I’ll be interested to see what Walton and a year removed from injury Osborne can do in 2027. Only way Walton isn’t starting next year is if he develops chronic turnover issues or if James develops a bunch of athleticism in the offseason.
Ja'Juan Seider - Running Backs Coach
- Thread starter BobbyMac
- Start date
pumpdog20
Well-known member
- Messages
- 5,182
- Reaction score
- 3,831
I'm gonna go 50% Rudolph for not having the line ready, 25% Seider for not having 4 star RBs looking like it, and 25% on the players
I’ve said it before, but this RB room just doesn’t do anything for me. As a whole, it doesn’t exactly scream “difference makers." It just kind of bellows mediocrity. At some point, you have to start wondering if the problem isn’t just the talent in the room, but the guy running the room. I’m definitely starting to question the leadership there.
ulukinatme
Carr for QB 2026!
- Messages
- 32,382
- Reaction score
- 18,985
Absolutely gotta have the line first. We've got RBs having to make cuts in the backfield, that ain't workin'. Seider doesn't get a pass either though.
spoonidentity
Well-known member
- Messages
- 359
- Reaction score
- 451
Agree with you completely - I wrote this in the Purdue post game thread but I went back and watched all of the running plays with the first team while tracking formation and outcome. Most of the issues were with offensive line blocking. Linebackers are crashing into our tight ends and line. For most of the running plays, the opposing defense triggers the linebackers almost immediately at the snap. There were multiple times linebackers were at or beyond the line of scrimmage as CJ was handing the ball off to the running backs in shotgun.
Other times the offensive line has good double team / combo blocks but one-on-one they are shed fairly easily by the defensive line. I know Ashton Craig is coming back from ACL surgery and it takes a while, but he has been a weak link.
The picture that Mike Goolsby posted online is deceptive because it looks like everybody is blocked up front on the wildcat play. You can see it in the Purdue post game thread. It's Q2 6 minutes 23 seconds left in the quarter if anybody wants to watch it. ND has two tight ends lined up to the left side of the line. There are eight men in the box and the run is designed to go left. You can tell because Ashton Craig immediately leans to the left once he snaps the ball and that's where the offensive line flows. A Purdue linebacker or safety number 20 triggers immediately into the tight ends and shortly after the picture is taken, he undercuts both the tight end and Williams. Will Black is absolutely bullied and pushed back two yards by the right defensive end (#8) directly into the running path for Williams. The ball is snapped at the two yard line, Aeneyas receives it at the 6-yard line and is met at 3 yard line by number 20 low and number 8 high on the tackle.
I think his post implies that it's the running backs fault and we certainly have some issues with AW, but the offensive line is not clicking like we expect them to just yet. No running back on the roster would have gained yards the way that play was designed and executed. A lot of good individual OL plays and some great team plays but still lacking here and there. The good news is I think it is correctable and they should improve over the course of the season. Hopefully we can get through to the bye week unscathed and focus on offensive line and individual tight end blocking effort.
FightingIrishLover7
All troll, no substance
- Messages
- 13,102
- Reaction score
- 8,307
Sacks, I will say
A large part of that low number goes towards two things
1) Denbrock play design
2) Carr checks and shifts
With that said, clearly oline is better pass blocking
- Messages
- 45,904
- Reaction score
- 21,987
I'm not going to assign percentages, but the running game not getting the results everyone is expecting is primarily on the coaches. The run game has picked up since changing blocking schemes, but the coaches should have known since camp what was going to work best.