Running the ball next year

[Aclone]

We could always use more speed in the backfield IMO. That's one thing that I really noticed in watching the other bowl games - it seems almost every winning team had better team speed than ISU.
I confess that when we get a new commit I notice the stars, other offers and size but seldom do I pay much attention to speed.
Did we get any speedsters in the 2013 commits? Any that red shirted this year?

Aaron Wimberly certainly has speed, the JC back who has already signed, but I'd consider him more athletic and elusive than a "blazer". Of course, HS commit Tyler Brown looks like he has the speed to go all the way, kind of a cross between James White and ARob, IMO, but I'm not sure that "speed" is the only issue. There's also blocking, including downfield blocking, as already mentioned above, and the fact of finding a dominant-type back.

 

[clonedude]

I agree, they RB's aren't overrated, because who thinks they are great? We have servicable backs but I don't think its a stretch to say as a group, ours are among the weakest in our conference. I think White and Woody compliment each other well and like you said, the coaching staff doesn't do them any favors from a subbing and playcalling standpoint. I hate to say it but Shontrelle has hit his ceiling (he hasn't been the same since getting hurt), he tries to stretch everything outside and spends way too much time running sideways trying to get the corner. He has more talent than White but White is a much smarter runner and takes what the defense gives him. At the least SJ needs a year to get healthy and get his confidence back. This RB group looked like one of the better groups in our league before the season started but they just fizzled. The coaching staff bringing in a juco back speaks volumes IMO.

Yeah, I think bringing in Wimberly says a LOT about what the coaching staff thinks about our RBs right now. Our RBs are ok, but definitely not difference makers by any means. I think they are hoping that Wimberly can battle James White for the starting job.

 

[cydline2cydline]

Imo the offensive scheme works. Spread em out and get a numbers advantage. Teams are neutralizing this with more defenders in the box. Then the offense doesnt work, so we need to pass to get our advantage back but we dont pass as well, and teams know this. So the defense tells us what we are going to do instead of us doing it.

 

[2020cy]

He lost me at rented step mule.

 

[ShopTalk]

A. We weren't physically dominant.

Without going any further, is that a good enough start for you?

Please continue - the O-line is where it all starts, but when does ISU get WR's with the size and strength to block at the next level and who steps up at O-line next year to give whoever runs the ball a chance?

And for running the ball, I would like to see a more physical back like Woody or Wimberly running it if there isn't much help from o-line because they can at least lay a block of their own on the first would be tackler and get a few more yards. All the smaller faster backs get mugged at los or in backfield and that's it without a clear running lane.

All it takes is 3.5 yards for three carries for a first down and if they can do that consistently, that runs the clock and scores points. Problems is, that's not B12 points and next year, going to need video game scores to help out a young and inexperienced D with major holes to fill.

 

[nickcyv]

Yeah, I think bringing in Wimberly says a LOT about what the coaching staff thinks about our RBs right now. Our RBs are ok, but definitely not difference makers by any means. I think they are hoping that Wimberly can battle James White for the starting job.

A couple things. I remember when the staff brought in SJ. He was the difference maker that we needed according to them and he has been our best back at times, but he is far from dominant. Short answer I agree with you that Wimberly may very well be our best back next year.

Also, Farniok is a soph.

 

[CyCy]

I can remember when Walden decided to convert to a running offense.

In 1994 we rushed 507 times and passed 206 times. Finished 0-10-1. I guess converting to a running game doesn't help much unless you have talent.

 

[dualthreat]

we lacked down hill road graders on the O-line. coupled with our inability to complete passes down the field efficiently enough to prevent the defense from stacking the box and selling out against the run.

The defenses who were able to match up with our WR really gave us fits: (Rutgers), Iowa, Tech, OSU, also KSU and OU at times.

 

[CyCloned]

Imo the offensive scheme works. Spread em out and get a numbers advantage. Teams are neutralizing this with more defenders in the box. Then the offense doesnt work, so we need to pass to get our advantage back but we dont pass as well, and teams know this. So the defense tells us what we are going to do instead of us doing it.

This offense is a train wreck, and anyone that can not see that needs to take another look. Defenses are loading up the box on every down, bringing guys off the edge and blowing it up before it gets started. The Zone read is not going to work when teams plug the middle and bring a guy off either edge. Maybe, and it is a big maybe, but if the passing game can at least be some type of threat to burn teams over the top the other teams will back off enough to create a running game. Better OL play would help too, but most of what I saw last year was a team that was outnumbered at the point of attack.

I would still like to see a little bit of pro set, run right at them offense. Not every down, but shift into it just to give the other defense something different to defend. As it is now defenses know exactly what ISU is going to do in the running game and waiting to stop it.

 

[Luth4Cy]

This offense is a train wreck, and anyone that can not see that needs to take another look. Defenses are loading up the box on every down, bringing guys off the edge and blowing it up before it gets started. The Zone read is not going to work when teams plug the middle and bring a guy off either edge. Maybe, and it is a big maybe, but if the passing game can at least be some type of threat to burn teams over the top the other teams will back off enough to create a running game. Better OL play would help too, but most of what I saw last year was a team that was outnumbered at the point of attack.

I would still like to see a little bit of pro set, run right at them offense. Not every down, but shift into it just to give the other defense something different to defend. As it is now defenses know exactly what ISU is going to do in the running game and waiting to stop it.

When teams load the box though it's pretty simple that the play should be changed to a short pass or pass run option instead of a traditional zone read. In any form of an offense teams loading the box against the run will be an issue, that's why the run sets up the pass and the pass sets up the run. The fact that no matter what offense we run we will have to throw down field some proves that the system is not the problem. Although I do agree with you that we should go under center some. A single back set every once in a while or even a pistol would be a helpful change of pace.

 

[cysox2]

And for running the ball, I would like to see a more physical back like Woody or Wimberly running it if there isn't much help from o-line because they can at least lay a block of their own on the first would be tackler and get a few more yards. All the smaller faster backs get mugged at los or in backfield and that's it without a clear running lane.

All it takes is 3.5 yards for three carries for a first down and if they can do that consistently, that runs the clock and scores points. Problems is, that's not B12 points and next year, going to need video game scores to help out a young and inexperienced D with major holes to fill.[/QUOTE]

I agree with you. Part of the problem it seems to me is that nearly all of the passing plays are set up only to get 3 or 4 yards, a lot of them are screens behind the line of scrimmage, so when we have an incompletion or a play gets blown up its a drive killer. It seems like every time a new qb was brought in and the offense was "simplified" we moved the ball well. Quick, safe passes seemed to work, then as they would get more comfortable and "expand" the play book we weren't as successful. We also seemed to have a lot of success on our first offensive possession of the game. It seemed as though the defense would make adjustments to stop us, and instead of giving different looks we would just continue to do the same thing. I'm sure there is no easy answer or the coaches would have done something about it. Just a couple observations from my very unprofessional standpoint.

 

[cyfanfrompella]

I'm personally sick and tired of watching us run out of the shotgun in short yardage situations, double tight with a lead blocker, play football. We are never going to establish the run with our current scheme.

 

[twojman]

we lacked down hill road graders on the O-line. coupled with our inability to complete passes down the field efficiently enough to prevent the defense from stacking the box and selling out against the run.

The defenses who were able to match up with our WR really gave us fits: (Rutgers), Iowa, Tech, OSU, also KSU and OU at times.

Notice even when we had Hicks and Osemele our offense was crap. Bleil is the first problem and the second problem is Mess. Anything after that can be fixed with good coaching.

 

[swarthmoreCY]

Notice even when we had Hicks and Osemele our offense was crap. Bleil is the first problem and the second problem is Mess. Anything after that can be fixed with good coaching.

Our offense was poor, but our OLine and its play was not crap. If anything that tells you the offense, and thus Mess, is the first problem. Bleil is not the one that chose to neutralize road-graders like Hicks and KO (plus guys like Haughton, Lamaak, Stephens before them) with a shotgun, QB-dependent run game in combination with a compressed passing "attack".

 

[demoncore1031]

to me it seemed like the o-line was built more for pass blocking, which makes no sense as we are supposed to be a running team. we hardly gave up any sacks this year, but the run game was not getting any help from the o-line. of course when you have a really good north-south RB like james white only getting 9 carries a game, that doesnt help either

 

[Frak]

The recievers struggle to block because they are undersized. It's not thier wheelhouse. We need some larger possesion recievers not just for matchups on the slant and fade but run blocking. And yes we need to run more than the zone read.

I think that they're fixing the WR issue. Quan West will be off of RS next year and Bundrage and Daley are tall kids that just need to add some muscle. Plus, the two kids they have committed are bigger than we've been starting.

IMO they need to overhaul the offense. It's obviously not working. Right now, everything is based on the zone read. And we don't have the QBs to run it well. On top of that, they're putting the QB in danger of getting hurt by running them so much. And when the running game doesn't work, they're stuck with a banged up QB and subpar WRs trying to carry the team. I also don't know if the OL strategy of recruiting thinner, more athletic kids is working. They get very little push in the running game. Even guys like Tuftee and Farniok who look like they should be great run blockers have struggled.

If I were CPR, I would take most of those QB runs out of the offense. There is zero reason why a QB should have more carries than any of the RBs. And with Barnett gone, it is really important to keep Richardson and Rohach healthy. Run the QB just enough to keep the D honest, but if it were me, I'd quit calling QB runs all together and only have them running when they need to scramble. The Offense hasn't had an identity since Arnaud graduated. I would go more pistol and diamond formation and try to be more of a power running team. They have some electric backs with Wimberly, Nealy and White. Get Woody on the field as a lead blocker and start pounding teams. Mix in some screen game with Jarvis West and two TE sets with Brun and Bibbs. I do think that the OL will be better with Dika healthy and Lichtenburg/Gannon not playing out of position. They'll need Farniok to step up and Tuftee to improve.

The other thing is that if they DO make a bowl, I think that the bowl prep needs to be overhauled. Seems to me that the team isn't ready to play and maybe enjoys themselves a little too much on the trip. I think that they need to work a little harder to keep their edge.

 

[Luth4Cy]

I think that they're fixing the WR issue. Quan West will be off of RS next year and Bundrage and Daley are tall kids that just need to add some muscle. Plus, the two kids they have committed are bigger than we've been starting.

IMO they need to overhaul the offense. It's obviously not working. Right now, everything is based on the zone read. And we don't have the QBs to run it well. On top of that, they're putting the QB in danger of getting hurt by running them so much. And when the running game doesn't work, they're stuck with a banged up QB and subpar WRs trying to carry the team. I also don't know if the OL strategy of recruiting thinner, more athletic kids is working. They get very little push in the running game. Even guys like Tuftee and Farniok who look like they should be great run blockers have struggled.

If I were CPR, I would take most of those QB runs out of the offense. There is zero reason why a QB should have more carries than any of the RBs. And with Barnett gone, it is really important to keep Richardson and Rohach healthy. Run the QB just enough to keep the D honest, but if it were me, I'd quit calling QB runs all together and only have them running when they need to scramble. The Offense hasn't had an identity since Arnaud graduated. I would go more pistol and diamond formation and try to be more of a power running team. They have some electric backs with Wimberly, Nealy and White. Get Woody on the field as a lead blocker and start pounding teams. Mix in some screen game with Jarvis West and two TE sets with Brun and Bibbs. I do think that the OL will be better with Dika healthy and Lichtenburg/Gannon not playing out of position. They'll need Farniok to step up and Tuftee to improve.

The other thing is that if they DO make a bowl, I think that the bowl prep needs to be overhauled. Seems to me that the team isn't ready to play and maybe enjoys themselves a little too much on the trip. I think that they need to work a little harder to keep their edge.

I don't know this for a fact but I have a feeling that the typical zone read will become less of a staple of our offense as we get more athletic receivers. If so, then we will become more of an air raid team, but still a team that can run the ball effectively, such as Okie State, who still makes the "option" game work by using run pass options.

 

[CykoAGR]

I think it all starts up front. If we want to run to 200 yds/game (CPR’s goal) we have to change. ISU ran for 200+ only 3 times last year (W IL, Kansas and WVU). KSU, OK and Tulsa-bowl (TULSA!!) we didn’t even get 100 yds as a TEAM!! I would be extremely surprised if the returning players can reach this goal without something changing.

I don’t mean to knock on Steele Jantz because he did his best but he was awful on the Read-option and his ypc showed it. Sam Richardson should help with this because he avg’d more than double ypc than Jantz. (Amazingly the KU and WVU games we rushed for 200+, Tulsa not so much but we will give him the benefit of the doubt) also if you look at the RB ypc they are all 4.38 or better. That’s good enough we just need to give them the damn ball more often.

We can’t rely completely on the run though because as Kansas showed this year a good running team that is horrible passing is still probably going to lose a lot of games.

 

[RustShack]

We have an offensive line that needs the passing game to open the run more. They are slightly smaller and more athletic guys for a spread offense... Not big maulers for a power running offense.

 

[cyfanfrompella]

Our offense was poor, but our OLine and its play was not crap. If anything that tells you the offense, and thus Mess, is the first problem. Bleil is not the one that chose to neutralize road-graders like Hicks and KO (plus guys like Haughton, Lamaak, Stephens before them) with a shotgun, QB-dependent run game in combination with a compressed passing "attack".

We have an offensive line that needs the passing game to open the run more. They are slightly smaller and more athletic guys for a spread offense... Not big maulers for a power running offense.

Then we need to be putting more bodies at the point of attack. More multiple back sets please, woody is a fb and should never leave the field.