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With Smallwood gone...

Rootmaster

Rootmaster

All-Conference
Apr 16, 2011
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and a number of unproven backs (as the featured back in the offense), will WVU revert to being a pass (first) happy team...and what does that mean for the season in your opinion?

My feelings are yes and with spotty results as teams adjust to another Texas Tech style approach by WVU. Couple that with a very young defense and we will see a lot of high scoring games. Winning will come down to SH and the still developing receiving corps. Can see Shell running sldeline to sideline even more and the defense struggling until later in the year.

If DH can pull off a decent season next year even I will think he's done a good job! LOL
 
Rootmaster said:
and a number of unproven backs (as the featured back in the offense), will WVU revert to being a pass (first) happy team...and what does that mean for the season in your opinion?

My feelings are yes and with spotty results as teams adjust to another Texas Tech style approach by WVU. Couple that with a very young defense and we will see a lot of high scoring games. Winning will come down to SH and the still developing receiving corps. Can see Shell running sldeline to sideline even more and the defense struggling until later in the year.

If DH can pull off a decent season next year even I will think he's done a good job! LOL
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Pragmatism. Go with our strengths. If pass protection and hitting throws in the short game are still inconsistent, but run blocking is ... I'd say ride Shell and give a few carries to one of the other guys until one separates themselves. However, if the backs are too green, but Skylar can start putting the ball on guys and hitting those intermediate throws, then go pass happy. Unfortunately if both of those are inconsistent, it could be a long season.
 
That is pass happy and with the RB situation look for WVU to chuck it even more...meaning more pressure on an inexperienced def. Before you decline into your normal name calling/labeling posture think a little bit. you might find it refreshing who knows?
 
why would you think without smallwood and shell being the lead followed by a whole bench full of inexperience that wvu will run more than pass next year? really.
 
Coaching strategy and talent progression at the RB position


Mostly. Don't confuse lack of talent with lack of opportunity. We have guys like a Crest and Wellman getting 6 yards a carry

Smallwood went from 4.9 yards per carry in 2014 to 5.7 in 2015. Smith went from 4.8 in 2013 to 5.6 in 2014


Why shouldn't DTW or She'll do the same?
 
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crest is a qb sometimes wr and trick back...not going to do it between the tackles. dtw may not even be here by the season fyi. if he is what has he shown? wellman has limited application with limited speed. i am talking about the 20-30 carries a game, hard to get the three yards you need kind of guy. someone may indeed step up and i hope they do but until then i don't see it.

btw what the h... does "talent progression" mean? lol
 
I was impressed with the RBs in the spring game and Shell looked better this year. I think that our running game will be a pleasant surprise.. M
 
Rootmaster said:
crest is a qb sometimes wr and trick back...not going to do it between the tackles. dtw may not even be here by the season fyi. if he is what has he shown? wellman has limited application with limited speed. i am talking about the 20-30 carries a game, hard to get the three yards you need kind of guy. someone may indeed step up and i hope they do but until then i don't see it.

btw what the h... does "talent progression" mean? lol
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If you are talking about a 20-30 carry guy, it is Rushel Shell....... The guy who is going to be the next 1,000 yard rusher for WVU.......
 
shell tends to skirt to the corner, not get it, and turn a potential 7 yard gain into a 2 yard one. smallwood on the other hand tended to run north and south getting to the hole quickly, gearing it up and turning a 2 yard gain into a 7 yard one. I can't see what will suddenly change with shell...but could see him becoming a 1,000 rusher by tearing up lower level comp and getting a ton of carries in most games. wvu always does well with a great back, not just an adequate one. don't see a great one on the roster at this point...and that will put a ton of pressure on SH to keep the ball down and in the hands of the receivers.
 
At the start of the year I saw Shell being too timid. He would take the hand off and look for the juke or cut back he was going to make when he met the LB at the second level. He would practically dance while in the hole. Sometime around mid season he tended to be more aggressive attacking where the hole is supposed to be. Hole was there, he hit it. Hole wasn't, he tried to make something on a cut back or bounce outside. Still thought his vision was sometimes lacking as he would miss the cut into open field that could be a big gainer, but at times he wouldn't. He's a north-south runner and if he keeps acting like it, he will have a good season and see 20ish carries per game.
 
btw: thanks to all for the unemotional discussion on my post. refreshing. we can agree to disagree. Go Mountaineers
 
Rootmaster said:
btw: thanks to all for the unemotional discussion on my post. refreshing. we can agree to disagree. Go Mountaineers
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You're right. Ahem ... WHAT!? You don't think Shell is the greatest running back? You think Holgorsen will go all pass happy next year? You must hate Shell and Holgorsen and therefore WVU. You must be some kind of mouth breathing, low information fan not even worthy of my scorn because you cannot see the brilliance of my opinions when I just assert them without facts or reasoning!!

Is that more like what you're used to? Because it sure sounds familiar to me.
 
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The Bell Tolls for Thee said:
At the start of the year I saw Shell being too timid. He would take the hand off and look for the juke or cut back he was going to make when he met the LB at the second level. He would practically dance while in the hole. Sometime around mid season he tended to be more aggressive attacking where the hole is supposed to be. Hole was there, he hit it. Hole wasn't, he tried to make something on a cut back or bounce outside. Still thought his vision was sometimes lacking as he would miss the cut into open field that could be a big gainer, but at times he wouldn't. He's a north-south runner and if he keeps acting like it, he will have a good season and see 20ish carries per game.
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The juke? Shell didn't have the 'juke' move this past year. Ole Warez never showed him the move! I plan to give him the 'juke' move in time but I have to be careful that he doesn't misuse it. Somebody could get hurt with it.
 
I'm just playing the numbers game. Shell will average 5 yards a carry as the main back. 20-25 carries a game, and equals 100-125 yards a game..... No, he won't get 100 yards every game, but that will be the game average at the end of the season.....Say 20 carries. 1,300 yards for the season. (13 games)

DTW averaged 3.5 yards in spot duty..... He will be at 4 yards, minimum. Reality hit him like a wall this year and he will respond. He takes over Shell's 12 carries from 2015....... Say 50 yards as the 2nd back a game

150 yards so far a game.

Howard will get another 500+ rushing yards at 3 yards a carry so that is 35ish a game (including sacks) on 12 carries....185 yards as a team now

That leaves about 20-30 yards to be gained each game from Crest, Wellman, and a 3rd back..... 205-215 yards a game in 2016..... Pretty good. 2015 averaged 228 yards/game.

That would equal out to 2,665-2,795 rushing yards a game over 13 games with an average of 48 carries a game as a team or 624 for the season... We attempted 622 runs this season (47.8 a game)...


Those averages would put WVU between 25th and 30th nationally in rushing, based on 2015's numbers.....


Now just think if Shell can get over 5 yards a carry and Howard takes less sacks!
 
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If Howard can get from 55% to 60% passing, then just by duplicating 2015's attempts and averages......

242/403 for 3,444 yards..... 300 yard improvement..... 265 yards a game on 31 attempts

That would sit Howard at 23rd or 24th in the nation in 2015's stats


Offensive distribution will be per game:

48 run plays (60%)
31 pass plays (40%)

But the higher Skyler's passing percentage rises, the closer to 50/50 WVU will be
 
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KeatonsCorner said:
I'm just playing the numbers game. Shell will average 5 yards a carry as the main back. 20-25 carries a game, and equals 100-125 yards a game..... No, he won't get 100 yards every game, but that will be the game average at the end of the season.....Say 20 carries. 1,300 yards for the season. (13 games)

DTW averaged 3.5 yards in spot duty..... He will be at 4 yards, minimum. Reality hit him like a wall this year and he will respond. He takes over Shell's 12 carries from 2015....... Say 50 yards as the 2nd back a game

150 yards so far a game.

Howard will get another 500+ rushing yards at 3 yards a carry so that is 35ish a game (including sacks) on 12 carries....185 yards as a team now

That leaves about 20-30 yards to be gained each game from Crest, Wellman, and a 3rd back..... 205-215 yards a game in 2016..... Pretty good. 2015 averaged 228 yards/game.

That would equal out to 2,665-2,795 rushing yards a game over 13 games with an average of 48 carries a game as a team or 624 for the season... We attempted 622 runs this season (47.8 a game)...


Those averages would put WVU between 25th and 30th nationally in rushing, based on 2015's numbers.....


Now just think if Shell can get over 5 yards a carry and Howard takes less sacks!
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Those numbers do not take into account game flow. With a young defense, unfortunately some high powered offenses may go up by a good margin early and the rushing attack will have to be downplayed. We've seen it before where the rushing attack may have worked, but because the D gives up a TD just about every drive in the early going, WVU winds up in a big hole. Baylor comes to mind. Not saying it will happen, but saying it may happen. I'd love nothing more than a rushing attack that can average 4 yards a carry and set up PA or favorable coverage for the passing game. That helps keep some of the offenses that have mauled us in the past off the field.
 
Well, considering I matched the attempts with 2015, where there were multiple instances of what you are citing, I'd say this projection is at some degree considerate of WVU needing to "play catchup" if you will.


The numbers definitely aren't bullet proof..... Just posting some projections of why I'm still very optimistic for 2016..
 
KeatonsCorner said:
Well, considering I matched the attempts with 2015, where there were multiple instances of what you are citing, I'd say this projection is at some degree considerate of WVU needing to "play catchup" if you will.


The numbers definitely aren't bullet proof..... Just posting some projections of why I'm still very optimistic for 2016..
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True, I'm just worried that the losses on defense may make that occurrence more frequent this year compared to last. Hope I'm wrong, but to me linebacker and half the secondary is still a mystery until at least spring ball is finished.
 
I could see it being more 50/50 than 60/40..... But I think it wouldn't reduce the carries by our RBs but rather the QB draws and/or trick runs from Crest...
 
Shell ran for 8000 yards in 2015 unfortunately it was from sideline to sideline, unless he changes his style dramatically he will not be able to sustain our running attack. I hope that one of the incoming recruits will be a hidden gem. We need to get lucky every now and then.
 
wvurelic said:
Shell ran for 8000 yards in 2015 unfortunately it was from sideline to sideline, unless he changes his style dramatically he will not be able to sustain our running attack. I hope that one of the incoming recruits will be a hidden gem. We need to get lucky every now and then.
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I don't know of any wvu RB that ran for 8000 yards in their career
 
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