Abandon the Run

[shagg]

ok folks i want your opinions on this one...with the palyers/talent we have at the moment it seems to me that we are more suited to throw the ball. when i say throw the ball i mean just line up with 5 WRs and just throw it all over the place...i know i know..we are trying to run the ball to set up the pass but shouldn't it be the other way around. we are better throwing the ball than we are at running the ball... i mean i don't remember Tom Osborne trying to throw the ball to set his running game. my point is you are who you are...it seems to me that Watson is trying too hard to run the ball right now...we cannot run the ball plain and simple...the only way we'll be able to run the ball is to come out with the intension to throw first and run second because that's what suits us best..the running game will come if you're successful at throwing the ball..i don't see it holding Mizzou or Texas Tech back..we all saw what Joe Ganz can do when he is allowed to just air it out...look at our point average at the end of last year when he was allowed to throw it 40-50 times a game..the only reason we lost those games was because we couldn't stop anybody...we all like to be multiple and do everything well but we don't have the talent of OU or USC so i say just throw it all over the freakin' place like Mizzou does

[robsker]

Folks:

 

At this juncture, while I have advocated the playing of youth and an array of position switches to facilitate speed --- essentially playing for the future --- there is something that needs to be done for this year that would likely make a difference. We have an outside shot at being .500 this season --- if we abandon the run. NU does not have the OL to run the ball against B12 caliber defenses. When you average 3 yards or so per run you can't run the ball 30+ times a game. We also do not have backs who are able to create on their own (maybe Helu can a little).

 

I do not personally like watching a team heave it 60 times a game --- but the best hope for something positive with this offense is to do just that. But..... the passing game we have is predicated on balance and play action. So, to switch to a 4 - 5 receiver offense and try to air it out would be a system change. But it would be a change that is doable.

 

If we continue to try to run the ball we will continue to fail to move the ball and our punter will be a very tired man by the end of the season.

[clone]

Abandon the Run

 

never.

 

this is nebraska.

 

you think things are bad now, wait till you don't even run a ground play. 100% passing would be a big mistake.

 

 

GO BO!!

[shagg]

Folks:

 

At this juncture, while I have advocated the playing of youth and an array of position switches to facilitate speed --- essentially playing for the future --- there is something that needs to be done for this year that would likely make a difference. We have an outside shot at being .500 this season --- if we abandon the run. NU does not have the OL to run the ball against B12 caliber defenses. When you average 3 yards or so per run you can't run the ball 30+ times a game. We also do not have backs who are able to create on their own (maybe Helu can a little).

 

I do not personally like watching a team heave it 60 times a game --- but the best hope for something positive with this offense is to do just that. But..... the passing game we have is predicated on balance and play action. So, to switch to a 4 - 5 receiver offense and try to air it out would be a system change. But it would be a change that is doable.

 

If we continue to try to run the ball we will continue to fail to move the ball and our punter will be a very tired man by the end of the season.

agreed...that's what suits us best at the moment..running game will come if you can throw the ball

[shagg]

you think we'll put up 50 plus point on KSU or CU again if we don't air it out and just play ball? i doubt it...we simply don't have the line to allow us to be a good running team at this point...so just air it out like towards the end of last year

[motorboatjonesNU]

Folks:

 

At this juncture, while I have advocated the playing of youth and an array of position switches to facilitate speed --- essentially playing for the future --- there is something that needs to be done for this year that would likely make a difference. We have an outside shot at being .500 this season --- if we abandon the run. NU does not have the OL to run the ball against B12 caliber defenses. When you average 3 yards or so per run you can't run the ball 30+ times a game. We also do not have backs who are able to create on their own (maybe Helu can a little).

 

I do not personally like watching a team heave it 60 times a game --- but the best hope for something positive with this offense is to do just that. But..... the passing game we have is predicated on balance and play action. So, to switch to a 4 - 5 receiver offense and try to air it out would be a system change. But it would be a change that is doable.

 

If we continue to try to run the ball we will continue to fail to move the ball and our punter will be a very tired man by the end of the season.

I tend to disagree. If we had a game-breaker receiver that the defense was fearful of, maybe.

 

When something works, we should keep running it until it gets stopped. Castille had three good runs right in a row in the 3rd qtr- getting about 4-5 a crack, hitting the hole with a lot of speed. KEEP IT GOING!

 

I think we should work on running more option, too.

[Army Husker]

Weren't most of the starters recruited for a pass offense sceme by Callahan? If passing works best, I say sling it...oh well, maybe the coaches see something we don't.

[clone]

JMO- throwing the ball to open the run game up is fine.

 

NEVER running isn't.

 

Since NU CAN'T run unless nms is on the other side of the ball, there is little option.

 

The coaches know what to do.

 

they are professionals.

 

they'll sort it out and do what's best.

 

cuz BO knows football.

 

 

GO BO!!

[huskered17]

Pick "one" back and let him get in a groove. How do you get a feel for the flow of the game, looking over your shoulder after every carry. Lucky probably is the best all around back we have, but even he is looking over his shoulder play after play. If Watson is going to play musical running backs, might as well get Mendoza in the mix. Can't be any worse at hanging on to the ball than Castille!!

 

GBR!!!

[secretasianman]

I tend to disagree. If we had a game-breaker receiver that the defense was fearful of, maybe.

 

When something works, we should keep running it until it gets stopped. Castille had three good runs right in a row in the 3rd qtr- getting about 4-5 a crack, hitting the hole with a lot of speed. KEEP IT GOING!

 

I think we should work on running more option, too.

 

Yes-- Castille did have 3 good consecutive runs, and then what happened? He gets yanked and Helu Jr. comes in. The running back rotation makes absolutely no sense.

 

The key problem is the offensive line. If the line was good, it wouldn't matter who the running back is.

 

Back to the original topic-- If Watson commits to passing the ball more, I think opposing defenses would just blitz more. We don't have gamebreaker recievers and our opponents know it. Sure, we might burn them on some plays, but Ganz would be on the run the whole game and would wear himself out.

[pctopeka]

JMO- throwing the ball to open the run game up is fine.

 

NEVER running isn't.

 

Since NU CAN'T run unless nms is on the other side of the ball, there is little option.

 

The coaches know what to do.

 

they are professionals.

 

they'll sort it out and do what's best.

 

cuz BO knows football.

 

 

GO BO!!

 

[AR Husker Fan]

Similar topics merged.

[Husker_x]

Folks:

 

At this juncture, while I have advocated the playing of youth and an array of position switches to facilitate speed --- essentially playing for the future --- there is something that needs to be done for this year that would likely make a difference. We have an outside shot at being .500 this season --- if we abandon the run. NU does not have the OL to run the ball against B12 caliber defenses. When you average 3 yards or so per run you can't run the ball 30+ times a game. We also do not have backs who are able to create on their own (maybe Helu can a little).

 

I do not personally like watching a team heave it 60 times a game --- but the best hope for something positive with this offense is to do just that. But..... the passing game we have is predicated on balance and play action. So, to switch to a 4 - 5 receiver offense and try to air it out would be a system change. But it would be a change that is doable.

 

If we continue to try to run the ball we will continue to fail to move the ball and our punter will be a very tired man by the end of the season.

 

Personally I'd advocate a number of things in line with what you're saying. I don't think a 100% pass offense will do us any better in the blowouts that are coming against TTech and OU, but I do think that starting today Watson needs to begin our conversion to the spread-option. If we are serious about winning football games any time within the next five years, this is a necessary transformation.

 

To that end I'd advise taking off Cooper's redshirt, all but permanently benching Lucky in favor of Helu, and taking the opportunity to give the younger players as many snaps has humanely possible. We may lose and lose ugly, but it'd be no different than what we're doing. Also, giving Zac Lee a few series a game wouldn't be a bad idea considering he's rumored to have some serious wheels.

 

This would be preparing for our future. I don't want to put all our eggs in the Cody Green basket, but we are in the stone age of offenses, and unlike the triple option which worked to the tune of 400 yards/game, we can't even manage an average rushing attack.

 

My two cents. Take it or leave it.