Running game:cause for concern?

#1
TravisHenryCBlockedMe

TravisHenryCBlockedMe

At Waffle House,seriously
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#1
During most of the game yesterday I kept saying (shouting) "we need to run the ball, we need to run the ball more, why arent we running the ball...". After a night to sleep and sober up, I decided that us not running the ball wasnt such a bad thing...a 3-5 yard pass is just as good as a 3-5 yard run, and Cut has us passing so much because its working. But another reason I think Cut is having us pass so much is because he sees (knows) our running game isnt consistent or good enough, so he is sticking with what works over what doesnt work.

Maybe Im just still used to the Randy Sanders teams. You know, where we'd run run run to set up the pass. But it was a little unsettling for me to see us pass so much...with our talent at rb and our offensive line doing such a great job pass blocking, plus our tradition of being a smashmouth team, it makes me think something is wrong or out of sync. If you look at our games against quality opponents, we've been ok to not good in running. The Cal game we didnt have much until Hardesty broke the run, we're all sick and tired of hearing -11 rushing yards against florida, we didnt run against uga till the 4th when they were tired, and we saw what happened against the Tide.

9 times out of 10 I would say you have to be able to run the ball in able to win in the SEC. Maybe this year we are the exception to the rule, but we're gonna have to run sometime.

Is our running game just off this year, or is this much ado about nothing?
 
#2
#2
the lack of running game gave us our only loss of the season, and don't think this will fly against the rest of the schedule. even if we can get away with it the rest of this year, next year we will have to address these problems.
 
#3
#3
emainvol said:
the lack of running game gave us our only loss of the season, and don't think this will fly against the rest of the schedule. even if we can get away with it the rest of this year, next year we will have to address these problems.
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Unfortunately, it will hurt us against LSU. LSU has a great secondary, so that will make it tough to throw the ball. I also have a feeling they will get pressure on Ainge. Their solid WR corps will eventually score points if they are on the field enough. We need to be able to control the clock to keep them off the field and prevent Jamarcus Russell from getting into a rhythm.
 
#4
#4
I really expect to see Foster to run for at least 100 yards this week. It is time for him to break out and I think he will against a Stout SC Defense.
 
#6
#6
Foster averaged 3.1 yards per carry against Bama, which is solid. Not great, but solid. I think he could have a good game against SC.
 
#7
#7
I think our O-line is just having a tough time making a push on the big boys in the SEC. LSU may be hell on our running game...
 
#8
#8
This team has a marginally talented O Line who happens to excel at pass blocking. Why waist plays on one or two yard runs to keep the defense honest? The playmakers on this team are the WRs. I say play to your strengths.

With the new clock rules how many wasted offensive plays can a team absorb and still put points on the board? One of you stat mongers look up how many yards rushing UT had against LSU in the win last year.
 
#10
#10
Thanks HV. I say if UT wastes 34 plays on running the football they will be in a world of hurt this year against LSU. Or any team for that matter.
 
#11
#11
Well, for once, our running game doesn't have to be special for it to be effective. I don't think we need to be gaining 170+ yards a game for it to work. What the running game has to do though is allow the play action pass to work. Which means you have to call the run....more times than they'd probably like, givne our strength and weakness up front.

Just like in the UGA game, in the 2nd half, we ran the ball, not great, but we had 3-4 runs up the middle that gave us about 30+ yards....the rest of the half, it was really not much of anything...but it worked JUST ENOUGH, that the D had to account for it and couldn't ignor the PA.

Here's where we can get in trouble, and it proved to be the case against Florida...if we decide to run the ball on 1st down, and are only averageing 3.5 or less a cary, 2nd down gets interesting....

If we throw on 1st down and it's incomplete, we generally run it on 2nd down and boom....3rd and long.

trying to run clock or keep an opposing offense off the feild becomes more difficult and it almost forces us to "outscore" our opponents---and you know what i mean by "outscore", so don't go there!!!lol.
 
#12
#12
Alabama came out and actually dared us to throw the ball. They had 8 and sometimes 9 in the box almost the entire game. We are an average running team so packing the box doesn't make it any easier. I agree with the above assessment. The running game needs to work just well enough. We need it to be there for short yardage and goal situations. Our passing game was a little suspect saturday but we made plays with out big playmakers when it was needed most. I would love a better run game but I don't see that this year. We will probably average 40 pass attempts a game and that is who we are this year. Oh yeah, and we only have one loss right now which is sooooo much better than last season.
 
#13
#13
bigdaddy said:
Alabama came out and actually dared us to throw the ball. They had 8 and sometimes 9 in the box almost the entire game. We are an average running team so packing the box doesn't make it any easier. I agree with the above assessment. The running game needs to work just well enough. We need it to be there for short yardage and goal situations. Our passing game was a little suspect saturday but we made plays with out big playmakers when it was needed most. I would love a better run game but I don't see that this year. We will probably average 40 pass attempts a game and that is who we are this year. Oh yeah, and we only have one loss right now which is sooooo much better than last season.
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that's part of the problem...4th and 1 we couldn't get a qb sneak and 4th and goal from the one against Memphis and we couldn't punch it in....so in clutch, must have situations, we have proven twice not be effective enought to get that one yard...yes, we've been successfull on those same situations in games past this season...my only point is that we don't dominate up front, and those are two excellent examples. We run the ball effectively when we get the D expecting pass (like on 2nd and 5 or less or 3rd and 5 or less) and pop one. Lining it up on 1st down or 2nd and 10 and running at a team is not our strength. which i know you agree with....so....why i feel the need i don't know....and i too am excited about where we are right now vs. last season.
 
#14
#14
Our lack of inability to convert 3rd and inches/4th and inches scares me. I think that the QB sneak worked a few times this season, but we really are going to need that short push sometime, I just hope we can get it. That or fake it roll out and hit the TE. That would be sweet to see sometime on short yardage.
 
#15
#15
bigdaddy said:
That or fake it roll out and hit the TE. That would be sweet to see sometime on short yardage.
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They did that 2 or 3 times in one game. Maybe against Marshall or Memphis, I'm not sure which one.
 
#16
#16
bigdaddy said:
Alabama came out and actually dared us to throw the ball. They had 8 and sometimes 9 in the box almost the entire game. We are an average running team so packing the box doesn't make it any easier. I agree with the above assessment. The running game needs to work just well enough. We need it to be there for short yardage and goal situations. Our passing game was a little suspect saturday but we made plays with out big playmakers when it was needed most. I would love a better run game but I don't see that this year. We will probably average 40 pass attempts a game and that is who we are this year. Oh yeah, and we only have one loss right now which is sooooo much better than last season.
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What He said. I would add that I think The Elephants had 11 Boys on the line for that sneak and Ainge should have changed the play. Go Vols.
 
#17
#17
Alls I know is our o-line has to be able to make the push... That's what lost the game against Florida, and I could easily see the same thing happening vs. LSU.
 
#18
#18
Cut's MO is more pass oriented anyway. He uses the run in the situations that have already been discussed here. He is doing what he has always done. It has worked so far.
 
#20
#20
What have people seen that makes them think UT can run the football this year?
 
#21
#21
If I was a Volunteer guy. Which I'm not. i'd THINK and HOPE you guys would run alot this saturday. We have the 2nd passing D in the SEC and #8 in the nation. Only way I think the run could be effective it to charge to the outside bounce off a TE block and gain 3-4. Jasper Brinkley, Eric Norwood, and Casper Brinkley are vicious when they conenct.
 
#22
#22
My guess is that UT will be able to throw the ball against SC. But only time will tell.
 
#23
#23
Lexvol said:
My guess is that UT will be able to throw the ball against SC. But only time will tell.
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This will make for an intersting match up, I think USC does have a pretty good pass defense. We will see, since that is all we can do on offense.
 
#24
#24
Roosta said:
If I was a Volunteer guy. Which I'm not. i'd THINK and HOPE you guys would run alot this saturday. We have the 2nd passing D in the SEC and #8 in the nation.
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This reminds me of the talk before the Georgia game with their "great" defense. Problem with that was, they didn't play a good offense until the UT game and neither have you all.

There's a reason you have the #8 passing D. Let's delve into the Passing offense rankings of each team you've played shall we?

Miss St. - #85

Georgia - #75

Wofford - #114 in Division 1AA

Fla. Atlantic - #82

Auburn - #80

Kentucky - #24

Vandy - #99

Don't be shocked if Ainge has an easier time than you expected.

Welcome to the board by the way.
 
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