Running game - Too many carries for McCombs

[businesslawyer]

As do I. We had better see evidence of some effort to ignite the offense over the next three games, whether it be simplifying the playbook, a few personnel changes, an attitude adjustment, or a little of all three, to show that the staff is capable of adapting. If not, I think we can assume that they won't/can't change.

I will say one thing in P's defense (and it sucks that some of you are placing me in a position where I have to do that). I did think, last year, our improvement from the OOC season to the conference season was caused in part by the coaches simplifying everything on offense. Of course, that just ticks me off even more that Deleone thought with one more camp he could just go back to making everything hard on people.

The related thought -- I will believe that our OL can't run block when they are freed up to hit the person in front of them and pull a guard through and can't execute it. Until I see that, I will still believe that Deleone is asking them to be too intellectual and not nearly instinctive enough.

 

[Carl Spackler]

I will say one thing in P's defense (and it sucks that some of you are placing me in a position where I have to do that). I did think, last year, our improvement from the OOC season to the conference season was caused in part by the coaches simplifying everything on offense. Of course, that just ticks me off even more that Deleone thought with one more camp he could just go back to making everything hard on people.

The related thought -- I will believe that our OL can't run block when they are freed up to hit the person in front of them and pull a guard through and can't execute it. Until I see that, I will still believe that Deleone is asking them to be too intellectual and not nearly instinctive enough.

There's a lot I want to say here, but I'll bite my tongue. All that matters right now, is our team's showing on the field this Saturday.

 

[Jimmy Serrano]

I will say one thing in P's defense (and it sucks that some of you are placing me in a position where I have to do that). I did think, last year, our improvement from the OOC season to the conference season was caused in part by the coaches simplifying everything on offense. Of course, that just ticks me off even more that Deleone thought with one more camp he could just go back to making everything hard on people.

The related thought -- I will believe that our OL can't run block when they are freed up to hit the person in front of them and pull a guard through and can't execute it. Until I see that, I will still believe that Deleone is asking them to be too intellectual and not nearly instinctive enough.

As visions of Hurd pulling through the hole and burying the LB allowing Dixon to walk in untouched during the last play of the ND game go through my head.......

 

[UconnFamily]

That's not always true. We may want it to be true but they're not infallible. If they were we wouldn't have stunk up the joint on Saturday. Who's that guy on the Knicks that wasn't expected to play until all-world got hurt? He was a terrible practice player I guess. We may not be as smart or as informed as the coaches but that doesn't make the casual fan a moron (by inference) either. McCombs may be the best, but he may not be the best for every down or situation. BTW I think they are stubborn for sticking with the wildcat and wrong in their philosophy in using it this season. But the coaches are always right because because because...

If the o-line doesn't get squared away we'll never have consistent production. Even so I'm not a firm believer in banging your head against the wall if that wall isn't moving. Open some new doors and see what's there. Now's the time to try these guys before conference play starts and we're wasting that opportunity.

I agree, how would we know what the other backs can do if they don't play? Max didn't have a whole in the Umass game and bounced to the outside for almost a touchdown... McCombs hits the wall and stays there!

 

[freescooter]

I agree, how would we know what the other backs can do if they don't play? Max didn't have a whole in the Umass game and bounced to the outside for almost a touchdown... McCombs hits the wall and stays there!

A couple of points here...Delorenzo played in mop-up time, our scrubs against their scrubs. That tells you little or nothing about his ability. He may well be a talented back, but right now he's at least #3 on the depth chart so I think others are considered better. As to McCoombs, he is a very nice, if somewhat unconventional running back. He isn't todman and he isn't Brown, but he brings certain things to the table. he sees the hole, and he manages to get the yardage that is there. Give him a good hole and he will pick it up in chunks and make guys miss with his ability to cut. And this nonsense that he goes down on the first hit is crazy. He doesn't bull people over for sure, but you have to wrap him up to get him down.

 

[huskysupporter]

I agree, how would we know what the other backs can do if they don't play? Max didn't have a whole in the Umass game and bounced to the outside for almost a touchdown... McCombs hits the wall and stays there!

Have you watched McCombs play? He hits the wall and stays there? He is an all big east caliber back, was the best player on the field v. nc state, but now he is a scrub?

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[UconnFamily]

A couple of points here...Delorenzo played in mop-up time, our scrubs against their scrubs. That tells you little or nothing about his ability. He may well be a talented back, but right now he's at least #3 on the depth chart so I think others are considered better. As to McCoombs, he is a very nice, if somewhat unconventional running back. He isn't todman and he isn't Brown, but he brings certain things to the table. he sees the hole, and he manages to get the yardage that is there. Give him a good hole and he will pick it up in chunks and make guys miss with his ability to cut. And this nonsense that he goes down on the first hit is crazy. He doesn't bull people over for sure, but you have to wrap him up to get him down.

You must not be watching the games buddy... As soon as McCombs get touched he drops... that's a fact! He may shake a defender coming at him, but he rarely breaks a tackle and I mean RARELY!!! He's a good back, but some people are saying he's the best player on the field when he's not... I would rather put Nick Williams in at RB because he's our best offensive player... He makes guys miss and earns his extra yards!

 

[UconnFamily]

Have you watched McCombs play? He hits the wall and stays there? He is an all big east caliber back, was the best player on the field v. nc state, but now he is a scrub?

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Yes I have and I'm not very impressed! He's good, but not what some hype him to be! And so your saying that McCombs didn't get any help from the O-Line last year? He got all those yards by himself?

 

[mets1090]

IMO, McCombs is what he is almost regardless of the caliber of the defense. He's gonna average 4 yards per carry +/- maybe half a yard depending on how the line is playing. He isn't generally the type to break a couple tackles and turn nothing into something. He'll hit the hole when it's there. But we didn't see him breaking tackles against UMass and ripping off big gains much like we probably won't see it against Maryland. McCombs is a constant. If the team is playing well, he will play well. If the O-Line is getting abused he won't do all that much. If it's 3rd and 3 and the O-line doesn't get completely beat, you can trust him to get the first down. He's good enough to get 1000 yards when he gets almost every carry in 12 games but he isn't going to rip off 20+ yard gains very often. Not never, but not very often.

I think that the other backs on this team would probably have more plays of no gain where you say to yourself he should have hit that hole for a 3 yard gain and that is why they don't take a lot of carries away from him. That being the case, I think McCombs should get maybe 70% of the carries with the best backup (someone that may be more likely to hit a homerun but won't sustain a good average if he were to get 25 carries a game) getting the rest.

 

[huskysupporter]

Yes I have and I'm not very impressed! He's good, but not what some hype him to be! And so your saying that McCombs didn't get any help from the O-Line last year? He got all those yards by himself?

Where did I say he got all of the yards himself? What running back can be his own blocker?

You are not impressed by a redshirt freshman running for 1,000 yards last year on a team devoid of a passing game? Yikes.