.

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I remember Ballard's formation called the "T-Bone."

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As I recall, that was in '73 - a slight variant of the wishbone with "meh" results. Otherwise I think it was straight wishbone for Coach Bellard.

David Walker has written a book about his days with the wishbone.

He was kind of critical of Bellard but everyone has their story.

You can download it at Amazon or like someone said he does occasionally post here.

You need to know David Walker.

[This message has been edited by aeon-ag (edited 1/18/2014 8:04p).]

Every time I watch that game versus tu I get sick to my stomach because I know what happened next week in Arkansas.

Instead of playing in Cotton for MNC we ended up playing us bluebonnet or liberty bowl.

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I think the biggest difference between the TAMU Wishbone and that later run by OU was our lack of a truly gifted running QB such as Thomas Lott or Jamelle Holloway.

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Are you kidding? Mike Mosley was the prototypical wishbone quaterback and replaced Sr. Walker in his freshman year. Fast as lightning and very athletic. Also ran high hurdles for the track team. Fastest white boy I ever saw.

Mosley started maybe 5 games for Bellard. One his freshman year I think (UH) and up until Bellard resigned the next year. In short, Bellard wasn't here long enough to utilize him. Tom Wilson ditched the scheme when he took over.

Melvin Robertson created the 5-4 defense to stop the triple option attacks popular at the time. He could do it because he had guys like Lester Hayes and Pat Thomas on the corners. It worked well no matter what offense we faced, and I remember his defenses being ranked in the top 10. Awesome to watch; our guys were always swarming in their backfield.

I think he wrote a book, "Winning With The Aggie 5-4 Defense" or something like that.

Melvin Roberson did not create the 5-4 defense. It gained popularity in about 1950. Bud Wilkinson was running it at OU.

Thanks for posting the link to the 1975 t.u. Game. That is my favorite/most memorable game from the pre-JFF era.

We ran a 4-3 defense with 3 of the greatest LBs who ever played; Simonini, Robert Jackson and Garth Ten Napel. Mad Dog was one heck of a coach. On offense, I guess myself and Tom Wilson and Donnie Wigginton are about the only ones left who could draw up every offensive play against every defense there is for the wishbone triple option, blocking rules, etc.

Neither Texas, OU or Alabama ran the triple option but Bellard insisted on it. We never ran the flexbone. Emory's offense also demanded both a split end and a tight end. We didn't run any triple option in 72, 73 or 75. We did in 74, 76, 77 and 78.


[This message has been edited by Davidwalker (edited 1/20/2014 10:16a).]

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Melvin Robertson created the 5-4 defense to stop the triple option attacks popular at the time. He could do it because he had guys like Lester Hayes and Pat Thomas on the corners. It worked well no matter what offense we faced, and I remember his defenses being ranked in the top 10. Awesome to watch; our guys were always swarming in their backfield.

I think he wrote a book, "Winning With The Aggie 5-4 Defense" or something like that.

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I believe Robertson was famed for the Aggie "4-3" defense + 2 cornerbacks + 2 safeties