2019 4* RB Noah Cain (Penn St.)

[McLoofus 35,182]

5 minutes ago, toddc said:

One thing that kept bugging me about the seccg and everyone saying kmart should have started,or played more because he was completely healthy, was maybe CGM had his reasons. So I started looking for articles about kmarts status and found this article.

Auburn sophomore RB Kam Martin was forced out of Saturday's game against Alabama in the fourth quarter due to an apparent ankle injury.

Martin came up limping midway through the fourth quarter just one play after Kerryon Johnson left with an arm/shoulder injury. He should be considered questionable to return. If there's a slight upside to these injury concerns, Auburn is likely only going to have one or two more offensive possessions before contest's end barring overtime. We'll pass along updates as to Martin's availability moving forward as updates become available.

 

This changes the debate a little for me! Maybe, just maybe, he wasn’t healthy enough to play in that game!????

He came back in on the next series. 

[toddc 13,194]

5 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

He came back in on the next series. 

Doesn’t mean he wasn’t hurt and got worse after adrenaline wore off! I don’t know how bad it was or if he was healthy for seccg because CGM never reveals much about injuries. Maybe there is information I have not read. Just offering a different perspective. Not looking for arguments. It isn’t always as cut and dry as we would like it to be.

[McLoofus 35,182]

17 minutes ago, toddc said:

Doesn’t mean he wasn’t hurt and got worse after adrenaline wore off! I don’t know how bad it was or if he was healthy for seccg because CGM never reveals much about injuries. Maybe there is information I have not read. Just offering a different perspective. Not looking for arguments. It isn’t always as cut and dry as we would like it to be.

Fair enough. Just making sure you knew that he wasn't out for the rest of the IB. 

[Barnacle 9,064]

25 minutes ago, aujeff11 said:

What does “Gus drove KJ into the ground” mean? Does words not have meaning? 

 

Fair enough, I just don’t remember this perception with our other workhorses like Tre, and CAP.

We also had Nick Marshall at QB. I know the amount of carries they were getting we're comparable, but it seemed like KJ was getting run more times in a row - like 10, 12, 15 carries without another back touching the ball over the course of a series or two, or three. In the past, we've had more dynamic running attacks that, at least from my memory, spread the touches around more - especially through Nick. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

6 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

We also had Nick Marshall at QB. I know the amount of carries they were getting we're comparable, but it seemed like KJ was getting run more times in a row - like 10, 12, 15 carries without another back touching the ball over the course of a series or two, or three. In the past, we've had more dynamic running attacks that, at least from my memory, spread the touches around more - especially through Nick. 

Different types of touches because of Nick, too. Those offenses were not "spread" offenses, but they did spread out the defense, who had to account for Marshall and Grant on every play. Much better OLs than KJ has run behind, too. 

[Barnacle 9,064]

1 minute ago, McLoofus said:

Different types of touches because of Nick, too. Those offenses were not "spread" offenses, but they did spread out the defense, who had to account for Marshall and Grant on every play. Much better OLs than KJ has run behind, too. 

Also good points. At the end of the day, it's not the amount of the carries, or the consecutive touches, or the types of touches, or the lack of touches for other backs, the lack of screens, the lack of intermediate routes, or recruiting. It's kind of just all that stuff lumped into one frustration.

Let's talk about this again tomorrow, and the next day, and then again the next day after that shall we?

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 minute ago, Barnacle said:

Also good points. At the end of the day, it's not the amount of the carries, or the consecutive touches, or the types of touches, or the lack of touches for other backs, the lack of screens, the lack of intermediate routes, or recruiting. It's kind of just all that stuff lumped into one frustration.

If I had any self-restraint or decency, I would let this stand as the final word on this. So very well said. But since I don't...

Quote

Let's talk about this again tomorrow, and the next day, and then again the next day after that shall we?

...I can't wait! 

[aujeff11 6,243]

35 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

but it seemed like KJ was getting run more times in a row - like 10, 12, 15 carries without another back touching the ball over the course of a series or two, or three. 

I don’t know about running him that many times in a row. We diversified the offense a helluva lot more than we did in 2013 though.  Our quick throws to Ryan Davis were basically extensions of an outside handoff ( KJ’s rest) Lastly, Stidham did run enough to keep defenders on their heels.

Another point about 2013: CAP was a quality workhorse on the bench. Something that KJ wasn’t afforded 

[Barnacle 9,064]

Just now, aujeff11 said:

I don’t know about running him that many times in a row. We diversified the offense a helluva lot more than we did in 2013 though.  Our quick throws to Ryan Davis were basically extensions of an outside handoff. Lastly, Stidham did run enough to keep defenders on their heels.

Another point about 2013: CAP was a quality workhorse on the bench. Something that KJ wasn’t afforded 

Definitely good point about the screen passes. 

There was one game last season where KJ got like 17 consecutive carries or something ridiculous like that. I tried to find it earlier.and couldn't, but I'm almost certain about it.

[aujeff11 6,243]

11 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

Definitely good point about the screen passes. 

There was one game last season where KJ got like 17 consecutive carries or something ridiculous like that. I tried to find it earlier.and couldn't, but I'm almost certain about it.

Good talk, so let’s keep it up until September. Anticipation month is the worst.

[Beaker 2,457]

52 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

. 

There was one game last season where KJ got like 17 consecutive carries or something ridiculous like that. I tried to find it earlier.and couldn't, but I'm almost certain about it.

Thinking the infamous LSU game.....maybe?

[Barnacle 9,064]

15 minutes ago, Beaker said:

Thinking the infamous LSU game.....maybe?

Must have been it. Yes. Thank you.

[Barnacle 9,064]

35 minutes ago, aujeff11 said:

Good talk, so let’s keep it up until September. Anticipation month is the worst.

It is the worst no doubt. 

Looking forward to it!

[WaynesAUworld 179]

3 hours ago, triangletiger said:

Not exactly.  Steele has been an assistant with a lot of good coaches.  Tom Osborne is one who comes to mind.  Unlike Kirby Smart and others, he didn't 'cut his teeth' as an assistant for Saban.  However, he probably has insight into how Saban handles recruiting.

IIRC that was what the post was talking about concerning the coaching tree. I wasn't saying that he grew up coaching under saban, just that he had coached under him enough to know the inner workings of how saban recruits. Also saban's recruiting style might be so sketchy (to put it lightly) that he doesn't want to, or Gus won't let him recruit like that.  

[keesler 5,923]

2 hours ago, Barnacle said:

Also good points. At the end of the day, it's not the amount of the carries, or the consecutive touches, or the types of touches, or the lack of touches for other backs, the lack of screens, the lack of intermediate routes, or recruiting. It's kind of just all that stuff lumped into one frustration.

 

  My MAN!

[aujeff11 6,243]

1 hour ago, Barnacle said:

Must have been it. Yes. Thank you.

May be it. I seem to remember there being 17 or 18 consecutive first down runs against LSU as well though 

[kd4au 1,145]

4 hours ago, DAG said:

That’s my biggest beef. If a player is dog tired sub him out. There were some plays KJ was so tired he wasn’t even trying to cut anymore leaving him vulnerable to get tattooed. 

I think Horton should also bare some of the blame for these type things. He is the damn RB coach and he either isn't recruiting enough talent or he is not developing the talent he has to the point they can be trusted in the games to give players rest and or step in for injured players. JMHO

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 minute ago, kd4au said:

I think Horton should also bare some of the blame for these type things. He is the damn RB coach and he either isn't recruiting enough talent or he is not developing the talent he has to the point they can be trusted in the games to give players rest and or step in for injured players. JMHO

That assumes that they actually aren't ready to go as opposed to Gus just refusing to believe that they're ready to go. 

[keesler 5,923]

19 hours ago, AlaskanFAN said:

Maybe we just need to hire an assistant from the Saban coaching tree to see what all the hubaloo is all about, then Gus knows how to counter attack. You have to know your enemy. 

Heck even during the off-season, bring in a Saban disciple from another conference and pick his brain. Coaches do that all the time. 

Just a thought

There's no one better than Lance Thompson's brain to pick if anyone at AU was interested in getting the inside scoop on Saban's recruiting process AND even Will Muschamp & we have Kevin Steele in house right now.  They worked in his system when he was in the building phases, and they know how he operates.   

AU could've picked the old brains of Ellis Johnson/Brother Oliver/Cheese Harbison, they knew the "Machine" has worked for decades.

[Barnacle 9,064]

28 minutes ago, aujeff11 said:

May be it. I seem to remember there being 17 or 18 consecutive first down runs against LSU as well though 

That too. 

[keesler 5,923]

19 minutes ago, kd4au said:

I think Horton should also bare some of the blame for these type things. He is the damn RB coach and he either isn't recruiting enough talent or he is not developing the talent he has to the point they can be trusted in the games to give players rest and or step in for injured players. JMHO

He should indeed - Gus has enough on his plate in live game time situations, the position coach and OC should know when to sub and do it.  Unless they get over ruled by the boss man.

[DAG 33,955]

25 minutes ago, kd4au said:

I think Horton should also bare some of the blame for these type things. He is the damn RB coach and he either isn't recruiting enough talent or he is not developing the talent he has to the point they can be trusted in the games to give players rest and or step in for injured players. JMHO

I read somewhere where he talked about getting guys more reps early on...can’t remember but it sounds like he is starting to get it.. or always had and is now going public .

[McLoofus 35,182]

5 minutes ago, DAG said:

I read somewhere where he talked about getting guys more reps early on...can’t remember but it sounds like he is starting to get it.. or always had and is now going public .

Yep. The way I remember it, which could be wrong, he acknowledged that they were caught with their pants down in the SECCG and should have done more to prepare KMart. He mentioned Gus and Gus's philosophy a lot in those comments. 

[Gowebb11 9,307]

6 minutes ago, DAG said:

I read somewhere where he talked about getting guys more reps early on...can’t remember but it sounds like he is starting to get it.. or always had and is now going public .

@DAGis back big time when his Neegan returns! 

[Beaker 2,457]

I wonder if Tony Alford would be interested in trying his craft down south.  He's been a recruiting coordinator and had tremendous success as a recruiter and coach.

Would definitely add a spark where one is needed.  With that experience, Gus might be more open to his ideas.   His time may have run its course at his current job.