We need to have our team identity centered around Defense. The offnse can find itself as the season progresses but we better come out fighting on Defense. LSU can be beat with defense more than any other team and a victory there would be huge.
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We need to have our team identity centered around Defense. The offnse can find itself as the season progresses but we better come out fighting on Defense. LSU can be beat with defense more than any other team and a victory there would be huge.
like I have said before ... 7 & 5 with a loss to Auburn in Starkville .... payoff comes the following season
Here's my reasoning on this...
First off, I like Holloway & Shumpert. They can't control their size & speed, and both work extremely hard.
That being said, I'm all about MSU winning games and maximizing productivity every game. Holloway doesn't run a 4.4 forty...we have guys that are 6 feet tall that are almost or equally as fast as him, yet have 25+ more pounds of muscle/weight. So if you're going to sniff the field in good SEC play at 5'6 170, you better be the fastest guy on the field....Holloway is not.
Also, in order for teams not to always guard only the outside or the pass against Holloway, we have to run him up the middle multiple times per game so teams respect that he might. So we completely waste multiple snaps per game on Holloway up the middle when we know it's just for show. Think about that.
If we have very highly rated and regarded RB's on our depth chart with similar speed, yet much bigger builds for running in all lanes, breaking tackles, and actually being able to stop a pass rusher in pass blocking....why would you not get them ready and get them in games immediately so they can give us what we need against those good SEC teams? Why continue wasting snaps on a guy that isn't capable of getting you a tough few yards, can't fall forward, can't break a tackle, and on top of that can't outrun many if any corners in this league?
There is a place for Brandon....but feature back on a SEC West team that is admittedly going more heavy to the ground game in 2016, is NOT that place.
Also, there is absolutely no excuse for not being able to teach a guy our plays and how to pass block in 2 years. Our running game ain't that damn good or complicated. There are freshmen RB's playing all over the country, yet we sign a 4 star that chose us over Bama, and he's once again not going to get major touches bc of lame excuses, his age, and bc we have a veteran that has good games against all the teams we would beat regardless and/or in garbage time vs any teams that could win us the league we're in.
I guess I'm just one of those guys that has dreams of us winning the SEC or at least maximizing our wins....instead of just being happy with winning the ones we should while beefing up our yards per carry against USM or while down 20 to Bama and running the ball. If anybody can honestly say that Holloway or Shumpert can be the tailback that helps us beat LSU, Bama, or Ole Miss in Oxford this year, then you see something I don't. Otherwise, we have different goals in mind for what we want MSU to accomplish.
Interesting about Holloway...
Rushing conf only -- 58 att 296 yds 5.10 att
Rec conf only -- 24 rec 280 yds 11.7 rec
Totals conf only -- 82 touches 576 yds 7.02 yds/touch
He was better in conference than out
Holloway vs bama...
3 rec 31 yds
7 rushes 34 yds
Vs lsu...
2 rec. 13 yds
5 rush 37 yds
Vs om...
5 rec 24 yds
10 rush 55 yds
Totals...
10 rec 68 yds 6.8 avg
22 rush 126 yds 5.73 avg
This actually pisses me off to hear. If HOlloway and Shump are the only guys that can pass block, a coach needs to be 17ing fired. I hope this is just bullshit the coaches are spewing. If Holloway and Shump are our primary backs this year, that would actually be bad enough that I'd be ready for Mullen to move on.
I just don't get why it seems like we've regressed at this position even though we have talent. The only thing I know of has changed is that we eliminated the FB position in the offense and our O-Line has been weak. At some point, it seems Knox should shoulder some of the blame, but then again he is on the offensive side of the ball and we know there are no changes to the circle of trust.
Not many teams run on Bama and LSU. Fournett had like 35 yds on 20 carries vs Bama. I agree we need to be better running the football and I would much prefer your typical "SEC" back. I know, I know got to keep that Alabama D honest. When they are stopping the run with their front 4 you are not going to get anywhere. The teams that have given them trouble including us in 14 generally have gashed them with pass/run options and reads. Until our OL unit improves I don't think you will see much improvement in the backfield. Regardless I agree and wish the most talented runner would get a good majority of the snaps. Also interestingly, if you look back to last year alot of Holloway's big plays on the ground actually came between the hashes. He is not fast enough to beat you outside he is just shifty and quick.
Coaches should be EMBARRASSED to use J) as an excuse for why guys that are in their THIRD year in the program can't get on the field because they haven't LEARNED to pass block. Coaches, get off your asses and TEACH them. Heck, I could teach someone to pass block in 3 years. Now if they don't want to pass block that is one thing but don't come here with a rumor about "learning" to pass block.
Of course it's a bullshit excuse for people bitching in the stands about why so and so isn't playing.
Part of the we threw the ball so much was because we didn't use Aeris or Lee last year as our between the tackles running back. It's sad because those guys could have at least been decent doing so last year and it would have made us better.
The way our running back system is being ran. Kylin Hill will not get any meaningful carries until his red-shirt junior year. This system is flawed. Like Cadaver said earlier it's freshman running backs playing all over the country. It takes us 2 years to "develop" a back which in my opinion is pitiful.
You guys need to realize that we have 6 RB's on scholarship and none are the total package. None. The best looking RB in practice last year was Shumpert. I'm sorry, he just was.
Holloway made a lot of plays for us last year. He needs his 8 touches per game. The next most talented RB is either Aeris or Gibson. Those guys should be the 2 ball carriers.
The best all around QB is Tiano, but Mullen probably won't start the Freshman. Damien is the best passer. Nick is the best runner.
Until our OL gets better, it doesn't matter who we line up at RB against Bama / LSU / OM. Leonard Fournette himself couldn't push a pile against any of those teams with our OL. Holloway got the touches he did last year because he was able to find holes quickly when they were available and not dance around. With a bad OL, really the only thing you can do to halfway mask that weakness is to have speed in the backfield that can get outside. Thats what Holloway offered us last season. Can Holloway pick up the 3rd and 3's against the elite front 7's in our league? Hell no, but neither can anyone else until we improve up front.