"All-down backs" Abu Sama, Carson Hansen fuel optimism in ISU's RB room

The Rob Gray

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KnappShack

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Don't know of Raymont Harris is still using the "Ultraback" nickname.

Let's get a room of Ultrabacks. Just not a 53 year old Raymont.
 

Al_4_State

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We can have the best backs in the country, but if the line remains substandard it won’t matter
Our running backs were pretty productive last year, and the line play improved dramatically through conference play. We have the awful performances against Texas and Memphis, but against TCU, Cincy, Baylor, and then especially against BYU and KSU, they were playing much better down the stretch.
 

enisthemenace

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Our running backs were pretty productive last year, and the line play improved dramatically through conference play. We have the awful performances against Texas and Memphis, but against TCU, Cincy, Baylor, and then especially against BYU and KSU, they were playing much better down the stretch.
I did think they had improved a lot as the season progressed. I felt I could even see it and I am NOT a person who knows a lot about line play. I saw things that I had never seen before from our line last year.

I do think we need to be careful including the KSU game in any kind of judgement capacity though, positive or negative, considering the conditions and the Memphis game was an abomination.
 
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Al_4_State

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They did think they had improved a lot as the season progressed. I felt I could even see it and I am NOT a person who knows a lot about line play. I saw things that I had never seen before from our line last year.

I do think we need to be careful including the KSU game in any kind of judgement capacity though, positive or negative, considering the conditions and the Memphis game was an abomination.
I agree RE KSU, but if you rewatch it, you can see holes a mile wide for Sama.

The BYU game was maybe the most impressive. We absolutely dominated them in the trenches.
 
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enisthemenace

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I agree RE KSU, but if you rewatch it, you can see holes a mile wide for Sama.

The BYU game was maybe the most impressive. We absolutely dominated them in the trenches.
Oh…I’ve watched that game a few times. How can any Iowa State fan not? It was comically awesome. :D

The Memphis game seemed to be a huge setback through. I’m not freaking out about it, because bowl games are weird, but those holes were nowhere to be found in that game. Sama was getting hit as soon as the ball was put in his stomach.
 

cayin

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Oh…I’ve watched that game a few times. How can any Iowa State fan not? It was comically awesome. :D

The Memphis game seemed to be a huge setback through. I’m not freaking out about it, because bowl games are weird, but those holes were nowhere to be found in that game. Sama was getting hit as soon as the ball was put in his stomach.
I don't know enough about football to know better, but what happened in that game, were we just so well scouted? Their run D was pathetic going into that game and we couldn't move the ball on the ground against them.
 

exCYtable

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Troy Davis had some beasts on the line. And as for the KSU game last year…complete aberration due to snow. The game following that against a terrible rush defense showed much more.
Troy Davis had Todd Doxzon as QB. I rest my case.
 

cayin

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Troy Davis had some beasts on the line. And as for the KSU game last year…complete aberration due to snow. The game following that against a terrible rush defense showed much more.
we didn't throw much in Waldens last couple of years, so some of the guys were already adept to run blocking a lot when Troy started up un McCarney.
 

Aclone

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I don't know enough about football to know better, but what happened in that game, were we just so well scouted? Their run D was pathetic going into that game and we couldn't move the ball on the ground against them.
I’m gonna guess that Memphis playing on their home turf (and sleeping in their own beds all week) had something to do with it.

Well, at least it wasn’t blue this time.
 

madguy30

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I’m gonna guess that Memphis playing on their home turf (and sleeping in their own beds all week) had something to do with it.

Well, at least it wasn’t blue this time.

What was Memphis's reason for losing to ISU in 2017?
 

Aclone

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What was Memphis's reason for losing to ISU in 2017?
They didn’t have a team loaded with seniors then?

I suppose that if you wanna talk about why our OL got dominated? The fact that the guy who had coached most and recruited all of them the past few years and knew their strengths and weaknesses working for the other guys (with a chip on his shoulder) might have had something to do with it.
 
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