LJS: Several RBs Benefit from Reps/Break

[Porter]

Hand them the ball and watch them work. This isn't an economics test - I get that some need to learn the playbook more but that is usually a load of BS when a coach says this. I know others will disagree on here, but Idc.

Friday All-Americans don't win you football games.

So, if he doesn't know the plays....oh hell....just give him the ball and it doesn't matter if he knows where he is supposed to go or what he is supposed to do.

Great idea.

There is a middle ground that can be found with coaches, especially ones who are imaginative on finding uses for all the talent on the roster. If Wilbon can't understand the entire playbook, then the coaches could work with him to create a package of plays that he can be successful in. Wilbon may have been the most physically gifted of all the RB's on NU's roster, but the coaches couldn't find any way to use him this year?

Sooooo.....studying in the class room and keeping his grades up doesn't matter either?

I have heard he had grade issues.

If he has grade issues then I don't have a problem with the guy being benched.

But, going back to the playbook issue, there are many coaches around the country that can find a package of plays that can be run by certain players. It's called "finding uses for your talent". The coach is limiting his roster if he has the mindset of "he has to know the entire playbook from cover to cover if he is going to play with me".

I would go with the attitude of "what a player does know" rather than "what a player doesn't know".

I think its been well documented through the year it was a pass blocking issue as much as anything. And when you pass 45 times in a game it is important to know. Its too bad because he's probably the best runner. Its also too bad our Oline wasn't held to the same standard that they have to know how to pass block to see playing time. It got better toward the end of the year but for a long time it was a disaster.

 

[ColoradoHusk]

Hand them the ball and watch them work. This isn't an economics test - I get that some need to learn the playbook more but that is usually a load of BS when a coach says this. I know others will disagree on here, but Idc.

Friday All-Americans don't win you football games.

So, if he doesn't know the plays....oh hell....just give him the ball and it doesn't matter if he knows where he is supposed to go or what he is supposed to do.

Great idea.

There is a middle ground that can be found with coaches, especially ones who are imaginative on finding uses for all the talent on the roster. If Wilbon can't understand the entire playbook, then the coaches could work with him to create a package of plays that he can be successful in. Wilbon may have been the most physically gifted of all the RB's on NU's roster, but the coaches couldn't find any way to use him this year?

Sooooo.....studying in the class room and keeping his grades up doesn't matter either?

I have heard he had grade issues.

If he has grade issues then I don't have a problem with the guy being benched.

But, going back to the playbook issue, there are many coaches around the country that can find a package of plays that can be run by certain players. It's called "finding uses for your talent". The coach is limiting his roster if he has the mindset of "he has to know the entire playbook from cover to cover if he is going to play with me".

I would go with the attitude of "what a player does know" rather than "what a player doesn't know".

I think its been well documented through the year it was a pass blocking issue as much as anything. And when you pass 45 times in a game it is important to know. Its too bad because he's probably the best runner. Its also too bad our Oline wasn't held to the same standard that they have to know how to pass block to see playing time. It got better toward the end of the year but for a long time it was a disaster.

Honestly, I think Cavanaugh started the o-linemen who were the best pass blockers. In fall camp, a lot of the media on hand raved about guys being great run blockers (Jerald Foster for one), but didn't sniff the field in the season.

 

[BigRedBuster]

Hand them the ball and watch them work. This isn't an economics test - I get that some need to learn the playbook more but that is usually a load of BS when a coach says this. I know others will disagree on here, but Idc.

Friday All-Americans don't win you football games.

So, if he doesn't know the plays....oh hell....just give him the ball and it doesn't matter if he knows where he is supposed to go or what he is supposed to do.

Great idea.

There is a middle ground that can be found with coaches, especially ones who are imaginative on finding uses for all the talent on the roster. If Wilbon can't understand the entire playbook, then the coaches could work with him to create a package of plays that he can be successful in. Wilbon may have been the most physically gifted of all the RB's on NU's roster, but the coaches couldn't find any way to use him this year?

Sooooo.....studying in the class room and keeping his grades up doesn't matter either?

I have heard he had grade issues.

If he has grade issues then I don't have a problem with the guy being benched.

But, going back to the playbook issue, there are many coaches around the country that can find a package of plays that can be run by certain players. It's called "finding uses for your talent". The coach is limiting his roster if he has the mindset of "he has to know the entire playbook from cover to cover if he is going to play with me".

I would go with the attitude of "what a player does know" rather than "what a player doesn't know".

The bolded part puts to bed the entire issue.

This subject was has been beat to death because some fans think the coaches screwed up because they didn't play him later in the season. They have come up with all of these ideas that the coaches obviously have no clue what they are doing because they didn't play Wilbon....bla bla bla....

Well, if he had grade issues, the entire argument goes out the window.

But....some fans don't want to hear that. They just want to find one more thing to b!^@h about.

 

[BIG ERN]

ColoradoHusk hit it on the head of what I was talking about. No one here would convince me that he can't learn x amount of plays. It isn't that difficult - he did play HS football at least. There could be some packages where he could run the ball.

If academics are the issue, then obviously he needs to get those in check, but as a coach don't tell me BS on why he isn't playing then.

 

[NUinID]

ColoradoHusk hit it on the head of what I was talking about. No one here would convince me that he can't learn x amount of plays. It isn't that difficult - he did play HS football at least. There could be some packages where he could run the ball.

If people are so worried about pass blocking - please show me where he didn't pass block. I would love to see the evidence in a game situation.

If academics are the issue, then obviously he needs to get those in check, but as a coach don't tell me BS on why he isn't playing then.

First of all if it is a grade issue, which I have heard it is, the coach is not going to come out and say that in the media. It is also very possible that he has trouble with grades and the play book and pass pro. Just because we saw him in a handful of plays do a couple of good things doesn't mean that he should automatically be the starting RB in the offense.

Why is it you think you are entitled to some straight answer as to why he isn't playing? They definitely have their reasons and it is most likely multiple things. This isn't something new with Mike Riley, I am sure there is guys that were playing for Knute Rockne and Amos Alonzo Stagg that fans thought should be playing that wern't. They probably wanted to know why and didn't get an answer either.

 

[BigRedBuster]

ColoradoHusk hit it on the head of what I was talking about. No one here would convince me that he can't learn x amount of plays. It isn't that difficult - he did play HS football at least. There could be some packages where he could run the ball.

If people are so worried about pass blocking - please show me where he didn't pass block. I would love to see the evidence in a game situation.

If academics are the issue, then obviously he needs to get those in check, but as a coach don't tell me BS on why he isn't playing then.

First of all if it is a grade issue, which I have heard it is, the coach is not going to come out and say that in the media. It is also very possible that he has trouble with grades and the play book and pass pro. Just because we saw him in a handful of plays do a couple of good things doesn't mean that he should automatically be the starting RB in the offense.

Why is it you think you are entitled to some straight answer as to why he isn't playing? They definitely have their reasons and it is most likely multiple things. This isn't something new with Mike Riley, I am sure there is guys that were playing for Knute Rockne and Amos Alonzo Stagg that fans thought should be playing that wern't. They probably wanted to know why and didn't get an answer either.

B - I - N - G - O----B - I - N - G - O----B - I - N - G - O!!! And Bingo was his name - oh.

 

[BIG ERN]

ColoradoHusk hit it on the head of what I was talking about. No one here would convince me that he can't learn x amount of plays. It isn't that difficult - he did play HS football at least. There could be some packages where he could run the ball.

If people are so worried about pass blocking - please show me where he didn't pass block. I would love to see the evidence in a game situation.

If academics are the issue, then obviously he needs to get those in check, but as a coach don't tell me BS on why he isn't playing then.

First of all if it is a grade issue, which I have heard it is, the coach is not going to come out and say that in the media. It is also very possible that he has trouble with grades and the play book and pass pro. Just because we saw him in a handful of plays do a couple of good things doesn't mean that he should automatically be the starting RB in the offense.

Why is it you think you are entitled to some straight answer as to why he isn't playing? They definitely have their reasons and it is most likely multiple things. This isn't something new with Mike Riley, I am sure there is guys that were playing for Knute Rockne and Amos Alonzo Stagg that fans thought should be playing that wern't. They probably wanted to know why and didn't get an answer either.

I don't specifically need to know if it was grade issues. Have you not heard the term "Off the field issues" - that's all that coach Davis needed to say if that is the case. As a player, I would much rather people think that than someone dogging on my ability to learn the playbook.

 

[StPaulHusker]

With regards to Wilbon-If he was good enough week in and week out to be on the field, he would have been. Whatever he isn't good at was significant enough for him not to play.

 

[BIG ERN]

With regards to Wilbon-If he was good enough week in and week out to be on the field, he would have been. Whatever he isn't good at was significant enough for him not to play.

Since there has already been countless threads and posts I will stop on the subject. Already expressed countless times how Newby never impressed me and Ozigbo and Wilbon were shorted A LOT of carries this year. Did Ozigbo forget how to block or somehow forget the plays as well?

I hope Newby improves and runs for 100 yards every game. I could care less. I just want to win more football games, and I think giving others more of a shot would help.

Armstrong and Newby all next season as well right???

 

[Bowfin]

Already expressed countless times how Newby never impressed me and Ozigbo and Wilbon were shorted A LOT of carries this year. Did Ozigbo forget how to block or somehow forget the plays as well?

Well, if you figure this out, then you can graduate to the bigger mystery of Janovich's absence of touches in the Iowa game, because I don't think in his case it was any of the usual excuses, such as grades or knowing the playbook.

 

[Danimal]

With regards to Wilbon-If he was good enough week in and week out to be on the field, he would have been. Whatever he isn't good at was significant enough for him not to play.

When he got in during the first two games he looked like a better runner than Newby to me and I know plenty that share the opinion. Then he just disappeared for the rest of the season. Unless there were disciplinary issues it is a failure on the coaches that they didn't find a way to use him.

 

[zoogs]

I think it's looking and sounding like there was something else going on with Wilbon, but they're not going to be super forthcoming about it. They did find a comfortable 1-2 punch at the end with Cross-Newby and that worked fairly well, covering both the run and pass games. Cross impressed.

I wonder if similar style reasons (i.e, not suspensions, but not purely on field either) were part of the reason for Stevenson not being in the RB rotation. Stevenson left but Wilbon looks like he's staying. It seems like someting has turned around here, for the positive. Good for everyone.

 

[StPaulHusker]

With regards to Wilbon-If he was good enough week in and week out to be on the field, he would have been. Whatever he isn't good at was significant enough for him not to play.

When he got in during the first two games he looked like a better runner than Newby to me and I know plenty that share the opinion. Then he just disappeared for the rest of the season. Unless there were disciplinary issues it is a failure on the coaches that they didn't find a way to use him.

So I repeat my post. If he was good enough week in and week out to be on the field, he would have been

 

[Bowfin]

So I repeat my post. If he was good enough week in and week out to be on the field, he would have been

The same could have been said of Kurt Warner between college ball and the Super Bowl. "If he was NFL quarterback material, how come he's stocking shelves at Hy-Vee?"

Coaches aren't always perfect in evaluating and using players.

 

[Red Five]

With regards to Wilbon-If he was good enough week in and week out to be on the field, he would have been. Whatever he isn't good at was significant enough for him not to play.

When he got in during the first two games he looked like a better runner than Newby to me and I know plenty that share the opinion. Then he just disappeared for the rest of the season. Unless there were disciplinary issues it is a failure on the coaches that they didn't find a way to use him.

First 2 games of the season Newby clearly had the better numbers

Newby - 6.3 yards/carry, 19 yards/reception

Wilbon - 3.9 yards/carry, 14 yards/reception