(11-19-2021 12:34 PM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  I can’t dissect it deep enough to say what the problem is.

All I know is it’s been a problem all year with no signs of improving.
Which to me says it’s not getting fixed this year.

We need to play to our strengths and just air it out.

The only thing we really haven’t tried to help is to run at tempo.
We will line up quickly, but then Cole will look to sideline.
I’d like to see us just go. One of coles strengths is his cerebral nature. We’ve been told that and we can see it.
So call a sequence of plays and go up tempo and see if putting the defense off balance can help the rushing game and red zone effectiveness.

I don't think it is Cole who can't handle the uptempo its the guys wearing the headsets.

Teams have been putting 8 or 9 in the box against JMU for a long time now. At the beginning of this season, JMU could take advantage of that against lesser opponents with deep, downfield passes over the middle of the field. Those passes would then open up some runs. Those opportunities aren't there now, as any intermediate or long throws are made outside of the numbers.

There are multiple things going on. After seeing last week's game in person, this is what I see:

1. The line is not opening holes for the running backs. Whether it's an issue of man versus zone, we're awfully deep in the season for this to be an issue. Not that complicated really.
2. Losing Black was big, as I thought he was the most talented back on the team and could both run and catch passes at a high level. The tailback introduced into the game now effectively signals the play call to the defense - a run for Palmer and a pass for Van Horse. Losing Agyei-Obese also hurts, of course.
3. I didn't see great pass blocking either last Saturday, as we're now seeing Johnson move within the pocket more and take off for runs. He had close to 50 yards rushing last weekend.

I walked away thinking this JMU team was not a championship contender. On the plus side, however, analytics shows this as the third best team at the FCS level, after ND State and SD State. Looks like a national semi-finalist if that's true. Getting back running backs will help the situation and it's been a long slog, considering the spring and fall seasons. A one-week bye heading into the playoffs should help rejuvenate this team.

(11-19-2021 08:17 AM)Hart Foundation Wrote:  Are there any solutions this year for the rushing game?
Is Cig ripping his hair out every sleepless night?
Obviously, losing 3 starting O-lineman from the Spring has hurt. So has losing PAO and Black at RB to injury. But it still feels like JMU is underachieving in the run game with what they have.

Statistically, this is the worst running team since 2013 when JMU went 6-6 and Mickey got fired.
173 yards per game, 4.3 yards per carry which is almost identical to 2013.

I’ve been waiting and waiting to see something different, but it is the same running inside the tackle box over and over. Very little deception, very little variance in the play calling.

1- where are the WR end arounds, reverses, jet sweeps? There have been a few “passes” on the jet sweep, but this seems like an easy way to keep the defense guessing with an additional running option to run the ball with a receiver or wingback in motion. VanHorse would be a perfect wingback with his quickness and speed matched with his route running ability out of the backfield. The motion running game to the perimeter is underutilized IMO. Even the motion with a fake can loosen up the D.

2 - do we have a stretch running play in the playbook? Probably not for Palmer, but the other backs could benefit from getting outside the tackle box and operating in space.

3- 2 back sets. Could help deceive the defense on who is going to run and in which direction. Or could provide a lead blocker that makes up for the Oline missing their zone assignment. Rarely do we see more than one RB in the formation.

COJO has picked up some yards in a few games this year on the read option because defenses don’t respect him at all and load up on the RB. We saw last week COJO was almost lost after the big hit. I wouldn’t want to put my eggs in that basket until the semis and finals of the playoffs. If he gets hurt running the ball then, at least the team put its best foot forward trying to win the critical games. I would hate to see him get hurt in the reg season or against a patsy early round opponent.

Can the running game get fixed at this late juncture?

Will we move secret weapon Francis Meehan (aka Rudy Ruettiger) to the RB slot and starting running all over opponents?

I think the thing is that we use zone blocking for our runs. that means, for instance, that the entire line blocks ahead and (for instance) to the left. The defensive linemen are briefly double-teamed, then one of the linemen abandons that block and takes on someone at the next level, LB or S. The back is supposed to work towards the line then find the hole as it comes open, and take off.

However, successful zone runs require a lot of practice to pull off. The teamwork between the linemen is critical, as is the ability to see and exploit lanes. And if you botch the double-team, the play will be over before it starts.

On the other hand, there are "gap" schemes. That means you're choosing where to run before the play starts, often with a trap block, lead block, or a pulling lineman. The back knows where he's going, and can accelerate to top speed before hitting the line. Those have worked rather well in the limited attempts, where you can hit the pile at full speed and get 3-5 yards. But we don't do them, and when we do, it's almost always in obvious "run up the middle" situations, like short yardage.

Zone run plays have been really ineffective this year. I think that a shift to gap blocking would be really beneficial. We won't be able to tear the defense apart with it, but we can get some yards when we need them (red zone) and compel them to use bigger/slower linebackers, and thus open up more of the field for Johnson to throw to.

(11-19-2021 12:34 PM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  I can’t dissect it deep enough to say what the problem is.

All I know is it’s been a problem all year with no signs of improving.
Which to me says it’s not getting fixed this year.

We need to play to our strengths and just air it out.

The only thing we really haven’t tried to help is to run at tempo.
We will line up quickly, but then Cole will look to sideline.
I’d like to see us just go. One of coles strengths is his cerebral nature. We’ve been told that and we can see it.
So call a sequence of plays and go up tempo and see if putting the defense off balance can help the rushing game and red zone effectiveness.

I think part of that is by design. You set up, then the OC looks at how the defense is set up, and signals info to Cole. Mickey did that too, and it just drove me crazy.

(11-19-2021 05:25 PM)94computerguy Wrote:  

(11-19-2021 12:34 PM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  I can’t dissect it deep enough to say what the problem is.

All I know is it’s been a problem all year with no signs of improving.
Which to me says it’s not getting fixed this year.

We need to play to our strengths and just air it out.

The only thing we really haven’t tried to help is to run at tempo.
We will line up quickly, but then Cole will look to sideline.
I’d like to see us just go. One of coles strengths is his cerebral nature. We’ve been told that and we can see it.
So call a sequence of plays and go up tempo and see if putting the defense off balance can help the rushing game and red zone effectiveness.

I think part of that is by design. You set up, then the OC looks at how the defense is set up, and signals info to Cole. Mickey did that too, and it just drove me crazy.

Drove me crazy too. The JMU-Duke game in 2008 might have been the least enjoyable live game I've witnessed. Both teams were doing it (and at an exaggerated level). No flow to the game at all.

(11-19-2021 06:01 PM)olddawg Wrote:  

(11-19-2021 05:25 PM)94computerguy Wrote:  

(11-19-2021 12:34 PM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  I can’t dissect it deep enough to say what the problem is.

All I know is it’s been a problem all year with no signs of improving.
Which to me says it’s not getting fixed this year.

We need to play to our strengths and just air it out.

The only thing we really haven’t tried to help is to run at tempo.
We will line up quickly, but then Cole will look to sideline.
I’d like to see us just go. One of coles strengths is his cerebral nature. We’ve been told that and we can see it.
So call a sequence of plays and go up tempo and see if putting the defense off balance can help the rushing game and red zone effectiveness.

I think part of that is by design. You set up, then the OC looks at how the defense is set up, and signals info to Cole. Mickey did that too, and it just drove me crazy.

Drove me crazy too. The JMU-Duke game in 2008 might have been the least enjoyable live game I've witnessed. Both teams were doing it (and at an exaggerated level). No flow to the game at all.

But people that don’t normally watch football think it’s funny to watch the players on the field line up, then face the bench in unison where we have Mario & Luigi signaling plays in while someone is holding up huge postcards of a cheesesteak or the Tiger King…elite modern advances in the evolution of this great game.

(11-19-2021 01:38 PM)JMaddy Wrote:  

(11-19-2021 12:34 PM)Duke Dawg Wrote:  I can’t dissect it deep enough to say what the problem is.

All I know is it’s been a problem all year with no signs of improving.
Which to me says it’s not getting fixed this year.

We need to play to our strengths and just air it out.

The only thing we really haven’t tried to help is to run at tempo.
We will line up quickly, but then Cole will look to sideline.
I’d like to see us just go. One of coles strengths is his cerebral nature. We’ve been told that and we can see it.
So call a sequence of plays and go up tempo and see if putting the defense off balance can help the rushing game and red zone effectiveness.

I don't think it is Cole who can't handle the uptempo its the guys wearing the headsets.

Right, I didn’t say Cole couldn’t handle it. In fact, I’m saying the opposite.
So I would like to see us try it. Might help the running game if the defense doesn’t have time to assess pre-snap and organize gap control.