Running Game

[Gowebb11 9,314]

1 hour ago, AU64 said:

Even at 80%, KJ is a very valuable guy to have and if continuing to play with the hammy issue is not dangerous to his health or future, I'm happy to see him in the game.  Someone described him as a "swiss army knife"....could not agree more....as versatile a back as we've ever had..in the Ronnie Brown mold perhaps. .

Agreed. KJ is as valuable as it gets. My point is that we are a good break or two away from contending for an SEC title and maybe more. We are also an ankle twist away from another 8-4 season if we go into November relying primarily on 2 backs. Nothing will teach MM and DB how to pick up a block like doing it in a game situation. If they're not good in pass pro now, Coach Horton better get them ready soon. 

[auskull 239]

19 hours ago, AU64 said:

Seems we are sacrificing the running game to get better pass protection for JS.   Would be nice to see more of KM but considering his size I'm doubting he is anywhere as capable as KJ or KP as a pass blocker.  Not sure KM is better than an 80% KJ for that matter  But with KP in the backfield, we have a moderate running threat and a solid pass blocker which is important as much as we are throwing the ball these days.

I'm betting that the first one of the younger RB candidates who proves he will give up his body to protect JS from a rushing LB or DE will see more time on the field. 

I think you are dead on! It is in fact dangerous to play RBs who have not learned how to block, read blitzes, catch the ball, and other "small" things that tend to get the QB killed. I suspect the coaches know they are not ready yet and our QB right now is the one critical player who must stay healthy. We also need a productive TE in the worst way.

[NorthGATiger 1,801]

11 hours ago, Rednilla said:

One note on TEs...I'm not sure we have one who can be relied upon in the pass game and the run game. Supposedly Cannella can't block that well, and Harris can't catch so well, which leave (if memory is serving me correctly) a walk on and a true freshman at the position. I feel like if we had a Lutzie type, he would be thriving already in this offense.

Yes you are correct here.  Unfortunately Cannella is built like a WR.  I am still begging to see McClain in this offense.  Blocking would not be his forte but there isn't a LB in the SEC that is going to cover him one on one.  He is the one WR we have that appears to be much quicker than the others and built like our wives wish we were.  Dude would put some serious pressure on a defense and change the way everyone has to play us.  I am just not sure what his shortcomings are from being able to see the field.  He sure lit it up in the spring game.  McClain reminds me of a faster Shannon Sharpe.  Just looked it up to see if I was crazy but they are the same size at 6' 2 and 230 pounds.  Maybe he could learn to play TE after all.

[AU64 10,122]

1 hour ago, Gowebb11 said:

Agreed. KJ is as valuable as it gets. My point is that we are a good break or two away from contending for an SEC title and maybe more. We are also an ankle twist away from another 8-4 season if we go into November relying primarily on 2 backs. Nothing will teach MM and DB how to pick up a block like doing it in a game situation. If they're not good in pass pro now, Coach Horton better get them ready soon. 

Could be right but I expect the coaches see enough in practice to know what to expect.

Considering our QB situation, they are going to make every effort not to let JS get blind sided by a big DE because a freshman RB missed his blocking assignment.  At this point, JS is probably the only indispensable player we have if a 9 or 10 win season is in view and we probably can't afford OJT for young RBs right now.   JMO.. .

[abw0004 10,110]

Our run game will get there in time.  One thing to remember is, there are only so many plays and yards per game (roughly).  So when our passing numbers go up like they have, expect the rushing numbers to go down some.  I hate to see it in a way because I just love it when an Auburn RB runs over someone.  I guess I will just have to settle for our defense running over every opponent ().  Hate to see Pettway struggle as much as he is.  Rest him up, so he can take his anger out on UGA.

Side note:  Does Devan Barrett remind you of Roc Thomas, but better?  The way he cuts and twists looks identical to Roc.  This guy could be very special.

[Woodstock Tiger 131]

18 hours ago, fredst said:

Was in the stadium. What was his reaction after his fumble?

He was pouting for sure, and it looked like another player was trying to encourage him and his response wasn't receptive for such.  I couldn't read the player's lips lips but you could see he was looking straight ahead while the player said something to him (like he was ignoring the player) and his facial expression changed from pouty to angry when the player finished talking.  Seems like they cut away right as he began his retort.  Don't like seeing that.  

[johnnyAU 3,630]

I agree on McClain.  We have to give him some looks soon. Also, we can give Miller and Barrett some carries without having them in there for long developing pass routes.  

[Rednilla 5,389]

1 hour ago, NorthGATiger said:

Yes you are correct here.  Unfortunately Cannella is built like a WR.  I am still begging to see McClain in this offense.  Blocking would not be his forte but there isn't a LB in the SEC that is going to cover him one on one.  He is the one WR we have that appears to be much quicker than the others and built like our wives wish we were.  Dude would put some serious pressure on a defense and change the way everyone has to play us.  I am just not sure what his shortcomings are from being able to see the field.  He sure lit it up in the spring game.  McClain reminds me of a faster Shannon Sharpe.  Just looked it up to see if I was crazy but they are the same size at 6' 2 and 230 pounds.  Maybe he could learn to play TE after all.

I wouldn't mind seeing us put him there if the coaches can teach him to block halfway decent for the run game, so that it doesn't tip our hand to being a pass whenever he's in there. I would LOVE seeing someone step up and play as a solid tight end.

[Gowebb11 9,314]

3 hours ago, auskull said:

I think you are dead on! It is in fact dangerous to play RBs who have not learned how to block, read blitzes, catch the ball, and other "small" things that tend to get the QB killed. I suspect the coaches know they are not ready yet and our QB right now is the one critical player who must stay healthy. We also need a productive TE in the worst way.

I agree with everything in your post but MM is a red shirt sophomore, which means as of this weekend he has exhausted 2 1/2 years of his 5 years of eligibility. If he hasn't learned to block and pick up blitzes yet when is he going to?  

[Gowebb11 9,314]

2 hours ago, AU64 said:

Could be right but I expect the coaches see enough in practice to know what to expect.

Considering our QB situation, they are going to make every effort not to let JS get blind sided by a big DE because a freshman RB missed his blocking assignment.  At this point, JS is probably the only indispensable player we have if a 9 or 10 win season is in view and we probably can't afford OJT for young RBs right now.   JMO.. .

I'm with you on protecting the QB. But MM is a redshirt sophomore, in his third year at AU. At 225 pounds he should be able to block by now. Regarding DB, I'm fine with him getting limited pass plays as a freshman. He has a terrific burst and would love to see him start getting a few more carries.  

[LKEEL75 2,566]

4 minutes ago, Gowebb11 said:

I agree with everything in your post but MM is a red shirt sophomore, which means as of this weekend he has exhausted 2 1/2 years of his 5 years of eligibility. If he hasn't learned to block and pick up blitzes yet when is he going to?  

Actually MM is a RS FR (link).  He graduated in 2015 from Madison Academy.  He played in 3 games last year before being injured.  Not making excuses for a kid 225 not being able to block, but he is basically a true freshman with 6-8 games under his belt when it comes to playing time.

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

21 minutes ago, lkeel75 said:

Actually MM is a RS FR (link).  He graduated in 2015 from Madison Academy.  He played in 3 games last year before being injured.  Not making excuses for a kid 225 not being able to block, but he is basically a true freshman with 6-8 games under his belt when it comes to playing time.

Apologies if OT, and PM response would be appreciated if appropriate, but

How in the blue-eyed world did you do that?

How does one embed an active "http://www.auburntigers.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/malik_miller_1001795.html" into text as such an elegant "link"

and (if I'm using this right) TIA.

[McLoofus 35,182]

14 minutes ago, AUld fAUx@ said:

Apologies if OT, and PM response would be appreciated if appropriate, but

How in the blue-eyed world did you do that?

How does one embed an active "http://www.auburntigers.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/malik_miller_1001795.html" into text as such an elegant "link"

and (if I'm using this right) TIA.

Quote my post. Now, do you see the editing menus right above my text? Going left to right, do you see the B, I, S, U, smiley face, and then a paper clip looking thingy? Click that.

Now, put the link in the link in the URL field and the text you want to display in the other field.

Alternately, highlight already-typed text that you want to link from, click the aforementioned link icon, then enter the URL.

 

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

3 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Quote my post. Now, do you see the editing menus right above my text? Going left to right, do you see the B, I, S, U, smiley face, and then a paper clip looking thingy? Click that.

Now, put the link in the link in the URL field and the text you want to display in the other field.

Alternately, highlight already-typed text that you want to link from, click the aforementioned link icon, then enter the URL.

 

Aha! 

Many, many thanks.

I understand (he said simply).

[LKEEL75 2,566]

1 hour ago, AUld fAUx@ said:

Apologies if OT, and PM response would be appreciated if appropriate, but

How in the blue-eyed world did you do that?

How does one embed an active "http://www.auburntigers.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/malik_miller_1001795.html" into text as such an elegant "link"

and (if I'm using this right) TIA.

Yeah.... What @McLoofus said... 

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

Quote my post. Now, do you see the editing menus right above my text? Going left to right, do you see the B, I, S, U, smiley face, and then a paper clip looking thingy? Click that.

Now, put the link in the link in the URL field and the text you want to display in the other field.

Alternately, highlight already-typed text that you want to link from, click the aforementioned link icon, then enter the URL.

 

 

19 minutes ago, lkeel75 said:

Yeah.... What McLoofus said... 

You guys are too good.

Learn (check)

See (check)

Do (this one's on me).

Thanks!

[Gowebb11 9,314]

2 hours ago, lkeel75 said:

Actually MM is a RS FR (link).  He graduated in 2015 from Madison Academy.  He played in 3 games last year before being injured.  Not making excuses for a kid 225 not being able to block, but he is basically a true freshman with 6-8 games under his belt when it comes to playing time.

Correction noted and appreciated. 

[gr82b4au 5,568]

4 hours ago, Woodstock Tiger said:

He was pouting for sure, and it looked like another player was trying to encourage him and his response wasn't receptive for such.  I couldn't read the player's lips lips but you could see he was looking straight ahead while the player said something to him (like he was ignoring the player) and his facial expression changed from pouty to angry when the player finished talking.  Seems like they cut away right as he began his retort.  Don't like seeing that.  

Yep he was clearly angry. This has not been his year. Something is just completely off on him. He looks like a completely different players - slow, not hitting hole quick, not able to fight through tackles or bounce outside. I personally think it is a combo of a few things:

1) Injuries. That is the main reason. He has not been the same since the Vandy game. 

2) Remember that he did not play at all in the spring (or spring game) and was not hit in fall camp (do not think he played in scrimmages). He may not be in game shape and his is not seeing the holes (if there are any). 

3) OL - The OL is not opening big running lanes this year for anyone. KJ had one the other night and hit it for about 60 yards but other than that, the OL is better at pass blocking. Our average yards/run between the tackles is not that high. Against MSU we had more success on jet sweeps and the long QB run at the end. 

The fumble was bad, but the more telling play was the 3rd and goal where we had to get less than a yard and he got nothing. 

 

[Eagle-1 3,821]

On 10/1/2017 at 6:10 PM, AUpreacherman22 said:

In Miller's limited carries last night, he looked 2-3X better than Pettway.  We need to let Pettway rest until he's ready.  Miller is the better option right now.  KMart has done a much better job of ball security lately.  He needs to be trusted more.  His speed is very useful.  DBarrett wants to be more involved!  He plays with intensity.  He has a lot of potential.  Let's get him out there more and give him some chances.  I know what Pettway did last year (He's not that guy right now!)  I know how reliable KJ is.  And even less than 100% I think he is our best RB.  But let these other guys play.  KJ can't do it all by himself!  And if he does and then gets hurt (we know those chances are high!) no one else is capable of stepping up because they haven't gotten enough real experience.  

As for WRs.  I have no idea why every single one of our WRs is being used as a one trick pony (in some cases 2).  Every screen goes to R Davis.  K Davis runs that one deep skinny post route or fly repeatedly.  Same for Slayton.  Will Hastings runs 2 routes (the double move and the out).  WHY?!?!?!?!?!?  I have no idea.  In spite of this, our passing game has looked much better the last couple of weeks.  But against a really good defense, its not gonna happen.  We must expand what we're doing in the passing game to develop real balance!

I can't figure Pettway. He is certainly slowed by his foot problems, but something else is going on with him. Suspension to start the season, and has now laid the ball on the ground at least twice. He is slow to the hole, and his body language seems to tell me his head is somewhere else. All the other backs need to be playing, especially Miller, and Barrett. I could be wrong, but I have a feeling that Barrett may be the most talented RB on the roster. Just based on pure talent alone. We better hope at this point that KJ remains healthy, and Gus doesn't run him into the ground. 

[doverstutts 1,643]

1 minute ago, Eagle-1 said:

Gus doesn't run him into the ground. 

You know he will.   Other teams play freshman runningbacks, why not our resident genius ( i laugh everytime i see that word associated with him)?

[80Tiger 899]

8 hours ago, abw0004 said:

Our run game will get there in time.  One thing to remember is, there are only so many plays and yards per game (roughly).  So when our passing numbers go up like they have, expect the rushing numbers to go down some.  I hate to see it in a way because I just love it when an Auburn RB runs over someone.  I guess I will just have to settle for our defense running over every opponent ().  Hate to see Pettway struggle as much as he is.  Rest him up, so he can take his anger out on UGA.

Side note:  Does Devan Barrett remind you of Roc Thomas, but better?  The way he cuts and twists looks identical to Roc.  This guy could be very special.

IMO that is not the issue. It seems that compared to other years we have more runs that are 3 yds or less. Yes we broke a few long ones but we just seem to be plodding. In previous years if we needed 4 yds for a first down, one could feel good about a running play; this year I am not sure we can make it with 2 plays. Our 2 main guys are beat up and look very slow to the hole. We will be half way through the season next week and to me there does not seem to be an indication they will be healthier. MM, DB, and KM need to start getting about 15 meaningful carries between them.

[AU64 10,122]

38 minutes ago, 80Tiger said:

IMO that is not the issue. It seems that compared to other years we have more runs that are 3 yds or less. Yes we broke a few long ones but we just seem to be plodding. In previous years if we needed 4 yds for a first down, one could feel good about a running play; this year I am not sure we can make it with 2 plays. Our 2 main guys are beat up and look very slow to the hole. We will be half way through the season next week and to me there does not seem to be an indication they will be healthier. MM, DB, and KM need to start getting about 15 meaningful carries between them.

Seems that the effectiveness of a rushing game is also built upon repetition....keep pounding away and sooner or later, the RB breaks a big one.   Someone complains about KJ running a play into the line and getting only two yards has probably forgotten that that same play or one very much like it was broken for about 60 yards at some previous time.  And as noted, there are only so many plays in a game and if the QB hits a 50 yard pass that's the equivalent of 5 minutes and ten or twelve plays on the ground for many offenses and I note that AU ran just 56 plays against State compared to their 84.  And one last consideration....when the team is punching the ball in from inside the 5 so many times, the average YPC is going to be pretty low.   

Guess I'm standing by my claim that the coaches are sacrificing the running game to push the passing game...or at least sacrificing the stats for the running game   .Probably and the idea of a 1000 yard rusher is just a dream at this point

[80Tiger 899]

10 hours ago, AU64 said:

Seems that the effectiveness of a rushing game is also built upon repetition....keep pounding away and sooner or later, the RB breaks a big one.   Someone complains about KJ running a play into the line and getting only two yards has probably forgotten that that same play or one very much like it was broken for about 60 yards at some previous time.  And as noted, there are only so many plays in a game and if the QB hits a 50 yard pass that's the equivalent of 5 minutes and ten or twelve plays on the ground for many offenses and I note that AU ran just 56 plays against State compared to their 84.  And one last consideration....when the team is punching the ball in from inside the 5 so many times, the average YPC is going to be pretty low.   

Guess I'm standing by my claim that the coaches are sacrificing the running game to push the passing game...or at least sacrificing the stats for the running game   .Probably and the idea of a 1000 yard rusher is just a dream at this point

My point is not about the total number of carriers or a 1000 yd rusher. I get that you maybe eventually break one, but to the eye, it seems as if that these 2 and 3 yd gains use to be 5 or 6 yds. I have been to one game this year and watched the others, but our 2 main guys look slow the hole and have very little cutting ability. I am putting it mostly on injury at this point. I know it was late in the game last week and MSU was on their heels, but MM seemed to be making 7 or 8 yds at a whack.

[abw0004 10,110]

I just went back and watched the KP fumble, and his reaction after.  His reaction was not nearly as bad as your guys are making it out to be.  At first he was just staring off into space with no expression, and then it cuts out before you can even tell what he is doing.  You for sure can not make out what he is saying.  If anything all he said was "What?" with a frown.

[beagle34 72]

What are the chances that KP will "bust loose " this weekend?