I think people are chasing the dragon a bit because of Myles Gaskin. We were spoiled having him for 4 years, and people like Fudgie really want one of the 47 RBs on the roster to break away from the pack and be the next Gaskin. So Fudgie is putting down McGrew, who’s a genuinely good but not elite player, because we already know he isn’t ever going to be Gaskin. Then he can Doog it up about the unproven RBs because there’s a small chance that they could be a diamond in the rough.
I agree that’s it’s frustrating to give a ton of carries to McGrew/Pleasant/Newton when the younger guys like Cam Davis have shown occasional flashes. But those established guys are still solid players, and the likelihood is that the young guys aren’t going any better than them. If they were, then they’d be getting a ton of carries over established guys like Gaskin did early on.
Blame KB for missing on all the big time RB recruits, but I don’t think he plays objectively worse players just because they’ve been around longer.
If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with.
In this case, love the best of the ones your with.
Washington's biggest bowl wins were all with solid but not great RBs. 1984 Orange Bowl (J. Robinson) 1992 Rose Bowl (Barry and Bryant) 2001 Rose Bowl (Rich Alexis and Willie Hurst) Total NFL carries for this group: 0.
You’re cherry picking.
‘85: Jacques Robinson, RICK FENNEY
‘92: Beno Bryant, Jay Barry, NAPOLEON KAUFMAN
‘01: Willie Hurst, Braxton Cleman, Rich Alexis, Paul Arnold
These are three of the best RB rooms UW has ever seen. Fenney and Kaufman both had long NFL careers.
Thanks for making my point. Fudge: “we’re not winning a NY6 without an NFL guy at RB”
1985: 7-5. Won Freedom Bowl (lost multiple defensive starters off Orange Bowl Champs) 1992: 9-3 Lost Rose bowl (Lost Stan Empterman and Billy Joe Hobart. Dana Hall, 3 additional defensive starters) 2001: 8-4 Lost Holiday Bowl (Lost Tui)
Key Trends: lost elite college QBs and defensive stalwarts.
All those great NFL RBS couldn’t deliver an NY6 Bowl win.
1996: 9-3 Lost Holiday Bowl
Only two UW NY6 winning teams with a star running back:
Joe Steele in the 1978 Rose Bowl. Steele missed more than half the game due to injury. A mobile QB named Warren Moon delivered the goods and Washington’s TUFF defense stopped Michigan.
Greg Lewis in the 1991 Rosebowl. Lewis got help from a mobile Mark Brunel and the Stan Empterman, et all led elite defense.
This obsession with breakaway speed and taking it to the house is overrated … you can count on one hand the number of times this is even in playing during the year
When it’s there you obviously want it to go the distance
That said, I want the RB that turns no gain into 3, 2 into 6, has the balance and body lean to always fall forward. Those incremental yards are really the difference between a good and average/bad RB
You should warn Saban, Swinney, and Ryan Day about this weird obsession. Maybe they would stop getting the top RBs who can house it from 60 yards while also falling forward for extra yards, etc., don't forget the body lean.
Bottom line for a CFP/NY6 program is that you have guys who can shorten drives with long ass plays from EVERY skill position. Especially against winning P5 programs, not to mention elite programs.
People think think Myles wasn't a guy who could "house it." He absolutely was. Two TD runs of 80+, multiple TD runs over 40 including 65 against PSU in crunch time under the bright lights. You need a RB like that every season.
McGrew is not that guy. He gets caught from behind in the open field. Plus he can't break tackles or shed defenders.
He was a 100 meter guy who somehow can't accelerate when he's at the third level. Good back, solid production, but not. good. enough. IMO.
This obsession with breakaway speed and taking it to the house is overrated … you can count on one hand the number of times this is even in playing during the year
When it’s there you obviously want it to go the distance
That said, I want the RB that turns no gain into 3, 2 into 6, has the balance and body lean to always fall forward. Those incremental yards are really the difference between a good and average/bad RB
You should warn Saban, Swinney, and Ryan Day about this weird obsession. Maybe they would stop getting the top RBs who can house it from 60 yards while also falling forward for extra yards, etc., don't forget the body lean.
Bottom line for a CFP/NY6 program is that you have guys who can shorten drives with long ass plays from EVERY skill position. Especially against winning P5 programs, not to mention elite programs.
People think think Myles wasn't a guy who could "house it." He absolutely was. Two TD runs of 80+, multiple TD runs over 40 including 65 against PSU in crunch time under the bright lights. You need a RB like that every season.
McGrew is not that guy. He gets caught from behind in the open field. Plus he can't break tackles or shed defenders.
He was a 100 meter guy who somehow can't accelerate when he's at the third level. Good back, solid production, but not. good. enough. IMO.
Completely missing the point
You obviously would love to have someone with breakaway speed ... but even with your point on Myles, those instances are a very small fraction of his overall number of carries.
The reality is that those that combine ALL of the traits are relatively rare. You absolutely want those players and you're right in that players that can bust big plays and shorten drives with quick scores is a great luxury. But you don't HAVE TO HAVE one of those players to win at a high level.
The great example to me is Emmitt Smith ... particularly in the NFL, after his first couple of years he rarely had what you'd consider long carries. One year he had over 1300 yards on the ground with a long of 32 yards for the season. But he just bullied the crap out of you getting 3, 4, 5 yards every single carry.
It's a long way of saying that there's more that goes into being a successful RB besides what one's 40 time is.
This obsession with breakaway speed and taking it to the house is overrated … you can count on one hand the number of times this is even in playing during the year
When it’s there you obviously want it to go the distance
That said, I want the RB that turns no gain into 3, 2 into 6, has the balance and body lean to always fall forward. Those incremental yards are really the difference between a good and average/bad RB
You should warn Saban, Swinney, and Ryan Day about this weird obsession. Maybe they would stop getting the top RBs who can house it from 60 yards while also falling forward for extra yards, etc., don't forget the body lean.
Bottom line for a CFP/NY6 program is that you have guys who can shorten drives with long ass plays from EVERY skill position. Especially against winning P5 programs, not to mention elite programs.
People think think Myles wasn't a guy who could "house it." He absolutely was. Two TD runs of 80+, multiple TD runs over 40 including 65 against PSU in crunch time under the bright lights. You need a RB like that every season.
McGrew is not that guy. He gets caught from behind in the open field. Plus he can't break tackles or shed defenders.
He was a 100 meter guy who somehow can't accelerate when he's at the third level. Good back, solid production, but not. good. enough. IMO.
Completely missing the point
You obviously would love to have someone with breakaway speed ... but even with your point on Myles, those instances are a very small fraction of his overall number of carries.
The reality is that those that combine ALL of the traits are relatively rare. You absolutely want those players and you're right in that players that can bust big plays and shorten drives with quick scores is a great luxury. But you don't HAVE TO HAVE one of those players to win at a high level.
The great example to me is Emmitt Smith ... particularly in the NFL, after his first couple of years he rarely had what you'd consider long carries. One year he had over 1300 yards on the ground with a long of 32 yards for the season. But he just bullied the crap out of you getting 3, 4, 5 yards every single carry.
It's a long way of saying that there's more that goes into being a successful RB besides what one's 40 time is.
Greg Lewis ran a 4.6 and got “hawked” in the secondary, often…..on his way to winning the Doak Walker award
This obsession with breakaway speed and taking it to the house is overrated … you can count on one hand the number of times this is even in playing during the year
When it’s there you obviously want it to go the distance
That said, I want the RB that turns no gain into 3, 2 into 6, has the balance and body lean to always fall forward. Those incremental yards are really the difference between a good and average/bad RB
You should warn Saban, Swinney, and Ryan Day about this weird obsession. Maybe they would stop getting the top RBs who can house it from 60 yards while also falling forward for extra yards, etc., don't forget the body lean.
Bottom line for a CFP/NY6 program is that you have guys who can shorten drives with long ass plays from EVERY skill position. Especially against winning P5 programs, not to mention elite programs.
People think think Myles wasn't a guy who could "house it." He absolutely was. Two TD runs of 80+, multiple TD runs over 40 including 65 against PSU in crunch time under the bright lights. You need a RB like that every season.
McGrew is not that guy. He gets caught from behind in the open field. Plus he can't break tackles or shed defenders.
He was a 100 meter guy who somehow can't accelerate when he's at the third level. Good back, solid production, but not. good. enough. IMO.
Completely missing the point
You obviously would love to have someone with breakaway speed ... but even with your point on Myles, those instances are a very small fraction of his overall number of carries.
The reality is that those that combine ALL of the traits are relatively rare. You absolutely want those players and you're right in that players that can bust big plays and shorten drives with quick scores is a great luxury. But you don't HAVE TO HAVE one of those players to win at a high level.
The great example to me is Emmitt Smith ... particularly in the NFL, after his first couple of years he rarely had what you'd consider long carries. One year he had over 1300 yards on the ground with a long of 32 yards for the season. But he just bullied the crap out of you getting 3, 4, 5 yards every single carry.
It's a long way of saying that there's more that goes into being a successful RB besides what one's 40 time is.
Greg Lewis ran a 4.6 and got “hawked” in the secondary, often…..on his way to winning the Doak Walker award
Greg Lewis ran a 4.6 and got “hawked” in the secondary, often…..on his way to leaving his knee on Husky Stadium turf.
This obsession with breakaway speed and taking it to the house is overrated … you can count on one hand the number of times this is even in playing during the year
When it’s there you obviously want it to go the distance
That said, I want the RB that turns no gain into 3, 2 into 6, has the balance and body lean to always fall forward. Those incremental yards are really the difference between a good and average/bad RB
You should warn Saban, Swinney, and Ryan Day about this weird obsession. Maybe they would stop getting the top RBs who can house it from 60 yards while also falling forward for extra yards, etc., don't forget the body lean.
Bottom line for a CFP/NY6 program is that you have guys who can shorten drives with long ass plays from EVERY skill position. Especially against winning P5 programs, not to mention elite programs.
People think think Myles wasn't a guy who could "house it." He absolutely was. Two TD runs of 80+, multiple TD runs over 40 including 65 against PSU in crunch time under the bright lights. You need a RB like that every season.
McGrew is not that guy. He gets caught from behind in the open field. Plus he can't break tackles or shed defenders.
He was a 100 meter guy who somehow can't accelerate when he's at the third level. Good back, solid production, but not. good. enough. IMO.
Completely missing the point
You obviously would love to have someone with breakaway speed ... but even with your point on Myles, those instances are a very small fraction of his overall number of carries.
The reality is that those that combine ALL of the traits are relatively rare. You absolutely want those players and you're right in that players that can bust big plays and shorten drives with quick scores is a great luxury. But you don't HAVE TO HAVE one of those players to win at a high level.
The great example to me is Emmitt Smith ... particularly in the NFL, after his first couple of years he rarely had what you'd consider long carries. One year he had over 1300 yards on the ground with a long of 32 yards for the season. But he just bullied the crap out of you getting 3, 4, 5 yards every single carry.
It's a long way of saying that there's more that goes into being a successful RB besides what one's 40 time is.
NFL running game examples don't fit for what RB's can get done in college. The quality of defenses in D-1 is heavily diluted compared to the NFL. In fact, the biggest difference between the NFL and college is simply the heavy concentration and even distribution of elite defensive talent in the pros.
How often do NFL offenses score 45 points? Rarely. That's because the 11 bodies on the other side are so sudden, violent, and well-coached, not because the offenses suck.
Bottom line, in college a single running back can account for so much offensive productivity that CFP/NY6 programs should not be settling for 4 yards a carry.
A truly good, meaning certainly better than average back, should be getting 5.5-6.5 ypc with several runs over 30 yards and at least two to three over 40 yards.
You don't necessarily need track speed to do that. To win big in college (at least in c2020) you still need an RB who is breaking off long runs. I can't think of a CFP contender that didn't have at least one or two guys who could house it from long distance.
This obsession with breakaway speed and taking it to the house is overrated … you can count on one hand the number of times this is even in playing during the year
When it’s there you obviously want it to go the distance
That said, I want the RB that turns no gain into 3, 2 into 6, has the balance and body lean to always fall forward. Those incremental yards are really the difference between a good and average/bad RB
You should warn Saban, Swinney, and Ryan Day about this weird obsession. Maybe they would stop getting the top RBs who can house it from 60 yards while also falling forward for extra yards, etc., don't forget the body lean.
Bottom line for a CFP/NY6 program is that you have guys who can shorten drives with long ass plays from EVERY skill position. Especially against winning P5 programs, not to mention elite programs.
People think think Myles wasn't a guy who could "house it." He absolutely was. Two TD runs of 80+, multiple TD runs over 40 including 65 against PSU in crunch time under the bright lights. You need a RB like that every season.
McGrew is not that guy. He gets caught from behind in the open field. Plus he can't break tackles or shed defenders.
He was a 100 meter guy who somehow can't accelerate when he's at the third level. Good back, solid production, but not. good. enough. IMO.
Completely missing the point
You obviously would love to have someone with breakaway speed ... but even with your point on Myles, those instances are a very small fraction of his overall number of carries.
The reality is that those that combine ALL of the traits are relatively rare. You absolutely want those players and you're right in that players that can bust big plays and shorten drives with quick scores is a great luxury. But you don't HAVE TO HAVE one of those players to win at a high level.
The great example to me is Emmitt Smith ... particularly in the NFL, after his first couple of years he rarely had what you'd consider long carries. One year he had over 1300 yards on the ground with a long of 32 yards for the season. But he just bullied the crap out of you getting 3, 4, 5 yards every single carry.
It's a long way of saying that there's more that goes into being a successful RB besides what one's 40 time is.
NFL running game examples don't fit for what RB's can get done in college. The quality of defenses in D-1 is heavily diluted compared to the NFL. In fact, the biggest difference between the NFL and college is simply the heavy concentration and even distribution of elite defensive talent in the pros.
How often do NFL offenses score 45 points? Rarely. That's because the 11 bodies on the other side are so sudden, violent, and well-coached, not because the offenses suck.
Bottom line, in college a single running back can account for so much offensive productivity that CFP/NY6 programs should not be settling for 4 yards a carry.
A truly good, meaning certainly better than average back, should be getting 5.5-6.5 ypc with several runs over 30 yards and at least two to three over 40 yards.
You don't necessarily need track speed to do that. To win big in college (at least in c2020) you still need an RB who is breaking off long runs. I can't think of a CFP contender that didn't have at least one or two guys who could house it from long distance.
Yes, the NFL and college games are different … nothing new there
Again, missing my point though
At the top end, the game changes. I don’t care about a RB that can straight line against Arizona … what I care about is how the RB plays against Oregon/USC/Ohio St, etc
In other words, how do you perform when the talent gap between teams is either normalized OR you’re operating at a slight disadvantage
As for the NFL and points scored, much of that comes down to pure volume … there are more plays/drives in the college game comparatively to the NFL game. The NFL game you’re generally looking at around 60-70 plays per game and maybe 9-10 drives.
This obsession with breakaway speed and taking it to the house is overrated … you can count on one hand the number of times this is even in playing during the year
When it’s there you obviously want it to go the distance
That said, I want the RB that turns no gain into 3, 2 into 6, has the balance and body lean to always fall forward. Those incremental yards are really the difference between a good and average/bad RB
You should warn Saban, Swinney, and Ryan Day about this weird obsession. Maybe they would stop getting the top RBs who can house it from 60 yards while also falling forward for extra yards, etc., don't forget the body lean.
Bottom line for a CFP/NY6 program is that you have guys who can shorten drives with long ass plays from EVERY skill position. Especially against winning P5 programs, not to mention elite programs.
People think think Myles wasn't a guy who could "house it." He absolutely was. Two TD runs of 80+, multiple TD runs over 40 including 65 against PSU in crunch time under the bright lights. You need a RB like that every season.
McGrew is not that guy. He gets caught from behind in the open field. Plus he can't break tackles or shed defenders.
He was a 100 meter guy who somehow can't accelerate when he's at the third level. Good back, solid production, but not. good. enough. IMO.
Completely missing the point
You obviously would love to have someone with breakaway speed ... but even with your point on Myles, those instances are a very small fraction of his overall number of carries.
The reality is that those that combine ALL of the traits are relatively rare. You absolutely want those players and you're right in that players that can bust big plays and shorten drives with quick scores is a great luxury. But you don't HAVE TO HAVE one of those players to win at a high level.
The great example to me is Emmitt Smith ... particularly in the NFL, after his first couple of years he rarely had what you'd consider long carries. One year he had over 1300 yards on the ground with a long of 32 yards for the season. But he just bullied the crap out of you getting 3, 4, 5 yards every single carry.
It's a long way of saying that there's more that goes into being a successful RB besides what one's 40 time is.
NFL running game examples don't fit for what RB's can get done in college. The quality of defenses in D-1 is heavily diluted compared to the NFL. In fact, the biggest difference between the NFL and college is simply the heavy concentration and even distribution of elite defensive talent in the pros.
How often do NFL offenses score 45 points? Rarely. That's because the 11 bodies on the other side are so sudden, violent, and well-coached, not because the offenses suck.
Bottom line, in college a single running back can account for so much offensive productivity that CFP/NY6 programs should not be settling for 4 yards a carry.
A truly good, meaning certainly better than average back, should be getting 5.5-6.5 ypc with several runs over 30 yards and at least two to three over 40 yards.
You don't necessarily need track speed to do that. To win big in college (at least in c2020) you still need an RB who is breaking off long runs. I can't think of a CFP contender that didn't have at least one or two guys who could house it from long distance.
Yes, the NFL and college games are different … nothing new there
Again, missing my point though
At the top end, the game changes. I don’t care about a RB that can straight line against Arizona … what I care about is how the RB plays against Oregon/USC/Ohio St, etc
In other words, how do you perform when the talent gap between teams is either normalized OR you’re operating at a slight disadvantage
As for the NFL and points scored, much of that comes down to pure volume … there are more plays/drives in the college game comparatively to the NFL game. The NFL game you’re generally looking at around 60-70 plays per game and maybe 9-10 drives.
No, you are attempting to reinforce a point you never made to act like you're in control of the argument. The difference in running games between college and pros absolutely depends on the comparative quality of defensive talent more than any other factor.
Back in the '90s Corey Dillon carried over 40 times in one NFL game. Nowadays, that would never happen. RBs can't average 20 carries a game, and the "feature back" is largely gone. This is primarily owing to the increase in training and conditioning of NFL defenders.
The physical wear and tear is too much. Not in college.
Also, those CFP programs are ripping off long gainers against comparable teams in big games. Bo Scarborough going 80 against UW and putting that game away against a great D...
Comments
If you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with.
In this case, love the best of the ones your with.
1985: 7-5. Won Freedom Bowl (lost multiple defensive starters off Orange Bowl Champs)
1992: 9-3 Lost Rose bowl (Lost Stan Empterman and Billy Joe Hobart. Dana Hall, 3 additional defensive starters)
2001: 8-4 Lost Holiday Bowl (Lost Tui)
Key Trends: lost elite college QBs and defensive stalwarts.
All those great NFL RBS couldn’t deliver an NY6 Bowl win.
1996: 9-3 Lost Holiday Bowl
Only two UW NY6 winning teams with a star running back:
Joe Steele in the 1978 Rose Bowl. Steele missed more than half the game due to injury. A mobile QB named Warren Moon delivered the goods and Washington’s TUFF defense stopped Michigan.
Greg Lewis in the 1991 Rosebowl. Lewis got help from a mobile Mark Brunel and the Stan Empterman, et all led elite defense.
Neither Steele or Lewis had notable NFL careers.
Bottom line for a CFP/NY6 program is that you have guys who can shorten drives with long ass plays from EVERY skill position. Especially against winning P5 programs, not to mention elite programs.
People think think Myles wasn't a guy who could "house it." He absolutely was. Two TD runs of 80+, multiple TD runs over 40 including 65 against PSU in crunch time under the bright lights. You need a RB like that every season.
McGrew is not that guy. He gets caught from behind in the open field. Plus he can't break tackles or shed defenders.
He was a 100 meter guy who somehow can't accelerate when he's at the third level. Good back, solid production, but not. good. enough. IMO.
You obviously would love to have someone with breakaway speed ... but even with your point on Myles, those instances are a very small fraction of his overall number of carries.
The reality is that those that combine ALL of the traits are relatively rare. You absolutely want those players and you're right in that players that can bust big plays and shorten drives with quick scores is a great luxury. But you don't HAVE TO HAVE one of those players to win at a high level.
The great example to me is Emmitt Smith ... particularly in the NFL, after his first couple of years he rarely had what you'd consider long carries. One year he had over 1300 yards on the ground with a long of 32 yards for the season. But he just bullied the crap out of you getting 3, 4, 5 yards every single carry.
It's a long way of saying that there's more that goes into being a successful RB besides what one's 40 time is.
Greg Lewis ran a 4.6 and got “hawked” in the secondary, often…..on his way to leaving his knee on Husky Stadium turf.
How often do NFL offenses score 45 points? Rarely. That's because the 11 bodies on the other side are so sudden, violent, and well-coached, not because the offenses suck.
Bottom line, in college a single running back can account for so much offensive productivity that CFP/NY6 programs should not be settling for 4 yards a carry.
A truly good, meaning certainly better than average back, should be getting 5.5-6.5 ypc with several runs over 30 yards and at least two to three over 40 yards.
You don't necessarily need track speed to do that. To win big in college (at least in c2020) you still need an RB who is breaking off long runs. I can't think of a CFP contender that didn't have at least one or two guys who could house it from long distance.
Alabama, LSU, Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia, Ohio St., Auburn, UW, even Oregon.
Again, missing my point though
At the top end, the game changes. I don’t care about a RB that can straight line against Arizona … what I care about is how the RB plays against Oregon/USC/Ohio St, etc
In other words, how do you perform when the talent gap between teams is either normalized OR you’re operating at a slight disadvantage
As for the NFL and points scored, much of that comes down to pure volume … there are more plays/drives in the college game comparatively to the NFL game. The NFL game you’re generally looking at around 60-70 plays per game and maybe 9-10 drives.
Back in the '90s Corey Dillon carried over 40 times in one NFL game. Nowadays, that would never happen. RBs can't average 20 carries a game, and the "feature back" is largely gone. This is primarily owing to the increase in training and conditioning of NFL defenders.
The physical wear and tear is too much. Not in college.
Also, those CFP programs are ripping off long gainers against comparable teams in big games. Bo Scarborough going 80 against UW and putting that game away against a great D...