Breece Hall and Troy Davis Impressions

[Liam4Cy]

For us young bucks that didn’t have the pleasure of watching Troy Davis tear up defenses on a regular bases...Are the impressions somewhat similar watching what Breece has done this year? I know Troy was on a different level but I was just curious if the people that got to see both have similar impressions watching Breece.

 

[keepngoal]

IMO the comparison between Davis and Montgomery are better... hall is very different from them.

 

[83cy]

Davis was a powerful bowling ball (in a good way) Breece is a glider and is understatedly shifty. Both are amazing.

 

[Cyforce]

Troy's greatest gift was his ability to make a cut in the open field never losing a step. Breece has that burst to get the corner or inform defenders that think they have an angle they are wrong. Tomlinson is the closest runner I'd compare Davis to.

 

[stateofmind]

Davis never had the break away speed. He was so short behind the mammoths he was hard to see. When the defender did see him it was, oh ****... Breece is the whole package.

 

[Peter]

Troy had incredible burst and amazing vision. Extremely physical runner. Guys hated tackling him. Breece has similar instincts but is bigger and faster. His ability to see the field is off the charts and if he was getting the same number of carries as Troy he’d be putting up the same yardage, maybe more. He projects better to the NFL. Would love to see him with the Steelers or the Seahawks. Ground and pound.

 

[Bigman38]

That cut he made on his first td was something special. Barely lost any speed while breaking some ankles.

 

[demoncore1031]

I was really hoping Breece would do the heisman pose after that 2nd TD. By then the game was in hand so a 15 yard penalty wouldn't have mattered.

 

[Bucklara]

Troy could change direction in a way that was sudden but seamless. One on one in a 3 foot space he wasn't getting tackled. Beyond durable, 50+ and 35+ carries in back to back weeks if I remember. Savage blocker picking up the blitz. Watching his 378 yd performance vs mizzou was unbelievable. The difference on the TD-O-Meter from start to finish was surreal in the moment. Perfect for the situation ISU football was stuck in.
Breece just seems to be NFL special in all the right ways. Vision, good speed, adequate hands, picks up the blitz well. I think Woody made a comment that Breece talks about the game in a way that is next level. Might be a catalyst for a big12 title.

 

[Aclone]

Troy's greatest gift was his ability to make a cut in the open field never losing a step. Breece has that burst to get the corner or inform defenders that think they have an angle they are wrong. Tomlinson is the closest runner I'd compare Davis to.

From ISU history, the closest I’d go with would be a healthy Blaise Bryant.

 

[JM4CY]

Breece and Troy make people miss in different ways.

I don’t remember what podcast it was but @brentblum was sharing a story about he was talking to Steve Loney, the OC for Troy. (If you don’t know who this guy is, look him up. He was smart and a good coach, really.) Steve explained to Brent that they set their blocking scheme up to block 10 of the 11 guys on the defense. Brent asked Steve, “Well why the hell would you do that? Why leave a guy open?” Steve’s response “Oh, that’s Troy’s guy”.

 

[Cycsk]

This site has lots of discussion about this topic. Here is a good place to start.

Blum: Breece vs. Troy - Cyclone Fanatic

Oct 10, 2020; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones running back Breece Hall (28) runs the ball against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Powers-USA TODAY Sports. It’s mid-November, Iowa State is atop the Big 12 conference, ranked 17th in the nation and has...

cyclonefanatic.com

 

[CyBobby]

I was in JTS for every game that Troy Davis played at ISU.....After the Missouri game, Troy said "I knew the way they (the tiger defense) was lined up that I was going to score a touchdown".....

Both Troy and Breece are Heisman Trophy quality running backs....

 

[Drew0311]

If I had to compare Breece to a former Cyclone running back it would be Dwayne Crutchfield.

 

[Rural]

Jump cut, jump cut, at near full speed, then see ya.

Very Gayle Sayers like.

 

[Die4Cy]

Different times, it makes it difficult to compare both runners. Teams used to line up with practically all eleven defenders in the box to stop Troy, they knew he was getting the ball (everyone in the stadium knew it.) He had incredible tenacity and balance, and he knew if he could just get to the second level there was going to be a lot of daylight. But he'd get gang tackled 20 times a game and still run for 200+. It was quite a phenomenon. I've never seen a runner like that anywhere since.

Breece Hall is just such a smart and skilled runner, he's getting extra yards with his eyes and the subtlest of moves. Super efficient style, everything a head coach wants in a back at this level. And he's still young.

 

[Cyismymonkey]

Troy had incredible burst and amazing vision. Extremely physical runner. Guys hated tackling him. Breece has similar instincts but is bigger and faster. His ability to see the field is off the charts and if he was getting the same number of carries as Troy he’d be putting up the same yardage, maybe more. He projects better to the NFL. Would love to see him with the Steelers or the Seahawks. Ground and pound.

Troy delivered far more punishment that he took. Low center of gravity. Troy was fast and very good at anticipating contact. He would level off at full speed and after contact bounce back up to a full sprint. All but unstoppable at the Collegiate level. Didn’t translate as well in the Pro’s. Hall probably has more professional upside.

 

[MartyFine]

For us young bucks that didn’t have the pleasure of watching Troy Davis tear up defenses on a regular bases...Are the impressions somewhat similar watching what Breece has done this year? I know Troy was on a different level but I was just curious if the people that got to see both have similar impressions watching Breece.

They are different but I think the one thing both had is vision. Ability to see where the hole is and where it’s going to be. Something that can’t be taught.

 

[IASTATE4LIFE]

The More I watch him, I am starting to realize he is the best we have ever had. His vision is ridiculous, speed is NFL ready, his shiftiness is insane, and he has power. He is the most complete back we have ever had, and he is the best college back I have seen play this season. Sit back and enjoy the show.

 

[SouthJerseyCy]

Troy was quick and powerful, but not what I would call fast. He often got run down in the open field (think of that...how many more yards he could have had!). Breece is big and powerful and fast. He's a much more patient runner than Troy, so he gives up more TFL, but if he gets in the open field he's gonna house it. If there was another back I'd compare him to, it would be Eddie George.