Should J. Brock be getting more carries?

FeedBreece

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Might get killed for this, but I question Jirhel's vision. He's a big physical guy who runs hard, but he hasn't shown much wiggle either. He has the physical profile to be a one cut downhill back like Breece, but when he gets the ball he's been kind of a no-cut back. He tends to get strung out without getting the corner and has had a pretty high pad level.

He's been great in pass protection and had a key 1st down reception against OSU. He hasn't gotten many pivotal carries, and it's hard to tell if he can take over as the clear number one. It's kind of anyone's guess how the staff view our remaining backs because Brock has been on the field for far more important snaps, but Silas has gotten more carries to show what he can do, although it's usually in garbage time.
I do think we push up a little extra out of our 4 star recruits, which why there’s such strong hype and a lack of criticism around guys like him. (There’s probably a fraction of this board who still think Scates will break out)
 
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harimad

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I'm not going to disagree with your assessment. But I keep hearing people refer to bowl games as "an exhibition game". When ISU plays a NAIA or Div 2 team in basketball and the outcome doesn't appear on the team's season W/L record, that is an exhibition game. When a team finishes with a win in a bowl game and it bumps their season record from 9 wins to 10 it is no more an exhibition game than the non-conference games with which they started the season. All the wins matter.
You make a good point.
 
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isufbcurt

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Yes he needs carries, if for no other reason that any opposing DC with 1/4 of a brain knows that when #21 is in the game it's a pass play.

It's like we are scared to run the ball with any one else besides Breece (unless the game is out of reach). We need to be able to hand the ball off when Breece is getting a break.
 
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TheNatureRoy

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I'm going to reserve judgement on Brock until he gets more opportunities to get into a groove. I haven't seen the 'magic' I was hoping to from him yet, but I don't think the necessarily means he doesn't have it. Some guys look great as garbage time/change of pace backs, but fall flat as lead runners, and others don't show what they have until they are the top dog.

Breece didn't show much magic either until he was given significant carries at West Virginia his Freshman year. He's looked like a different runner ever since.

Watch Brock's highlights from HS and all-star games -- he is very sudden and can make dynamic cuts. I don't think we'll have any idea what the 'real' Jirehl Brock will look like stylistically or how good he actually is until next year.
 

RezClone

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I do think we push up a little extra out of our 4 star recruits, which why there’s such strong hype and a lack of criticism around guys like him. (There’s probably a fraction of this board who still think Scates will break out)
I think you're onto something. there's some truth to that in football for sure.

Basketball is a different story. We have been more demanding and much less forgiving to our 4 star bball guys who don't hit the ground running fairly consistently.
 

Cyclad

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Just wondered what others are thinking about J. Brock. He gets quite a few snaps, but rarely gets to carry the ball. 14 carries for 60 yards this season. In November he has 3 carries for 3 yards. Of course a lot of his carries have been near the end of games when the other team is sending everyone to stop the run. Just curious what others think.
No
I have never seen him make 1 guy miss.
I doubt he starts next year.
 

Frak

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Jihrel is going to be 1,000 yard back next year. Dude is a complete three down back, but can't help that he's stuck behind an all world guy in Breece.

I doubt that. Brock hasn’t shown anything that he can be the main RB. If I were to bet, I’d say Silas leads the team in rushing yards next year.
 
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t-noah

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I think it is crap to sit out a bowl game. Very selfish.
Who are we to say it's selfish? You or the player? Oh, you, OK. You're right.

It's up to the player. He can do what he wants and has earned it, whatever he decides. IMO.
 
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Reteur

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HaHa! I agree the player has seconds of the time to decide what he has to do, I never blame a player who sometimes won and we feel proud!
 

MisterO

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I think J. Brock will be terrific next year.

I don’t want to look ahead too much- still lots of season to enjoy with the current team first…but I don’t think we see a massive drop off next year. We have a lot of young guys that are contributing and we’ve seen flashes of what they can do. CMC is building a program- we’ll just reload and rebuild and keep rolling.
 
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Cycsk

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Players. Formations. Plays.

Hall is one of the best running backs in the country -- he gets every touch he can.

Seeing the other RBs on the roster play well makes me feel better for the future, though. Hall is not going to be here much longer. Nice not feeling we're bound for a "succession crisis" after the reign of King Hall, sort of like how we fretted about the position when David Montgomery left for the NFL early.

Many asked similar things about Kene!
 

Al_4_State

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So he should risk injury and potentially millions of dollars for some swag and the fans feeling happy?

That’s exactly what he’s doing now.

I don’t have strong feelings on sitting out bowl games, but if your stance is that bowl games don’t matter, why play at all after being eliminated from the playoffs?
 

Al_4_State

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I’ll be honest, I think J Brock will be more of a role player, with Silas being the feature back. Silas has shown more explosiveness in his limited action.

Brock is an awesome blocker and reliable receiver. I see him being the consummate 3rd down back.
 
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MisterO

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I’ll be honest, I think J Brock will be more of a role player, with Silas being the feature back. Silas has shown more explosiveness in his limited action.

Brock is an awesome blocker and reliable receiver. I see him being the consummate 3rd down back.
I hate to say it, because I respect how J Brock has accepted his role and I want him to get touches, but I agree. Silas has explosiveness and attitude- almost a ‘I dare you to try to stop me’ mindset. He has played well when he’s gotten the chance.

J Brock will get his share, but Silas will probably be the feature. They’ll make a good 1-2 punch.
 

discydisc

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That’s exactly what he’s doing now.

I don’t have strong feelings on sitting out bowl games, but if your stance is that bowl games don’t matter, why play at all after being eliminated from the playoffs?
I was originally replying to someone who said sitting out the bowl game would be selfish and 'crap', I'll support whatever he wants to do, hope he plays in the bowl game but certainly wouldn't hold it against him if he chose otherwise.
 

Cyhig

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No - J Brock will be the lead back next year. Keep the tread on the tires fresh.
 

JimDogRock

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If JB was getting unproductive touches when games are undecided there would be a lot of people clamoring about taking the ball out of Hall, Kolar, and X's hands.

I don't see people taking issue when Chase Allen is lined up essentially as an offensive tackle in an unbalanced line set because he's covered up by a receiver. There is almost assuredly zero plays in the book where he could be getting the ball when this happens. But yet we run plays out of these formations.

Players, formations, plays.
 

CyCloned

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I doubt that. Brock hasn’t shown anything that he can be the main RB. If I were to bet, I’d say Silas leads the team in rushing yards next year.

So far Brock has looked like a fast FB to me. He has decent speed, but he doesn't even try to make people miss. We will see what he does next year. Maybe he is just needs more snaps.
 

TopCy

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That’s exactly what he’s doing now.

I don’t have strong feelings on sitting out bowl games, but if your stance is that bowl games don’t matter, why play at all after being eliminated from the playoffs?

NFL teams don't penalize players who skip bowls in terms of draft position, so if guys think they'll be more healthy and fresh for combines, workouts, etc. it makes a lot of sense to skip a bowl. But the perception is that skipping regular season games would be viewed negatively by pro teams.

Plus most teams are much more focused on conference championships than the near-impossible task of making the playoffs, so there's a lot to play for until you're officially eliminated in the conference standings.
 

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