RB stuff

[mchammer]

Last 2 years, our skilled players (admittedly 1st year) have done stupid stuff running the ball that almost got them killed and caused fumbles: RoJo, Jake, and now Bijan. You have to question the coaching. Dumb as ****.

 

[nashhorn]

Not sure you can tell them not to ever jump - but they better try.

 

[Pomspoms]

One thing we don't seem to be doing often enough is getting our running backs out in space with the ball via dump offs, especially to Bijan. Let him juke one or two.

 

[dukesteer]

Like everyone else, I was thrilled at the Bijan get. But to be candid, I’m a bit worried. While I love the kid, I cannot remember a future “great” back at Texas that didn’t exhibit the “wow factor” in his first few carries. You knew, immediately, that there was something special with Earl, Ricky, Cedric and even 3 star Foreman. I did not see the same indications from, for example, Brown or Gray. And in both cases, neither developed into a “great back” at Texas. Good, but not great.

I expected to see that special something with BR, immediately. True, it is still early. But against UTEP and TT, two weak defenses, we didn’t see much.

Let’s hope that he’s the exception to my rule of first impressions.

 

[Pomspoms]

Like everyone else, I was thrilled at the Bijan get. But to be candid, I’m a bit worried. While I love the kid, I cannot remember a future “great” back at Texas that didn’t exhibit the “wow factor” in his first few carries. You knew, immediately, that there was something special with Earl, Ricky, Cedric and even 3 star Foreman. I did not see the same indications from, for example, Brown or Gray. And in both cases, neither developed into a “great back” at Texas. Good, but not great.

I expected to see that special something with BR, immediately. True, it is still early. But against UTEP and TT, two weak defenses, we didn’t see much.

Let’s hope that he’s the exception to my rule of first impressions.

I'm still holding that competition-was-weak card in my back pocket until the end of this season. Hopefully I won't ever have to pull it out.

 

[Run Pincher]

Like everyone else, I was thrilled at the Bijan get. But to be candid, I’m a bit worried. While I love the kid, I cannot remember a future “great” back at Texas that didn’t exhibit the “wow factor” in his first few carries. You knew, immediately, that there was something special with Earl, Ricky, Cedric and even 3 star Foreman. I did not see the same indications from, for example, Brown or Gray. And in both cases, neither developed into a “great back” at Texas. Good, but not great.

I expected to see that special something with BR, immediately. True, it is still early. But against UTEP and TT, two weak defenses, we didn’t see much.

Let’s hope that he’s the exception to my rule of first impressions.

While I agree with the Gray assessment, and was criticized for saying he just runs behind one of the best OL's in HS history, I don't agree with the assessment on Brown. He had to run behind what may have been the worst OL in Texas history. He's now doing some pretty good things in the NFL. You don't do that without being a pretty good college player.

I'm not going to judge Bijan just yet. The plays haven't really been designed to maximize his strengths, but I agree he hasn't shown anything special, YET. You simply don't know what you're going to get from a private school in AZ. It's a world of difference from Texas 6A.

 

[Statalyzer]

You knew, immediately, that there was something special with Earl, Ricky, Cedric and even 3 star Foreman.

Ok, so Foreman's first carry at UT went for 34 yards (against North Texas). But after that he carried 14 times for 39 yards and 0 TD the rest of the season. His brother, playing WR, outrushed him the rest of the year. You already saw then what he'd become? Because at that point pretty much nobody else did. I don't even think his own coaches did.

 

[Chop]

After two games, Roschon has emerged as our top RB (for now at least). While Ingram is more versatile, and arguably more talented on paper, those quick hitters to Roschon are our go-to option when we need to move the chains. Roschon is also frequently carrying defenders for several yards, making 8-10 yard carries out of 4-5 yard carries. He’s one unselfish team player who has to be glad he filled in at RB last year—when we were desperate at that position.

 

[nashhorn]

After the tumble he took and walked off under his own power Bijan is up there as a favorite for me. And I’m not sure I’d say he hasn’t shown some intriguing flashes. One of his cuts left a player completely flat footed. It was a thing of beauty. I’m still holding on to hope for him to come into his own.

 

[dukesteer]

Again, I have huge hopes for BR.

Excluding Earl (because I cannot remember that well), here’s what I do remember:

Ricky - I was lucky enough to be in Honolulu for his first game. His special talent was obvious, immediately. Probably from the first touch.

Cedric - What jumped out was his ability to move the pile. So his runs of 3-5 yards seemed like they went for 5-8. I saw that immediately.

Foreman - D’Onta was a surprise. Who is this guy? You could see something special almost immediately, yet Strong chose not to feature him for way too long.

Brown - A good back but clearly not the flash or dominance I expected. Not at Texas. How he is doing now doesn’t figure into my equation.

 

[moondog_LFZ]

Like everyone else, I was thrilled at the Bijan get. But to be candid, I’m a bit worried. While I love the kid, I cannot remember a future “great” back at Texas that didn’t exhibit the “wow factor” in his first few carries. You knew, immediately, that there was something special with Earl, Ricky, Cedric and even 3 star Foreman. I did not see the same indications from, for example, Brown or Gray. And in both cases, neither developed into a “great back” at Texas. Good, but not great.

I expected to see that special something with BR, immediately. True, it is still early. But against UTEP and TT, two weak defenses, we didn’t see much.

Let’s hope that he’s the exception to my rule of first impressions.

I'm gonna put a lot of this on the O-line.

 

[caryhorn]

Ricky - I was lucky enough to be in Honolulu for his first game. His special talent was obvious, immediately. Probably from the first touch.

Ricky was running behind an excellent OL. And the run scheme was creative and varied--not our current run game that features essentially the same handoff to the left and then to the right; Ricky cut his teeth here on a run scheme implemented by possibly the most creative offensive coach in recent Longhorn history, John Mackovic.

Mackovic had a special talent for keeping defenses off Balance.

By the time Ricky was a junior, he had developed into the amazing and extraordinary RB that won the Heisman as a senior.

 

[caryhorn]

After two games, Roschon has emerged as our top RB (for now at least).

Chop, you make many good RB observations. But, I just don't agree here. I think Ingram brings more to the table than Roshon. He is shiftier, faster, better receiver, and pushes the pile as well as Roshon.
I love Roshon, but I think Ingram edges him out on my depth chart.

 

[Run Pincher]

At this point, I think you have to give the nod to Ingram too. Although the data is limited, Ingram is averaging 6.3 ypc, Roschon is at 3.4. Again I repeat, the data is very limited, but Roschon also got more carries against a weaker defense when Ingram was still limited due to injury.

 

[Chop]

I like them both, but I especially like the reliability of Roschon when we need the tough yards.

 

[HomeBrewHorn]

I'm still holding that competition-was-weak card in my back pocket until the end of this season. Hopefully I won't ever have to pull it out.

We lived in Tucson for 10 years, I'm familiar with Salpointe and I'm familiar with Tucson HS football. Our daughter cheered at Ironwood Ridge High school which is a rival school of both Salpointe (where Bijan came from) and Canyon Del Oro (where Kadeem Carey and [i digress] Ian Kinsler came from). I recall when we moved to Tucson back in 2008, we started to going to HS football games and immediately my wife and I both said, these kids would get killed in Texas, they are small, underweight and slow. There were exceptions, I recall watching Kadeem Carey on several occasions and wondering if Mack was looking into him, I even considered calling in a tip just in case, he was the real deal. Admittedly, I've not seen Bijan live in HS because we moved back to Texas before then, but you better believe the quality of HS football in AZ is nowhere close to TX or CA or FL, it's like A or AA ball to the Big Show. I don't want to knock Bijan because from what I've seen he's really talented and he's apparently a contortionist, but I'm telling you the numbers from HS are inflated due to poor competition. I'll also say in this politically correct time that there are not many black ball players in AZ, the level of competition is substandard compared to what you are used to seeing here in CenTex.