It's not adding up for me yet. I don't get the difference. I specifically remember Lawrence Phillips and Ahman Green taking direct snaps. There must be something different about it.
The modern version of the Wildcat was first used by Bill Snyder, head coach of the Kansas State University Wildcats with Michael Bishop as quarterback in 1997 and 1998 when they made a run at the top of the national rankings.[citation needed] In 2001, Mississippi State ran the formation with the QB initially lining up in shotgun then splitting out wide, and WR Ray Ray Bivens taking the shotgun snap
Did they line up as a QB and take direct snaps or did they just stand next to the QB?
I guess it was more of a trick play. The QB would line up behind the center and the center would snap diagonally to the RB. So that's it? Wildcat is just "we're not tricking you. We're just giving it to the RB." ?
More or less, yeah. The Wildcat is a formation, not a really a trick play. Like when they lined Burkhead up at QB in the Holiday Bowl.
You can run a bunch of different plays out of the Wildcat. Even pass plays.
This.
Green, Phillips, or any other running back that stands next to the quarterback in the traditional shotgun formation and takes a snap isn't considered a "Wildcat" play. As mentioned this post by The Dude, the Wildcat is a formation and not an actual play.
The Wildcat is most effective when you have a quarterback who isn't exactly the most mobile person in the world. Save one failed Wildcat attempt by us against Idaho, the Wildcat doesn't make sense for us because we have an explosive running quarterback. I mean, it could help in various situations depending on the play, but overall I think the Wildcat doesn't do much for us at this point in time.
