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An overlooked improvement

BWCD said:
Include the designed runs for Beck that we had last year maybe becoming more of a thing with Mensah as the season wears on. I think that wrinkle would do us good as long as Mensah doesn't take any wild shots as a runner.
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He needs to start taking the free 6 immediately. Teams are dropping into the ether.
 
People are about to **** on Fletcher if Mallory keeps this up and call for him to lose carries. Idk if you ****heads know this, but you need at least 2 good rbs if you want to make a run (Fletcher and Brown in 2025). Now that Marty is out, Mallory has taken that next step. Enjoy the two guys we have now.
 
I truly do believe we are not doing as much single back and particularly pistol because of all the two back sets we are doing. Partially due to the fact we need to appease all our guys who want to play.
Partially it helps with deception and puts tendencies on film that we will take advantage of with trick plays and wheel routes.
 
DMoney said:
2025 (on October 19th)

Rushing Yards Per Game- 86th (133.6 Yards)

Rushing Yards Per Carry- 93rd (3.8 YPC)

2026

Rushing Yards Per Game- 34th (185.8 yards)

Rushing Yards Per Carry- 19th (5.2 YPC)

The schedule has something to do with it, but I think the improvement in the run game is real. The OL is getting better, TE blocking has improved from last year and the Fletcher/Mallory combo is rolling.
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OK but then do the rest of the season. Come on man.

I have no problem saying we have a nice running game. But the comparison is silly.
 
skeeter said:
DMoney said:
2025 (on October 19th)

Rushing Yards Per Game- 86th (133.6 Yards)

Rushing Yards Per Carry- 93rd (3.8 YPC)

2026

Rushing Yards Per Game- 34th (185.8 yards)

Rushing Yards Per Carry- 19th (5.2 YPC)

The schedule has something to do with it, but I think the improvement in the run game is real. The OL is getting better, TE blocking has improved from last year and the Fletcher/Mallory combo is rolling.
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OK but then do the rest of the season. Come on man.

I have no problem saying we have a nice running game. But the comparison is silly.
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Last year’s running game sputtered in ACC play, too. It picked up a little with Pringle in November and then excelled in the playoffs.
 
We’re right about that point in the season where people start to trash Fletcher and proclaim someone else the best back on the team (two years ago it was Lyle, last year Pringle) Come the end of the year when the games really matter and Fletcher actually starts getting second half carries against tired defenses, we will forget all about this thread.
 
DMoney said:
2025 (on October 19th)

Rushing Yards Per Game- 86th (133.6 Yards)

Rushing Yards Per Carry- 93rd (3.8 YPC)

2026

Rushing Yards Per Game- 34th (185.8 yards)

Rushing Yards Per Carry- 19th (5.2 YPC)

The schedule has something to do with it, but I think the improvement in the run game is real. The OL is getting better, TE blocking has improved from last year and the Fletcher/Mallory combo is rolling.
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People forget our running game was pretty stagnant until the playoffs. I will say, they were more physical last year. Always pushing the pile for extra yards.
 
Hurracanes said:
Love Mark the person, like him as a player. He is too stiff and lacks vision, at times. It frustrates me, admittedly. Mallory adds a level to the run game that Fletcher doesn’t have.

Lyle’s coming out party is coming soon. Not sure what we are doing with Pringle. Kid is talented and can be a weapon.
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Agreed.

I have a play that I think is 6. Work with me…

Start in two back, motion Pringle wide. Reverse pass Mali to Pringle. Can also do double reverse. And let Pringle run.

Could be saving it, but Mali just attracts so much attention
 
Totally agree on this and the offense is as balanced as it was in the back half of 2024 when we started a bit slow in the running game and then back to our 2000-2002 years when the balance on offense was what made us so hard to beat.
 
The OL and holes seem to get better as games go on

Love me some Fletch but if he’s banged up let’s ride with Mallory and Lyle for the next few weeks before ND

Let Fletcher get healthy
 
On our remaining schedule Pitt and ND are 1 & 2 in YPA-allowed. Duke and VTech are above average.

Wake is #10. No one else has run the ball as well against them as we did, and we played Congdon zero snaps that game. They shut down UL's rushing attack which is top 5 in the country in YPA. Everyone else we have played sucks at stopping the run.

Pitt game on Saturday will tell us a lot about our run game and our OL.
 
DTP said:
We’re right about that point in the season where people start to trash Fletcher and proclaim someone else the best back on the team (two years ago it was Lyle, last year Pringle) Come the end of the year when the games really matter and Fletcher actually starts getting second half carries against tired defenses, we will forget all about this thread.
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Yep, couldn't have said it any better, it has been old for 2 years. Miami doesn't get to the title game without Mark. The hate is something I will never understand.
 
OrangeBowlMagic said:
I also like to look at 20+ yard runs.

In 2025, we averaged 0.6 such runs per game. We only had 9 runs of 20+ yards in 15 FBS games.

In 2026, we have 6 already, in 5 games. 1.2 per game. Literally double.

We're not quite to that 2024 level, though. We had 21 in 12 games (1.75 per game). But we're trending where we need to be. The really good teams rip off close to 2 of these runs every single game.

When you have Mensah and Mali and this passing game, if you can rip off 20+ yard runs a couple times a week, you're borderline impossible to stop.

By the way, Javian Mallory is now at 6.07 yards per carry against FBS teams. I'm not envious of anyone who has to determine playing time for this backfield, we know what Fletcher is and how good he is in pass pro, and now you've got Mallory emerging as one of the best players on the team and Lyle looked like he was running really hard Saturday night. Even losing Marty and not even really deploying Pringle, this still looks like a very formidable RB group.

IMO we still have a lot to get to in the running game as well. Virtually no pistol yet to this point, and obviously we know that's in the playbook. Very little 2 back sets where we run wide. I wouldn't hate seeing 11 personnel, but put Lofton in the backfield in split backs and run wide zone with him leading the way. Can also get him into the flats and vertical. There's still so much Dawson can do that we haven't shown yet because of our versatility.
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Mallory is the best back on this team. Will be our best back since Duke.
 
Shooter McGavin said:
People are about to **** on Fletcher if Mallory keeps this up and call for him to lose carries. Idk if you ****heads know this, but you need at least 2 good rbs if you want to make a run (Fletcher and Brown in 2025). Now that Marty is out, Mallory has taken that next step. Enjoy the two guys we have now.
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Pringle played well too. I love where the room is at right now. A strength for sure.
 
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