Overview

  The Split Ninja Offense was a trick offense implemented by Bill Danenhauer while he was the offensive coordinator of the Dana College (Blair, Neb.) football team. Now the head coach of the Vikings, Danenhauer's offense evolved to become the River City Offense.

The Ninjas

The "split ninjas" was a pass-oriented formation with as many as five wideouts.

Among other variations, it looked like this...

  By design, the offense operated out of the shotgun and ran four or five plays, including the option.

  The Vikings preferred to pass from the Split Ninjas. In fact, on Oct. 30, 2004, Dana College's Tom Lensch set a college football record (NAIA and NCAA) with 101 passing attempts against Hastings College.

 The UCLA Bruins also used a Split Ninjas set against USC on Nov. 17, 2012. Click here for a video on youtube.**

Sources

Sports Illustrated article on the River City Offense

Associated Press article about Lensch's passing record

Interviews with Tony Boone (Omaha World-Herald sportswriter) and Mark Sukraw (Dana linebacker 1999-2002)