forums

Interesting Note on the Run Game (and Praise for Zach Carpenter)

Let me just say: We are 4-0, I'm happy as shiggity!!!

Now to the asinine stats regarding our running game. Those stats mean nothing. Those stats tell us not to believe our eyes. We know our lead back is not running the rock. I don't much care for his "hesitating move." If you are 235 lb's then show it sometimes!!!!

Martinez' NFL stock isn't looking too good right now.
 
Advertisement
When Mario was hired, my friend who is a USC alum/fan told me, "Well, at least you'll have a great O line." Boy, was he not wrong. He also said Mario would waste/hold back offensive talent, but looks like that's not the case anymore!
 
UMercury21 said:
if you remove lyle's 91 yard run garbage time run we averaged 2 yards per carry... they may not be letting people in backfield for TFLs but they aren't opening holes either.
Click to expand...
When teams stack the box to stop the run, it's common to have more defenders than blockers. That's why you need a QB to make them pay down the field. We have that. So, worry not. I'd be far more concerned if we decided we were going to run until we can, into a stacked box. F that.

By the way, if you take away every team's long runs, their average would drop as well.
 
Carpenter has (so far) exceeded all my expectations. The drop off from Lee to him is non existent (so far).

Also the run game has been lackluster but as I’ve stated until Cam is pressured you don’t need it. All you need to do is convert short yardage. We’ve done that, repeatedly. If teams wanna continue to dare Cam to beat them, good luck. It hasn’t faired well for anybody, yet.
 
Last edited:
IbzRlz said:
I get the concern over the run game, but we are #2 in Total Offense at 605 yards/game and tied for #3 in Scoring Offense at 52.3 points/game. Through 4 games, we've scored 209 points, most in program history. As others have said, pick your poison!
Click to expand...

Agree, I say we worry about the running game next year when Emory or a transfer QB takes over
 
Dyalect79 said:
Stack the box and let the Heisman trophy winning Cam Ward destroy your secondary. Sounds like a great idea. 🤪🤪
Click to expand...
Why are they doing this? I've been wondering - it seems like Cam is clearly the bigger threat than our run game, so unclear to me why opposing teams are loading up the box.
 
It kind of makes sense that defenses are playing us like they are. We are VERY difficult to beat if you let us run the ball. It has been like that for a long time.

We are at our worst when we can’t run and teams know it. Before we couldn’t make them pay for cheating run. Those days are over.
 
Swampcity said:
Let me just say: We are 4-0, I'm happy as shiggity!!!

Now to the asinine stats regarding our running game. Those stats mean nothing. Those stats tell us not to believe our eyes. We know our lead back is not running the rock. I don't much care for his "hesitating move." If you are 235 lb's then show it sometimes!!!!

Martinez' NFL stock isn't looking too good right now.
Click to expand...
Well let’s take a look at Martinez’s carries against USF and see if we can find the problem. It was only 11 so it won’t take long.

First half first drive: USF sends the house and hits the running back as soon as he takes the handoff and loses 3 yards. He gets another carry a few plays later and gains five yards but USF is offsides so it doesn’t count. He gets one last carry at the two yard line that goes in for a touchdown.

Third drive. He gets one carry for two yards in the red zone. But he does make a 36 yard catch on the drive.

Fifth drive. One carry for 4 yards

Second half 7th possession: One carry from the one yard line for a touchdown.

8th possession. One carry for two yards and one carry at the goal line for 1 yard and a touchdown. (You’re seeing a pattern here)

9th possession. One carry for two. Than another carry for 7 and then a third carry for 10 yards (it’s almost like if you give him second half carries, his production really increases) One last 3 yard run before he heads to the bench.

Final stats : 11 carries for 31 yards 3 touchdowns.

It’s really tough to pile up big yardage when you get 11 carries and 3 of them are in the goal line. But you see how much his production increases when A) you actually give him the ball outside of short yardage and B) in the second half when defenders are getting worn down. Power Backs need touches.
 
Advertisement
DTP said:
Well let’s take a look at Martinez’s carries against USF and see if we can find the problem. It was only 11 so it won’t take long.

First half first drive: USF sends the house and hits the running back as soon as he takes the handoff and loses 3 yards. He gets another carry a few plays later and gains five yards but USF is offsides so it doesn’t count. He gets one last carry at the two yard line that goes in for a touchdown.

Third drive. He gets one carry for two yards in the red zone. But he does make a 36 yard catch on the drive.

Fifth drive. One carry for 4 yards

Second half 7th possession: One carry from the one yard line for a touchdown.

8th possession. One carry for two yards and one carry at the goal line for 1 yard and a touchdown. (You’re seeing a pattern here)

9th possession. One carry for two. Than another carry for 7 and then a third carry for 10 yards (it’s almost like if you give him second half carries, his production really increases) One last 3 yard run before he heads to the bench.

Final stats : 11 carries for 31 yards 3 touchdowns.

It’s really tough to pile up big yardage when you get 11 carries and 3 of them are in the goal line. But you see how much his production increases when A) you actually give him the ball outside of short yardage and B) in the second half when defenders are getting worn down. Power Backs need touches.
Click to expand...
Biggest difference with this team so far is when we need 1 or 2 yards and we use the run game, we get it. I know we all have PTSD from our inability to convert short yardage like that but we haven’t been stopped this year
 
JHallCanes said:
Biggest difference with this team so far is when we need 1 or 2 yards and we use the run game, we get it. I know we all have PTSD from our inability to convert short yardage like that but we haven’t been stopped this year
Click to expand...
We have the line that can finally get push in short yardage. No more having to scheme complex pass plays to pick up 1 yard
 
Bender said:
Hard to do when teams are committing seven people in the box at minimum.
Click to expand...
This and it shows how Mario has grown. No more Gorilla ball and that's what teams have been counting on. They want to load up with 7/8, we're gonna throw it every down. This isn't an issue with their game, we've been vanilla in our approach and he is letting Cam cook. That simple.
 
DTP said:
Well let’s take a look at Martinez’s carries against USF and see if we can find the problem. It was only 11 so it won’t take long.

First half first drive: USF sends the house and hits the running back as soon as he takes the handoff and loses 3 yards. He gets another carry a few plays later and gains five yards but USF is offsides so it doesn’t count. He gets one last carry at the two yard line that goes in for a touchdown.

Third drive. He gets one carry for two yards in the red zone. But he does make a 36 yard catch on the drive.

Fifth drive. One carry for 4 yards

Second half 7th possession: One carry from the one yard line for a touchdown.

8th possession. One carry for two yards and one carry at the goal line for 1 yard and a touchdown. (You’re seeing a pattern here)

9th possession. One carry for two. Than another carry for 7 and then a third carry for 10 yards (it’s almost like if you give him second half carries, his production really increases) One last 3 yard run before he heads to the bench.

Final stats : 11 carries for 31 yards 3 touchdowns.

It’s really tough to pile up big yardage when you get 11 carries and 3 of them are in the goal line. But you see how much his production increases when A) you actually give him the ball outside of short yardage and B) in the second half when defenders are getting worn down. Power Backs need touches.
Click to expand...
I agree power backs need touches. He has had 4 games, the running results remain consistently poor. If we would just admit this is Cam's team and the offense goes as he goes then I"m fine with that.
Just don't try and tell me Martinez is all that. The other backs have found away to show-off their running skills with fewer carries.

Truly I would love to be proven wrong.
 
Swampcity said:
I agree power backs need touches. He has had 4 games, the running results remain consistently poor. If we would just admit this is Cam's team and the offense goes as he goes then I"m fine with that.
Just don't try and tell me Martinez is all that. The other backs have found away to show-off their running skills with fewer carries.

Truly I would love to be proven wrong.
Click to expand...
You totally missed the point of my response. If he was getting late game carries against worn down defenses, he’d probably have better numbers. Look at our four running back rotation and when they tend to get their most work. You’ll see that the guys gaining the most yardage are mostly playing later in the game vs the guys who are playing earlier against fresh defenses.
 
Advertisement
DTP said:
You totally missed the point of my response. If he was getting late game carries against worn down defenses, he’d probably have better numbers. Look at our four running back rotation and when they tend to get their most work. You’ll see that the guys gaining the most yardage are mostly playing later in the game vs the guys who are playing earlier against fresh defenses.
Click to expand...

Damien Martinez lead the country in first half rushing yards last season. To think that this man has fallen off when he is surrounded by more talent is crazy. He's not getting the carries like he was getting at Oregon State because we are a more balance offense, and he isn't the only person who has to eat.
 
demcanes26 said:
Damien Martinez lead the country in first half rushing yards last season. To think that this man has fallen off when he is surrounded by more talent is crazy. He's not getting the carries like he was getting at Oregon State because we are a more balance offense, and he isn't the only person who has to eat.
Click to expand...
Exactly. He didn’t forget how to play football. He’s just not getting the touches he was getting at OSU.
 
Swampcity said:
Let me just say: We are 4-0, I'm happy as shiggity!!!

Now to the asinine stats regarding our running game. Those stats mean nothing. Those stats tell us not to believe our eyes. We know our lead back is not running the rock. I don't much care for his "hesitating move." If you are 235 lb's then show it sometimes!!!!

Martinez' NFL stock isn't looking too good right now.
Click to expand...
This is the point I'm getting to with Martinez. I've been giving him the benefit of the doubt, but there's a fine line between running patient and running hesitant/soft.

Someone needs to light a fire under him.
 
Swampcity said:
I agree power backs need touches. He has had 4 games, the running results remain consistently poor. If we would just admit this is Cam's team and the offense goes as he goes then I"m fine with that.
Just don't try and tell me Martinez is all that. The other backs have found away to show-off their running skills with fewer carries.

Truly I would love to be proven wrong.
Click to expand...
Here's how Dawson explained it:

They came out and they put everybody in the box, which was kind of shocking to me. I think we're good at both, so you pick your poison. Which one do you want to defend? If you want to do what South Florida did and put everybody in the box and play man coverage, then we're probably not going to have a lot of explosive runs.

It literally is no more complicated than that.

Balance means the ability to run and pass. It doesn't mean you'll perform equally when the D is so overplaying one or the other
 
Back
Top