Yards Per Carry - What's everyone complaining about?

[brinkch]

I just happened to notice that both Stevie and Brett both averaged 3.9 yards per carry. Last time I checked, that's a solid total, particularly against a VETERAN defensive line. Sure, there were no huge breakaway runs, but if you average 4 yards per carry, you're getting the job done on the ground and set up passing plays to our prolific receiving corps...

It was the first game everyone!!! The last thing coach Mac wants to do is give away the entire playbook in game 1. They brought out the big guns when they had to...a little bit late for my nerves, but when they needed it, they got it.

Let's stop complaining about our running game (159 yards of rushing) and start appreciating the fact that it did exactly what it was supposed to do...stay two dimensional and show the rest of the country that the Cyclone offense is two dimensional and dangerous on any particular play.

Coach Mac is a hell of a lot smarter and forward thinking than people give him credit for! Especially those of you who can't wait to talk smack about our rushing attack. Run the draw all day long as far as I'm concerned as long as it's picking up 1st downs and keeping our young defense off the field.

 

[Wesley]

The only offensive play I felt bad about was the Barkema fumble when we had momentum on our side. It changed the flavor of the game.

 

[9seven]

I agree Wesley I think if barkema would of held on to the ball we would of scored and the game would of been much different, in our favor.

 

[ripvdub]

Its a helluva lot better than the 2.7 Hicks and Coleman ran last year!

 

[Wesley]

Just the ESPN facts or why we played on Thursday:

2006 Big 12 Expanded Standings

NORTH CONF OVERALL
Iowa State 0-0 1-0:Sheriff:
Missouri 0-0 0-0
Nebraska 0-0 0-0
Kansas 0-0 0-0
Kansas State 0-0 0-0
Colorado 0-0 0-0

SOUTH CONF OVERALL
Oklahoma State0-0 0-0
Oklahoma 0-0 0-0
Baylor 0-0 0-0
Texas A&M 0-0 0-0
Texas 0-0 0-0
Texas Tech 0-0 0-0

with Expanded Standings

 

[Gary_ISU]

I just happened to notice that both Stevie and Brett both averaged 3.9 yards per carry. Last time I checked, that's a solid total, particularly against a VETERAN defensive line. Sure, there were no huge breakaway runs, but if you average 4 yards per carry, you're getting the job done on the ground and set up passing plays to our prolific receiving corps...

It was the first game everyone!!! The last thing coach Mac wants to do is give away the entire playbook in game 1. They brought out the big guns when they had to...a little bit late for my nerves, but when they needed it, they got it.

Let's stop complaining about our running game (159 yards of rushing) and start appreciating the fact that it did exactly what it was supposed to do...stay two dimensional and show the rest of the country that the Cyclone offense is two dimensional and dangerous on any particular play.

Coach Mac is a hell of a lot smarter and forward thinking than people give him credit for! Especially those of you who can't wait to talk smack about our rushing attack. Run the draw all day long as far as I'm concerned as long as it's picking up 1st downs and keeping our young defense off the field.

I would have to disagree that 3.9 yards per carry is very good in college football. Here is a link to 2005 rushing stats: http://web1.ncaa.org/d1mfb/natlRank.jsp?year=2005&div=4&rpt=IA_playerrush&site=org Stevie averaged 3.66 ypc last year. Good for last among the top 100 rushers in the country. There are a lot of 5 ypc. There are several Big 12 runners who did much better than 3.9

 

[StLouisClone]

Good post Gary

I would have to disagree that 3.9 yards per carry is very good in college football. Here is a link to 2005 rushing stats: http://web1.ncaa.org/d1mfb/natlRank.jsp?year=2005&div=4&rpt=IA_playerrush&site=org Stevie averaged 3.66 ypc last year. Good for last among the top 100 rushers in the country. There are a lot of 5 ypc. There are several Big 12 runners who did much better than 3.9

Thanks for the link. We need to change the mindset around here about what is a good running game. 3.9 yards/carry will not get it done in the Big 12. And our offensive line was opening up some decent holes against Toledo. Stevie should be limited to only 5-10 carries/game. He is a plodder who can be effective in short-yardage situations. But we need a quicker back to get the majority of the carries. Johnson or Scales may or may not be that type of back. Neither got a touch against Toledo, which is very unfortunate.

 

[isucy86]

Yea, I just like to pile on about your comment about 4ypc being a decent benchmark. Maybe more so in the NFL, but in the college game 4ypc is worse than average.

I would say 5ypc is the goal in college FB. That means on 20 carries a guy wil gain 100 yards.

I'll be interested to see how well we rush against UNLV. Anything less than 200 yards is not a good sign.

 

[isu_pimps]

I just happened to notice that both Stevie and Brett both averaged 3.9 yards per carry. Last time I checked, that's a solid total, particularly against a VETERAN defensive line. Sure, there were no huge breakaway runs, but if you average 4 yards per carry, you're getting the job done on the ground and set up passing plays to our prolific receiving corps...

It was the first game everyone!!! The last thing coach Mac wants to do is give away the entire playbook in game 1. They brought out the big guns when they had to...a little bit late for my nerves, but when they needed it, they got it.

Let's stop complaining about our running game (159 yards of rushing) and start appreciating the fact that it did exactly what it was supposed to do...stay two dimensional and show the rest of the country that the Cyclone offense is two dimensional and dangerous on any particular play.

Coach Mac is a hell of a lot smarter and forward thinking than people give him credit for! Especially those of you who can't wait to talk smack about our rushing attack. Run the draw all day long as far as I'm concerned as long as it's picking up 1st downs and keeping our young defense off the field.

Toledo's average defensive player weighed 215 lbs. That is VERY small. Nebraska's average D starter will weigh 240, and be a lot faster than Toledo's guys. Probably why our rushing attack gained 47 yards on 32 carries against Nebraska last year. To be content with less than 4 ypc against Toledo is ridiculous. We need a back that can take it for the big gain, and not a big gain of 6 yards either. The designed quarterback draws, and probably the option plays are not going to work against our tougher opponents.

To me it was pretty obvious from watching overtime that if we would have opened up the passing game more in regulation we would have had a lot more that 23 points and we would have won the game by 10-14 points at least. I think the argument about not letting the rest of the country see our playbook is stupid. You can't tell me Iowa and every conference opponent we play doesn't have 20 game tapes of us running 80 different pass plays. This isn't high school football, everyone knows 85% of the plays we have and vice versa. You throw in different wrinkles week to week, not bring in new secret plays! We could have broken off plenty of our basic pass plays that everyone has already seen us use and we wouldn't have given away a thing, unlike the game we almost gave away Thursday night.

 

[clone33]

Toledo's average defensive player weighed 215 lbs. That is VERY small. Nebraska's average D starter will weigh 240, and be a lot faster than Toledo's guys. Probably why our rushing attack gained 47 yards on 32 carries against Nebraska last year. To be content with less than 4 ypc against Toledo is ridiculous. We need a back that can take it for the big gain, and not a big gain of 6 yards either. The designed quarterback draws, and probably the option plays are not going to work against our tougher opponents.

To me it was pretty obvious from watching overtime that if we would have opened up the passing game more in regulation we would have had a lot more that 23 points and we would have won the game by 10-14 points at least. I think the argument about not letting the rest of the country see our playbook is stupid. You can't tell me Iowa and every conference opponent we play doesn't have 20 game tapes of us running 80 different pass plays. This isn't high school football, everyone knows 85% of the plays we have and vice versa. You throw in different wrinkles week to week, not bring in new secret plays! We could have broken off plenty of our basic pass plays that everyone has already seen us use and we wouldn't have given away a thing, unlike the game we almost gave away Thursday night.

I totally agree, we should go for the throat on the first play against UNLV. No matter where we start from, I want us to throw to blythe on a fly or a fade on the very first play. I wnat 6 within a minute of kickoff. go for the jugular and dont look back!!!

 

[HiltonMagic]

I totally agree, we should go for the throat on the first play against UNLV. No matter where we start from, I want us to throw to blythe on a fly or a fade on the very first play. I want 6 within a minute of kickoff. go for the jugular and dont look back!!!

It would be pretty sweet, coming out with guns blazing!! :Guns:

 

[JCloned]

Umm...better measure if you assessing size would be size of front line. Average of their D-line is comparable to what we face. However, not that size doesn't matter, but it isn't all about lbs. speed, skill, attitude, and what kind a pounds your carrying.

 

[isu_pimps]

Umm...better measure if you assessing size would be size of front line. Average of their D-line is comparable to what we face. However, not that size doesn't matter, but it isn't all about lbs. speed, skill, attitude, and what kind a pounds your carrying.

I don't see how the size of your linebackers and safeties aren't applicable vs. the run, especially when they only have 3 defensive lineman on the field at a time. I would guess the linbackers and safeties were the ones tackling Stevie the vast majority of the time and they were very small. They had a couple of big DT's but I can't imagine they have anything close the type of speed and power that the Nebraska, Texas or Iowa front line carries.

They weren't that great of a run defense last year either. Bowling Green rushed for 180 on them in 34 rushes, Fresno State 179 on 33, Northern Illinois 162 on 43, Central Michigan 160 on 44. We rushed for 159 on 41 carries. Considering our conference, the size of our line, the fact they had more total yards and a 4 minute advantage in time of possession in our house the answer to the original posters question is pretty obvious to me and not one that needs to be asked IMO.