Talking about our three running backs.
I really liked seeing Marsh's Williams out there. I think Fuentes could really use his size and explosiveness on counters, traps and short yardage.
In Shai, we have a guy that can do a little bit of everything. I like his ability to shift, bounce to the outside and still play with some power. The only thing missing is that we haven't seen him on a consistent basis. But as French pointed out, Shai has made a case for himself to get more playing time.
On MacMillan, he is really the home run hitter, he showed he can catch out of the back against BC. It'll only add to the number of ways Fuente can use him. No doubt his speed is top notch in the ACC and maybe even nationally in comparison to other running backs but it's kinda early in the season.
Note I didn't include Sam Rogers because I find that fuente is kinda using him as a hybrid hb, te, rb or whatever we can exploit.
Overall, I like how the running game is coming together. Throw in Evans in the mix from qb spot who can run too. Fuente likes using a lot of weapons in his offense, and I think our running backs can present him with some solid options. I can see us either using multiple guys in a game or going with the hot hand in times of need. Should be interesting to see how it turns out.
Comments
I wish we'd give each of them a few series in a row and really see what we have. Still prefer having 1 guy at RB with a 2nd that can take maybe 20-25% of the snaps and a specialist/short yardage/goal line type of guy.
Really expected shai to get more run, but the last run he had for negative yardage something didn't look right compared to how he'd been running earlier this season. Could have been the 3-4 guys in the backfield on that long drawn out player but he looked tentative in making a cut.
If it ain't broke don't fix it.
Think it's a bit early (3 games, 2 against real opponents) to say if it's broke or not. Take away the 1 long run against UTjr and the #s don't look as good.
With Tmac's long run 143 carries for 615 yards and a 4.3 YPC average.
Without 142 carries for 3.8 ypc average.
2015 545 carries for 2071 yards and a 3.8 ypc average just for another reference point.
But those long runs are set up by the previous play calling.
I don't like it, too much shane. we need one workhorse, one goal-line/short yardage guy and then a 3rd string for blow-outs.
our redzone efficiency is through the roof right now. you no longer need a power run game if you can spread a team out and throw it in. the misdirection and the miss match that Rodgers creates in the redzone is tough to over come no matter what you do as a D you will have a LB trying to chase Sam and that's a match up we are going to win a lot more than we lose specially with a good play action. Same goes for short yardage. Weve almost gone exclusively to QB runs and or the option on short yardage situations. this is not a team anymore that is going line up in the goal line offense and try and power right up the middle. love it or hate it I think that's what we got now.
It's amazing how quickly we all forget about how absolutely horrid we were in the red zone two seasons ago. We are killing it this year.
2016
13 scores on 14 trips -- 93% Total RZ Efficiency
10 of out 14 trips are TDs -- 71% TD rate when in RZ
2015
45-52 -- 87%
33-52 -- 63%
2014
42-48 -- 88%
25-48 -- 52%
2013
31-42 -- 74%
23-42 -- 55%
Well at least the last two years showed improvement! /s
If you treat a successful red zone trip as 7 points and assume we hit all our PAT on the TDs you list, we end up with this:
2016 - 81%
2015 - 73%
2014 - 67%
2013 - 63%
I honestly feel like this is how they should rate red zone efficiency, if they don't already. Sure, you could conceivably get 114% if you always scored TDs and 2 pt conversions, but you could just call it a "rating" instead of "percentage" and let that ridiculous team have a rating of 114.
I am surprised that points per red zone trip isn't the stat everyone uses, it's much more telling
The 52% in 2014 is what I was referencing. Not great Bob.
Love it.
Generally I'd agree with this, but Fuente has a completely different offense. Now, my attitude may change if it becomes a problem. But right now...
If it ain't broke don't fix it.
I think the days of one workhouse back are long gone in all of football. Look at how many NFL teams are taking the committee approach. Doesn't mean it doesn't work any other way, but it seems teams are taking multiple running backs and applying them in different ways.
the crazy thing is you mentioned all those guys and we still have a package for bucky running the ball which he was pretty effective against Tennessee until we kinda went away from the run game and I still think henry murphy has a spot running the ball on jets as well and can be very effective in that roll. we showed a little of that in the opener and don't think it was just a coincidence. I fully believe that each we week the game plan will find a weakness in the D and exploit it with whatever player can best do so in this system. the coaches are doing an unbelievable job right now, I cannot even explain how excited I am for the future. I fully believe the best is yet to some that we are just barely skimming the water right now.
Awesome having so many talented backs. Obviously T-Mac is the go to
but Marshawn and Shai have each shown some great flashes this year.
Will be interesting how they're utilized.
I feel like people have just ignored French's Memphis reviews when they want a feature back.
Memphis didn't have the ability to recruit the type of athletes we can have at VT.
Will be interesting to see if talent influences his style. At TCU, Fuente did much of the same. Don't believe any of the below were very highly recruited and believe Tucker was the only one that went NFL, one season as an undrafted free agent. Rushing statistics:
2009
Joseph Turner 147 carries
Matthew Tucker 105 carries
Ed Wesley 101 carries
2010
Ed Wesley 166 carries
Matthew Tucker 148 carries
Waymon James 87 carries
2011
Matthew Tucker 123 carries
Waymon James 121 carries
Ed Wesley 120 carries
Or just football in general
If you have a talented enough player at the position plenty of teams still have feature backs. I know people hate comparing us to the Alabama, ohio state, lsu's of the world etc but it's not as if feature backs don't still exist.
Dalvin Cook
Fournette
Chubb
Freeman etc.
If we truly had one back that was great I think he'd be earning the lion's share of the carries. I don't think Fuente knows if he has that yet in any of our RBs though.
TMac has more carries than Bama's number 1RB.
Good point... and when you're running 20 more plays a game, there's more carries to go around and a higher premium on keeping legs fresh for the rest of the game/season.
this is the first year in I can't remember how long that bama doesn't have a show case/feature back. Part of it has to do with their offense being a mess and hurts might end up leading them in rushing.
None of our guys are as good as those four you just mentioned.
On the other hand, I see your point with a guy like Chubb because he has an all-world backup in Sony Michel, and Michel only has ~10 carries so far this year.
Those teams also run a completely different scheme. LSU's plan just ignores using the QB to do anything but hand off and hope your really good RB wins the games.
Fournette isn't only LSU's feature back, he's pretty much their entire offense.
The problem with this approach is your offense goes in the tank when it's built around a single player and you lose them to injury. Granted, most teams can't afford to lose a starting QB but if Georgia loses Chubb (again) or LSU loses Fournette to injury they are dead in the water. I think when people pine for a feature back its because of our running game issues under LOLoeffler and Shane. We had a RB committee and no success so its easy to correlate the two.. Its also easy to remember the years of KJ, EW, RMFW, and David Wilson and think its better but as French has alluded, this offense is an entirely different design. The days of 30-carry backs are gone. If we can rack up 223 yards on 50 attempts I could care less how many players are in the rotation.
Fixed that for you.
I really liked French's Memphis review. I think it showed the number of weapons Fuente creates from his offense. In Jon gruden sit down with paxton Lynch, he constantly said you don't know what's coming. Like in French review, we saw how he exploited the jet sweep and that's just one wrinkle.
Which is why I like the three headed monsters and more than that CJF will use wr, te, hb anyone to run it. What's intriguing is he sets up in same formation and runs so many plays. I think our 3 rb can contribute in a number of ways. I don't think we need to have the guy but I think as long as they are used effectively, it bodes well for us. As for marshawn getting a bunch of carries, it may have had to do with us winning big at that point in the game and it being his first run out there.
Fuente gets giddy when talking about JUICE and I wouldn't be surprised if he continues to see more carries. Memphis's Doroland Dorceus meet VT's Marshawn Williams
1a-McMillian
1b- Juice
2 Sam or Shai
We just put up 49 points and 200+ yds rushing on a very good defense while using multiple backs and people are still calling for a feature back. WHY???
...BECAUSE IT'S 5 WHOLE DAYS TIL THE NEXT GAME AND WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING!!!!
ITS NOT THE OFF-SEASON SO THERE ARE PLENTY MORE USEFUL THINGS TO TALK ABOUT, LIKE HOW LOLUVA SUCKS AGAIN AND FUCK MATT RYAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BUT WE ALREADY HAVE THREADS FOR THAT!!!!!!
What's funny is I typed that first comment and posted without even realizing I had caps on. Can you guess who works in CAD all day?
Uh yeah, I totally didn't realize I had my caps lock on either...
There was supposed to be a /s on the end of there ;)
Hatin' On thread is up, we can close this one now! /s
Rotating backs isn't really a problem. What was bad under Shane's rotation was:
a) the rotation always somehow ended up with JC Coleman being slammed into the middle of the line on 3rd and 1;
b) In 2015 they were rotating between a really good back (McMillian), a back unable to see holes when they were there (Coleman), and a back who looked hurt and was running in mud (Edmunds). In 2014 they were rotating between a really good back (McKenzie or Williams when they were healthy), a back unable to see holes when they were there (Coleman), and a back who looked hurt and was running in mud (Edmunds).
you're leaving out the most important part...the use of the backs showed our hand...depending on personnel and alignment the defense could narrow down the possible plays that were about to be called to about 1.
This is the main difference between cjf and lol lefty. Fuentes/cornelson are unpredictable
The play was either going to be a jet sweep for 2 yards or a bubble screen for 2 yards.
OR Fuente and Cornelsen are working on building a QB's confidence by giving him easy completions to reliable targets such that the blocking strategies we employ emphasize the importance of blocking at and around the line of scrimmage while gaining yardage, scoring points against in-conference competition, and teaching the fundamentals of running a new offense that maximizes the number of options that can be run out of any given formation.
You say potato...
Because recruiting.
Let's not forget one of the top attributes of a back in Fuente's system, the ability to catch the ball. Right now I think T-Mac obviously has the edge in that department. Shai has shown some flashes and obviously Sam has some amazing pass catching skills, but I'm thinking the staff might be wanting to see more pass catching ability and explosiveness in that game before settling on a definitive rotation. Marshawn is a beast, but I can't recall him having shown good hands in the passing game.
Williams caught some balls out in the flat this game. But yeah, I can't recall him ever releasing from the flat and catching.
Just don't play any harp music around them
One of the big differences I have noticed this year too is how defenses can't predict exactly what we are going to do based on which RB is in the game. When Juice came in I almost expected him to tank it between the tackles every time he touched the ball but he was quickly used in the perimeter run game/speed option. While T-Mac, Shai, and Juice are all a little different they are still all well rounded enough to be used in a number of different roles which will only assist the unpredictability of this offense.
Also we have to remember the tempo issue. T-Mac getting 30+ touches in this offense just isn't feasible. Personally I'm excited to see more like what we saw Saturday where the opposing defense is absolutely dragging by the middle of the 3rd quarter and our 3-4 headed monster is still fresh and ready to grind.
Somebody mentioned it before, but I am not sure they threw the ball to Williams at all on Saturday. That could be the only clue as to what kind of play is coming.
But I was also very happy when I saw Sam and a running back on the field at the same time. That gives the offense more options and the defense more worries.
At a certain point, when you're up by 30 and making it look real easy in the process, you don't pull out all your tricks.
Exactly what I was thinking regarding Tempo. I haven't been able to watch any of the games (saw BOB live but couldn't see anything). How do our RBs look heading into the second half? Are they fresh or do they look tired? I do remember the few snippets I've seen and Bucky has his hands on his hips. 1, 5, 7 are playing every down and have got to get tired in this tempo. If we can keep the RBs fresh and hungry, all the better for our O.
Backs look fresh to me. Bucky does tend to look winded after he's run a deep pattern. Probably because his red blood cells have decided to unionize given the ridiculous distances they must travel, and have negotiated frequent rest breaks.
Who is fastr? Trey mac or Wilson?
uh... Wilson. Dude ran down a rabbit.
Dragon has wheels, but Wilson is definitely faster.
TMac also has pretty dang good vision and patience, while wilson had......... not so much. Speed, the most incredible balance I have ever seen, and good shiftiness, but man, wilson was so prone to running up his blockers arse that I wouldnt be surprised if he became a proctologist at some point in time. great back for VT, and a hell of a nice guy, but TMac has got him beat when it comes to vision and patience.
And, just for good measure...
(whisper, hand cupped to mouth)
DJ Reid is an absolute HOSS.
McMillian, Shai and Marshawn remind me so much of Williams, Evans and Wilson...so yes its a good problem to have.