Josh Dobbs will fundamentally redefine the quarterback position at Tennessee if . . .

[vol66]

I remember Condredge vividly and I agree wholeheartedly that his skillset was tailor-made to succeed superbly within the context of the wishbone which was then prevalent or the spread offenses of today. You are overstating my argument, however. I am not saying that Dobbs is revolutionizing the quarterback position within the larger context of college football, only that he is being utilized more extensively and more successfully as a ball-carrier (on a per-game and per-carry basis) than any previous Tennessee quarterback. That is what I mean by "fundamentally redefining the quarterback position at Tennessee."

The great irony is that Josh didn't run the ball nearly as much when he was in high school. "As a junior at Alpharetta (Ga.) High School, he ran for only 200 yards, opposed to 3,113 yards passing. It doubled as a senior, running for 419 yards, but still didn’t come close to matching his 3,625 yards passing. “My senior year I had a little bit, but I was definitely a pro-style quarterback,” Dobbs said. “A pocket passer.”

Dobbs does not indicate that much of his success running the ball is a deliberate manifestation of Butch Jones' offensive scheme. “I wouldn’t say they push me (to run),” Dobbs said. “Obviously we’ve had some designed quarterback runs, which have helped out our offense, added another element.”

Dobbs' decisions to run the ball may be highly intuitive but the manner in which he runs, fortunately, is quite calculated. “I keep my eyes up, just looking for different lanes, different cut backs,” Dobbs said. “My goal is to score a touchdown or get out of bounds, or just avoid being hit.” (For the rest of this article, see Tennessee's Josh Dobbs proving elusive only when necessary - The Daily Times: Sports.) Hopefully, that approach will be conducive to long-term success.

We really aren't that far apart though that last bit was a little confusing...

he is being utilized more extensively and more successfully as a ball-carrier (on a per-game and per-carry basis) than any previous Tennessee quarterback.

and then you say

Dobbs does not indicate that much of his success running the ball is a deliberate manifestation of Butch Jones' offensive scheme. “I wouldn’t say they push me (to run),” Dobbs said.

As far as his high school stats, I never implied that he was a run first guy, I said on his film, it looks pretty much like what we are seeing in games. Some of it is by design, some of it is due to line play, some of it is due to receivers being covered down the field with the defenders backs to the QB. He could escape bad situations and turn it into big plays, he had that ability and a guy like Worley didn't really show that ability in high school or here, but he wasn't brought in to do that IMO.

Again, I'm not anti Dobbs, or Nega or...whatever...and I would love for the offensive to have some explosion one way or the other. I'm also not going to blame the coaches if he gets hurt running around, it's part of the deal as you well know...Holloway played hurt most of his career, both football and baseball.

 

[1974Vol]

If...its not just an A&M night! After that opening night win by A&M over USCe it was "johnny who"... Now not so much. I hope Dobbs is all that and a shot of Jack but let's let him get a couple more starts before anointing him the next Cam.

 

[Volosaurus rex]

We really aren't that far apart though that last bit was a little confusing...



and then you say



As far as his high school stats, I never implied that he was a run first guy, I said on his film, it looks pretty much like what we are seeing in games. Some of it is by design, some of it is due to line play, some of it is due to receivers being covered down the field with the defenders backs to the QB. He could escape bad situations and turn it into big plays, he had that ability and a guy like Worley didn't really show that ability in high school or here, but he wasn't brought in to do that IMO.

Again, I'm not anti Dobbs, or Nega or...whatever...and I would love for the offensive to have some explosion one way or the other. I'm also not going to blame the coaches if he gets hurt running around, it's part of the deal as you well know...Holloway played hurt most of his career, both football and baseball.

I must confess that, given the frequency with which he is now running the ball, those statements by Josh left me scratching my head. The only thing that I can conclude is that, compared to last year, the game is beginning to "slow down" for him. By all appearances, he is more decisive in running the ball. He also appears to be an effortless glider and, whatever his top speed may be, I am not sure that we have seen it yet. He is a patient runner and now seems to have an instinctive knack for avoiding direct hits. He wisely strives to maximize yardage without taking on would be tacklers head-to-head.

 

[vol66]

I think Josh is simply saying what the coaches believe. I read a book on Chip Kelly's offense and I would quote it if I had it near by but essentially he says...I don't want the QB to run, the line is blocking for the running backs. If no one is home he can take it, but I'm not interested in getting the QB hurt.

I found that a little surprising given the success his QB's had in CFB on the ground, but really, it makes sense. Obviously, Dobbs has the ability to take what the defense gives him and I agree he seems much more confident in his decisions which we should expect in his 2nd year.

I'm not saying pump the breaks or anything of the sort, but he's not going to sneak up on the DC's from here on out. There's reason to be excited, we both agree there.

 

[Exiled]

Holloway
Streater
Cockrell
Robinson
Henton
Shuler
Colquitt
Martin
Banks
Schafer

I thought of Condredge right after I read the title.

 

[DarthVol]

Tony Robinson, Andy Kelly, Casey Clausen, Erik Ainge and even Tyler Bray all fit that description.

To further your point, the first game that I attended as a student in '77 was the night that Streater ran for 150 against Cal. Majors first team was not very good, but Streater was something to see.

 

[UTFootballFan]

Dobbs=greatest qb to ever grace the field at Neyland. Two games prove it.

 

[VolDave53]

An interesting read. Hyperbole, but interesting.

 

[armchair]

That's a lot of writing that can be summed up thusly: He's the first QB we've had in 15 years--or longer-- who can run! Think about that. We have had very UNathletic QBs for far too long. Running QBs are a major asset in college football. It's hard to believe that we've gone so long without one--and guess what: We've been pretty bad for most of those years. Correlation? You'd better believe it.