Run up the Middle

simply1

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“I’m too lazy or incompetent to check the box score or play by play, but I know how to effectively play call to beat the number 7 team in the nation with the best offensive and defensive lines we’ve seen all year”
Get in line buddy.
 

cayin

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Texas finally bought themselves the right combo of talent and coaches. Took them long enough, but they are legit good this year. We also got their A- game at least. If anyone watched their game at Bama, you'd know what happened tonight is no shame.
that, and NIL has really really helped them. Their offensive line was dog sh#t for a decade. They were desperate to get better there. At minimum, if you are an offensive linemen and commit to Texas, you automatically get $50 grand per year. The ones that are starters and perform, they will get paid much much more.
 

Daserop

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I hate that all y’all’s knee jerk, loser mentality, off base reaction had me go back and review.

10 passes on first down
12 runs on first down

1st half
5 first down passes (1/5 18 yds)
6 first down runs (7 yds)

2nd half
5 first down passes (4/5 81 yds, INT)
6 first down runs (6 yds)

Nate/CMC called a balanced attack. They executed better in the second, and got points to show for it.
You're missing the point.
 

Daserop

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ISU had two rushes in the game at 5 or more yards. Sama for 5 in the 2nd half on an inside zone, and Sanders for 6 on the first run of the game.

Every other run was 4 yards or less.

21 for 9 does include sacks which makes it look marginally worse than it was.

I think it’s reasonable to be frustrated with an inside run on 55% of first down plays when the team was averaging half a yard per carry.

It’s not just that “run=bad”, it’s running the same exact play and achieving the same results.

Bama couldn’t run on Texas, I don’t expect ISU to be incredibly effective. If the inside game wasn’t working anyway, why not attempt a pitch or speed option or jet sweep? Those are running plays, too; plays we have seen ISU use in past games this season. Maybe it wouldn’t have worked, either. It’s likely it wouldn’t have mattered which running play they called. But then… if you’re running for less than half a yard per carry, regardless of playcall, maybe.. don’t do that as much.
ding ding ding. This. I wish post game reporter would ask questions which highlighted this
 

stewart092284

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I don't care about the percentage.

How ANYONE with eye balls could look at Sweat from Texas... and think yes, I want to run right at HIM. That's where we are going to try to run the ball.

That'd be like teams looking at Will McDonald and saying "yes. Let's solo block him 50% of the time or chip him with the TE"

Maybe we don't have anymore success running off tackle. I have no idea. But how you look at a living mountain of a man whose probably going to be a high round NFL draft pick who dominates double teams like I eat dominate an all you can eat buffet -

and decide yep, we're going to run a decent amount in the A and B gap... I get running up the middle every now and then to keep them honest. But our run game is so vanilla. Our offensive line is not great. But outside of Iowa... I don't know that I've seen a more vanilla run game.

Its hard enough to run the ball when you are good up front. We're not there right now. And when you couple with a vanilla rushing attack by design, where a good amount of your runs are amazingly going right into the strongest part of the opponents defense - by design - I don't understand. My blind dog could see that Sweat was probably not the guy you want to run at. And we did. And the result was predictable.

Sure, I understand we can't probably out run Texas sideline to sideline that often. But a simple stretch zone at least gives the RB a chance for cut backs and IN THEORY gives you the chance to get a big D linemen moving laterally where they can get out of their rush lane and you can hit one. Doing a lot of north south running when you can't physically work over the opposing defensive line and they're the ones dominating you - well, its running into a brick wall and being surprised that it hurt
 

cyups2323

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“I’m too lazy or incompetent to check the box score or play by play, but I know how to effectively play call to beat the number 7 team in the nation with the best offensive and defensive lines we’ve seen all year”


I'll just say this. If I'm a coach and my team has tried to establish the for a first half of football and we have 5 yards rushing and the other teams all American Dline is dominating us im gonna try something else. F$ck %'s. It wasn't working. All I'm saying is come out on 1st down with a wr screen or a short crossing route and try to get to 2nd and 4 or 2nd and 5 sometimes. We are in 2nd and 9 or 2nd and 12 way too often.
 
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Stormin

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Was that a run up the middle by Easton Dean for a 66 yard TD on 4th and one?
 

NWICY

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You gather that because I’m telling a bunch of adults acting like children, “no” that I would therefore refuse to to tell my children (5 of them) no?

Cmon, give yer head a shake!

Damn 5 I'm surprised you have time to post. I'm guessing that is a busy household if they all are still at home.
 

Mr.G.Spot

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I understand your comments and feel your frustration.

Our offense, like most offenses, is structured around the RP option. I don't care for all the called plays up the middle, but in reality, it sets up the passing game and that is how it works. Get over it. You will never see MC ever abandon the running game until the last four minutes, especially if we are within the a one score game, which we were.

All of the slants were working because we never abandoned the run. Slants will not work if linebackers immediately float into their hook zone. You want a real disaster, abandon the run and watch watch the opponent tee off with their dlineman, drop 7, and get an interception. Oh yeah, that happened last night.

BTW, our two TD passes were set up by freezing linebackers because they know we never will abandon the running game. Please think a little deeper on offense strategy.
 
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ghyland7

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You’re making some valid points here. We likely weren’t going to get much yards on the ground outside of complete trick/blind side. I fail to think we have the speed/vision yet this season to beat UT off the edge.

They ran on 39.6% of their plays on the night. Had they connected on some of the first down passes in 1st half or Rocco hits Noel for the first quarter TD, it’s likely a different game.

They had to do show run to some degree.
40% of total plays
55% on first downs
Isn’t stubbornly beating your head into the wall. It’s balanced.

Could ISU have won it going full air raid? Maybe. But the game swung after the long TD drive, forced 3 and out, INT, give up 3 play TD.

After that ISU 7 play, 83 yd 3:34 TD drive — 1:15 of game time elapsed and the whole game changed.
Committing to running the ball isn’t banging the head against the wall.

Running inside zone directly at 93 15 times is banging the head against the wall.
 

joefrog

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You, but that was last week I guess. You showed great restraint by not posting after the BYU game. Things are better for you tonight though.
I wanted ISU to win, I'm not happy with this result.

Why would I be happy ISU lost? I want to be wrong about Campbell.
 

joefrog

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You’re making some valid points here. We likely weren’t going to get much yards on the ground outside of complete trick/blind side. I fail to think we have the speed/vision yet this season to beat UT off the edge.

They ran on 39.6% of their plays on the night. Had they connected on some of the first down passes in 1st half or Rocco hits Noel for the first quarter TD, it’s likely a different game.

They had to do show run to some degree.
40% of total plays
55% on first downs
Isn’t stubbornly beating your head into the wall. It’s balanced.

Could ISU have won it going full air raid? Maybe. But the game swung after the long TD drive, forced 3 and out, INT, give up 3 play TD.

After that ISU 7 play, 83 yd 3:34 TD drive — 1:15 of game time elapsed and the whole game changed.
ISU routinely runs on 1st downs after big plays, meaning 15 yards or more.
 

BWRhasnoAC

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I thought they should have at least tried to get the line backers moving laterally so there might be some cut backs but nope. Inside zone for nothing over and over.
 
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Cyforce

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Averaged 6.3 yards per play. What more do you want? Texas Averaged six. If Rocco drops back and passes every play there's no way he finishes the game.
 
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CYDJ

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I understand your comments and feel your frustration.

Our offense, like most offenses, is structured around the RP option. I don't care for all the called plays up the middle, but in reality, it sets up the passing game and that is how it works. Get over it. You will never see MC ever abandon the running game until the last four minutes, especially if we are within the a one score game, which we were.

All of the slants were working because we never abandoned the run. Slants will not work if linebackers immediately float into their hook zone. You want a real disaster, abandon the run and watch watch the opponent tee off with their dlineman, drop 7, and get an interception. Oh yeah, that happened last night.

BTW, our two TD passes were set up by freezing linebackers because they know we never will abandon the running game. Please think a little deeper on offense strategy.
Great points. I am wondering if any of that can be set up with runs that don't start with run directly into one of the 4 dlinemen? We were creating no gaps. There was nothing to run through. However, I don't have enough knowledge to know if that can actually set up a slant. Maybe those are different things. I guess the LBs won't be tricked into thinking the RB has the ball just behind the big linemen IF it is pitched.

I think some of the folks here were not frustrated with the fact that we ran, so much as, the fact that we ran directly into a pretty darn good d-line a yard or two behind the line of scrimmage so much.

Thanks for the good explanations though.
 
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Cloned4Life

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You’re making some valid points here. We likely weren’t going to get much yards on the ground outside of complete trick/blind side. I fail to think we have the speed/vision yet this season to beat UT off the edge.

They ran on 39.6% of their plays on the night. Had they connected on some of the first down passes in 1st half or Rocco hits Noel for the first quarter TD, it’s likely a different game.

They had to do show run to some degree.
40% of total plays
55% on first downs
Isn’t stubbornly beating your head into the wall. It’s balanced.

Could ISU have won it going full air raid? Maybe. But the game swung after the long TD drive, forced 3 and out, INT, give up 3 play TD.

After that ISU 7 play, 83 yd 3:34 TD drive — 1:15 of game time elapsed and the whole game changed.
Balance for the sake of balance - when it is completely ineffective - absolutely is beating your head into a wall.

Early downs were continuously wasted last night, as they have been all year.

When this offense has “passed to setup the run” - it has shown to be very effective.

No one is (seriously) calling for “air raid” (although the funny thing about true “air raid” is that it essentially serves as a very effective ‘run’ game through passing). It is fair, however, for fans to voice frustration and wonder if this offense at times is not schematically and strategically giving itself the best chance to sustain drives.
 
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CYEATHAWK

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I understand your comments and feel your frustration.

Our offense, like most offenses, is structured around the RP option. I don't care for all the called plays up the middle, but in reality, it sets up the passing game and that is how it works. Get over it. You will never see MC ever abandon the running game until the last four minutes, especially if we are within the a one score game, which we were.

All of the slants were working because we never abandoned the run. Slants will not work if linebackers immediately float into their hook zone. You want a real disaster, abandon the run and watch watch the opponent tee off with their dlineman, drop 7, and get an interception. Oh yeah, that happened last night.

BTW, our two TD passes were set up by freezing linebackers because they know we never will abandon the running game. Please think a little deeper on offense strategy.



Another side to that coin. Coaches know exactly what Matt is going to do. Why do you think Dean's TD was such a surprise? It wasn't because ISU was running all over them. Why do you think ISU has almost 350 passing? ISU could have done that all game, every play because Texas, like KU was banking that Matt wasn't going to abandon his run game no matter what.................ever. Not even after that surprise pass, 300+ passing yards, only 7 yards of rushing, down 10 points with 6 minutes left in the 4th quarter. To the bitter end. Who the heck is he keeping honest at that point? Texas is just saying.......thank you very much.

They say you can't pass every play.................could of last night. Especially late in the game.

But hey, good game against a very good team. Too bad it's ISU's last shot against them. Unlike many I enjoy seeing ISU play against the Texas and Oklahoma's of the world and have for years.
 
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