Explaining the Run Game / OL ( A bit long, sorry)
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Yes and no on Rocco. He has never been truly great this season. Even early in the year, first halves were typically bad or below average, second halves were great. His whole season has been a little disjointed, IMO. In the Baylor game he had a great game and for a few weeks it was better and now, like you said, he's become a little inaccurate again.
He's 62nd nationally in passing completion percentage. 64th in passes had intercepted is Iowa State. Rocco would be 63rd.
So, in a way, the inability or refusal or lack of a QB running game is a big part of why Iowa State's running game is easier to defend then say UCF's or Cincinnati's etc. Because look at the second half. QB runs - we have well over 100+. QB runs versus UCF, we have over 200, etc. First half vs Cincy, we had what, 12 yards? Same players for us versus same players for them most of the 2nd half until the godfather went out.
Now, there are other ways to protect the ground game without the QB running the ball, but we don't do a ton of those. So if you're not going to protect the ground game with the QB run, and you're not also going to do a bunch of quick hitters or like bubbles - man, Akers made a living off of little bubbles he'd scoot for like 10-15 yards - or a jet sweep action, etc - some kind of counter action to the main run action -
your running game becomes very easy to scout. Now, if you have high level of execution it's possible to still run it well, but its harder because the defense is pretty darn sure they know what's coming, where and when.
If Iowa State routinely either ran some type of counter action to its base run game or Rocco averaged say, 6-8 designed runs a game, nothing crazy - our in between the tackle run game becomes a lot easier to manage. It can be one or the other, it doesn't have to be QB run. But right now we simply don't have a built in protection for our base run plays that opposing defenses fear, and without a established seam threat on top of that - its hard to run the ball consistently when you kinda go 0-3.
Rocco is a good QB. But I do agree that IDK that he's so many light years ahead of Moberly in terms of ability . In terms of leadership and experience? Well, he probably is of course because he's a two year starter and clearly a team leader. So that factors into it. But I bet if we all went out to Salt Lake tomorrow and talked to Whittingham , QB run at best is probably like #5 or 6 on what he is concerned about and maybe further down the list.
Its chicken and egg dude. You have so much back side bleed because those DL and LB's have zero F's about staying disciplined and staying home because they damn well know that a counter or QB run or whatever is not coming.
Why do you run counters and draws - to slow down a hard charging defensive line cause football recognizes its hard to do by itself...
well, we don't slow down a hard charging defensive line and expect the OL, where much smarter people over the years acknowledge that an Offensive linemen needs help in doing that - and developed plays literally to stop that - then the answer isn't the OL has to improve.
Because if that was the answer, draws, counters, reverses, are never invented because there's no need if the OL can simply block the DL when the DL says "now, I'm going to tee off on your fat happy a**".
Find a friend whose more athletic than you. And try to stay in front of him as he tries to run past you when at best you have a 3 foot head start even if you can hold him. It is by far the hardest thing to do on a football field. Think of all the things offenses have designed over the years to help that one position group.
Change of snap count
Holding
Chip blocks
Double teams
Cut blocks
Draws
Screens
Zone read / option plays where you take advantage of reading typically a DL
Leaving a back or TE in block in protection
QB run game to add numbers and gain an extra blocker essentially so the OL can focus on DL
Now say well, how do you help a receiver get open? Move him off the line or maybe flood the area, run a pick play.
I'm not arguing that the OL has to play better for us to get to 10 wins or have a chance to get to the CFP etc. I'll am saying is if you look at what we don't do regularly on offense... its not as simple as "come on fellas, you gotta block."
Do they need to block better.
YES.
But they'd have an easier time of that if we also helped them out
You still have to execute on the back side regardless of the play design and it's inherent advantages. It's either a lack of ability, need for attention to detail or a combination of both.
To me they try to be too many things. Get really good at power blocking or zone or whatever. If you can't do one thing really well you won't do anything well complementary.
I was encouraged by the i stack early in the year but we've gone away from it. Maybe that's injury related but it was working. That kind of scheme really plays well into counters and draws so I was hoping it would naturally come but it just seems Campbell doesn't like to run them as it's been that way throughout his tenure.
They actually don't do enough. That's the problem. We are too "base". Its a numbers game. So, obviously, pre-snap its 11 v 11 on a run play.
But then it becomes 10 v 11 because obviously the ball carrier doesn't block.
Then if your QB isn't a participant it becomes 9 vs 11.
Say you have 2 wide receivers and 2 corners - so its now 7 vs 9.
And if we say okay, on a given play, there's a double team somewhere...
its now 5 vs. 8.
Well, now lets say you get one player out of those 6 who doesn't win his matchup - you're now facing a defense that has at least 2-3 defenders who are unblocked and unaccounted for.
And when you run as much in between the tackles as we do...
man, that's tough. You're facing a 2-3 man disadvantage, which in particular shows in the red zone and short yardage situations or tight formations.
If those defenders are not accounted for either by A) the QB run game B) some kind of quick action into the flat C) counter action, screen, draw, etc to keep them honest back side
I don't freaking care who your 5-6 dudes are. They simply are not going to be able to block 8-9. And most backs? Maybe they can make 1 guy miss, but now there's an extra 1-2 defenders.
Its just simple math. And right now, we are not mathing very well.
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I generally agree with this. Rocco has been good, not great this year in aggregate. But he's certainly had flashes of greatness (Iowa, UCF). His stats back that up:
56th in completion %
16th in passing yards
36th in passing TDs
38th in QBR
With 2 NFL-ish receivers, I think that is slightly underwhelming. But he is only a Sophomore and, if he can get more consistent, will be an upper 10-20% QB next year.
I understand your point but these schemes are decades old. It's not like they haven't worked for generations before. Clearly we aren't executing. We should run more option imo which let's the offense dictate where the unblocked players are and use that to their advantage.
And watch the games. Against Cincy, I'm not sure there was a single bad throw. There were some tight windows, some throw aways, one tipped pass and a couple drops. Really I can only think of one game where he was truly "off" this year. Baylor? I can't remember which, but he had a bunch of over-throws.
Rocco is a well-above-average QB.
Sama gets the worst carries out of the group. He get's all of the outside zone (a problem in itself) that we are just plain awful at. He takes a beating around here sometimes but when he's given the same stuff as Hansen, he's just as good.
Our running game needs to become more simple while at the same time getting more diverse. Given the type of linemen we have, I would love to see them expand things in subtle ways like running pin and pull different ways, some down G, a little trap series, run some goofy insert stuff, etc. Ditch the outside zone. If you aren't going to run a lot of outside zone, and it's meant to be run a lot because it's supposed to be a run play that puts the first and second level in constant conflict, then don't run it at all. It takes a lot of resources for the OL and the RB to get good at it because it flows so freely.
You picked one game. Rocco has been bad at times in the first half of games. He's made bad throws, he's held the ball, he just hasn't been great all the time and that's fine. He's a sophomore.
You really didn't read what I wrote did you? I specifically mentioned 2 games - Cincy, Baylor. And if you read the whole thing, I said I can only think of one game he was off. Meaning that I considered the entire season.
I'm not claiming that Rocco is perfect. I'm saying he's been well above average the entire season outside of one game. If you re-watch those games which you're claiming "he's been bad at times in the first half of games", I think you'll find that he's not as bad as you thought he was.
But that's the thing. Most of these things exist and have been built in because of those protections. That's why they exist. If run a scheme without the protection, you shouldn't be surprised when it doesn't work as well.
I can't go that far. Above average, I'd go there. Well above average? No.
Throws are not the only part of a QB's game, he misses reads. That's my biggest gripe with him. Which on the one hand, I get, because he has two NFL type receivers. But he locks on them and will miss - like air mailing Jaylen on the shallow cross.
He came off that read late and that caused the ball to sail versus Cincy. I can think of several games where he has not been great.
But at the same time, I can think of several games where other players have not been great either. That's why its college football. As coach said, its a developmental think.
He's a solid QB but I can't at this time go well above average. , TD to INT ratio (essentially 2.5 to 1) is above average but not what I'd call "good" . 55th in completion percentage. He is effecient where he is very very good there. But in all comes down to a solid , slightly above average QB. But that's just my grade.
Like, for me, well above average QB's are essentially QB's 5-15.
Great QB's are 1-5.
Everyone else is above average and then once you get down to the 30-40 range, I consider you average.
But that's just my own particular grading scale
Maybe Sama is getting all of the outside zone because he bounces everything to the outside anyway. If he is going to end up there, might as well start him there rather than bouncing from the A gap out.
I get that it is probably part of learning that your speed superiority is much less at this level and the pursuit is going to be there before you attain the edge more times than not. I like the kid but he needs to learn when to cut up field and take the 2 yards rather than running to the sideline only to lose a yard.
Yeah, that's not how anything works. The whole Sama thing has become such a cliche. Does he do that? Yes. Always? No. Does he often have no other option because there's someone in his lap? Yes.
He also had Kareem Hunt in those Toledo years, who aside from some domestic abuse, was one of the top rookie running backs and seemed primed to continue to be a top tier NFL back.
BINGO! couldn't agree more on this. Our coaches are adamant on running outside zone with Sama, which clearly have not work all year. It has been unsuccessful, simply because our linemen are not athletic enough for that style of blocking. When Sama is in, everyone knows that it is going to be outside zone run, obviously very predictable, but yet, we run it hoping that he can hit a home run. Which puts him in a very bad spot every time because not only is he trying to find a crease, he has to deal with defenders in the backfield before receiving the hand off or immediately after.
Fair enough, I worded that poorly - did not intend to suggest that he ALWAYS does. But he does bounce to the outside a lot and when he does, he very rarely takes a seam if it isn't wide open so he gives up where he might get 2 or 3 to often get nothing or lose yardage.
So, I partly agree and disagree at the same time because its not he's the only running back to ever get pressure immediately from the defense. The main difference is that he will look to bounce whereas Hansen says "F it, and barrels ahead like a bull" which in theory, versus quick penetration by a defense, you want.
Now, Sama, when he has had his moments this year, largely has done that. But that's part of the learning process that you aren't the fastest cat in the room anymore. Most running backs have to learn that who are blessed with top end speed. Those backs who aren't as naturally fast or explosive, have to learn it sooner because while they're not slow, they've had to develop other parts of their game.
Actually he had my kid blocking for Mr. Hunt. LOL. His offense was much, much more than Hunt. Passing game
was very effective even though the QB was nothing like he has at ISU.
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