The top 10 offensive backfields: Good QBs and good RBs mean you're in good shape

[NUance]

The top 10 offensive backfields: Good QBs and good RBs mean you're in good shape

by Mike Huguenin, August 13, 2012, www.rivals.com

 

1. USC The key players: QB Matt Barkley and TBs Curtis McNeal and Silas Redd

2. Arkansas The key players: QB Tyler Wilson and TBs Knile Davis and Dennis Johnson

3. Michigan The key players: QB Denard Robinson and TBs Fitzgerald Toussaint and Thomas Rawls

 

<snip>

 

8. Nebraska The key players: QB Taylor Martinez and TB Rex Burkhead

The buzz: As with K-State's Klein, Martinez has a ways to go as a passer (though not as far as Klein) but is a dangerous runner. He rushed for 874 yards and nine TDs last season, giving him 1,839 yards and 21 TDs in his career. He has passed for 3,720 yards, with 23 TDs but also 15 picks. Martinez has a nice arm, but isn't all that accurate (career completion rate of 57.4). Burkhead seemed to like the move to the Big Ten last season; he rambled for 1,357 yards and 15 TDs. He's also a solid receiver.

LINK

Gettin some love from the Rivals. : Meechicken and NU the only B10 teams in this list.

[Count 'Bility]

Isnt all that accurate at 57%, but if the receivers catch all the passes the hit them, IN THE HANDS, he's probably over 70.

[da skers]

I will take an average QB and average to bad RB any day if I can have the best offensive line and best defensive line (front 7) any day. I will win more games that way than having good backs. Just look at Trent Dilfer.

[knapplc]

I will take an average QB and average to bad RB any day if I can have the best offensive line and best defensive line (front 7) any day. I will win more games that way than having good backs. Just look at Trent Dilfer.

 

BING!!!!

[NUance]

I will take an average QB and average to bad RB any day if I can have the best offensive line and best defensive line (front 7) any day. I will win more games that way than having good backs. Just look at Trent Dilfer.

But the Heisman—the award for the best player in college football—nearly always goes to a QB or a RB.

 

 

 

 

 

/I’m being facetious of course.

[HuskerShark]

I would probably slide Nebraska up to number 6 behind Bama. I'd take Taylor and Rex over LSU's unproven backfield and TCU's backfield at this point.

[Enhance]

I will take an average QB and average to bad RB any day if I can have the best offensive line and best defensive line (front 7) any day. I will win more games that way than having good backs. Just look at Trent Dilfer.

It's like you're in my head.

[dutch91701]

I think Martinez can get up near 70% this year. His motion looks a lot better (to be fair, I've only seen a clip) and he had a strong arm before so I can only imagine what it could be with his body going into the throw. Burkhead speaks for himself. He is a beast and a great runner. With Martinez a full season removed from his injuries and improved as a passer, I think the two can really complement each other and be dangerous in the backfield.

[zoogs]

Isnt all that accurate at 57%, but if the receivers catch all the passes the hit them, IN THE HANDS, he's probably over 70.

 

I'm curious if you can find 61 passes that receives didn't catch which hit them in the hands. And I mean hit them in the hands, not they had to fall over backwards or lay out into the field just to get a swipe at it.

 

I'm also curious if you apply this standard to every passer in the NCAA, what a "good completion %" would then be.

[bshirt]

Isnt all that accurate at 57%, but if the receivers catch all the passes the hit them, IN THE HANDS, he's probably over 70.

 

I'm curious if you can find 61 passes that receives didn't catch which hit them in the hands. And I mean hit them in the hands, not they had to fall over backwards or lay out into the field just to get a swipe at it.

 

I'm also curious if you apply this standard to every passer in the NCAA, what a "good completion %" would then be.

 

 

I'm curious what excuses you have for our wrs dropping Tmart/Lee passes all over the field the last three years? I would think even the most casual NU cfb fan could see the night & day difference between 2008's Swift/Peterson and what we've had on the field since.

[HuskerShark]

4th quarter of the Capitol One Bowl, (or maybe it was the 3rd) Taylor threw a really nice ball over the middle to Marlowe and he started to run before securing the ball and dropped it. We were down by only 10 at the time and could have taken back a lot of momentum had he made that catch.

 

I realize that's just one example, but that is the type of play that has been characteristic of our WRs since Swift and Petersen(sp?) left.

 

Put simply, the frequency of the drops seems to increase during the times of games when our team needs to catch the ball the most, and that is truly disappointing.

[Enhance]

4th quarter of the Capitol One Bowl, (or maybe it was the 3rd) Taylor threw a really nice ball over the middle to Marlowe and he started to run before securing the ball and dropped it. We were down by only 10 at the time and could have taken back a lot of momentum had he made that catch.

 

I realize that's just one example, but that is the type of play that has been characteristic of our WRs since Swift and Petersen(sp?) left.

 

Put simply, the frequency of the drops seems to increase during the times of games when our team needs to catch the ball the most, and that is truly disappointing.

Our wide receiver play here has been drastically underwhelming. It's been eerily similar to to the offensive line in terms of consistency. We've had a ton of wide receivers come through here the last few years and most of them have been pretty erratic. That said, this is Rich Fisher's second year and second spring really working through things with his guys, and if the old saying stays true, they should make their biggest jumps from year one to year two.

 

I'm looking forward to this year for two reasons - one, I love Kenny Bell and he has the potential to be very good, and two, Quincy Enunwa is a lot of fun to watch blocking on the perimeter. He absolutely manhandles opposing DB's.

[ZRod]

4th quarter of the Capitol One Bowl, (or maybe it was the 3rd) Taylor threw a really nice ball over the middle to Marlowe and he started to run before securing the ball and dropped it. We were down by only 10 at the time and could have taken back a lot of momentum had he made that catch.

 

I realize that's just one example, but that is the type of play that has been characteristic of our WRs since Swift and Petersen(sp?) left.

 

Put simply, the frequency of the drops seems to increase during the times of games when our team needs to catch the ball the most, and that is truly disappointing.

 

The example you gave of Marlowe speaks more to the timeliness of the drops we've had than guys dropping balls in general. I would guess that next to Kenny Bell he was probably one of our most reliable receivers. I think there were really two major parties with a case of the drops. As much as I liked BK he was just infected with it (all though he gets some leeway because I think he hurt his thumb at one point), and Turner just needed to get his head in the game and focus on what he was doing instead of always looking for the big play. Realistically you can't expect guys to catch every ball but I think because of when the drops happened is why we remember them more than anything.

[Danimal]

4th quarter of the Capitol One Bowl, (or maybe it was the 3rd) Taylor threw a really nice ball over the middle to Marlowe and he started to run before securing the ball and dropped it. We were down by only 10 at the time and could have taken back a lot of momentum had he made that catch.

 

I realize that's just one example, but that is the type of play that has been characteristic of our WRs since Swift and Petersen(sp?) left.

 

Put simply, the frequency of the drops seems to increase during the times of games when our team needs to catch the ball the most, and that is truly disappointing.

 

After that game Bo annoyed some SC fans by saying we should've won, but while the game got out of hand at the end the rest was competitive and we just had too many goofs that took us out of it like that drop by Marlowe. We need to clean it up, cutting down the penalties, drops, and turnovers would go so damn far.

 

Fisher was the most controversial of the hires and his boys need to step-up this season. Folks rag on TM but he got little help from the wr's. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for last season since Kinnie already had drop problems plus Bell, Turner, and Enunwa are young but this group has to become more consistent and catch the rock.

 

As you said this has been an inconsistent position since Swift and Peterson left.

 

From what I understand they've gotten a JUGS machine and are catching a bunch of extra passes now with their workouts. Hopefully that makes a difference. Maybe they should do like Leach's guys at TTech and catch tennis balls out of one of those server machines.