'15 FL ATH Dexter Williams (Notre Dame Signed NLI)

[Luckylucci]

I would never run Wimbush 10/game. He's too valuable to plan that type of exposure. 3-5 times/game with a couple ad hoc runs when the plan breaks down. If we had someone with experience backing him up then potentially move those numbers up a bit.
And I'd adjust the RB numbers to start the season: Adams 15-20, Dexter 10-15. It should be a near even split until you know what you have.

I wish we could get a 3rd back some touches. TJ Jr seems too well-rounded to leave him on the sidelines. I suppose in an ideal world, we'd run Adams 15, Dex 10-15 and give TJ Jr 5ish to see what they are made of. Let the distribution slowly settle in based on production.

Not sure if you've followed numbers, but Kizer has ran 10 times/game in each of the last two seasons. Its not really that many. Wiltfong isn't saying, lets do a QB power 10/game. But as a part of the game plan (zone read) he's going to be forced to keep the ball sometimes, and when you add in QB scrambles, and designed runs, it gets to that number naturally. Really not that crazy.

 

[Luckylucci]

To add, in a much more conservative offense in 2012, Golson ran the ball 7.83/game.

And in a pass happy 2014 offense, he ran the ball 8.76/game.

The 8-10 range is standard. Mariotta, in the midst of a Natty run, was running the ball 9/game. Again, its just not that much, when you actually understand what is going on. Its pretty standard for a zone read offense.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

Not sure if you've followed numbers, but Kizer has ran 10 times/game in each of the last two seasons. Its not really that many. Wiltfong isn't saying, lets do a QB power 10/game. But as a part of the game plan (zone read) he's going to be forced to keep the ball sometimes, and when you add in QB scrambles, and designed runs, it gets to that number naturally. Really not that crazy.

Understood and it's hard to believe Kizer had 10 designed runs/game. I thought it was closer to 5, mostly consisting of QB draws. I'm not calling his numbers crazy, I'm chicken little when it comes to forecasting team health.

I'd prefer to limit the offensive lynchpin from unnecessary stress. His truest value is with his head and arm. Get his bell rung or if he gets dinged up and his effectiveness starts to wane.

The biggest value is in forcing the defense to believe he can run without requiring him to do it. I would expect a run/quarter to keep defenses honest and it allows Chip Long to create sets of plays that use similar formations and stress defenses.

This is coming from a chump who has never coached and is probably among the top 5% in risk aversion.

 

[woolybug25]

Understood and it's hard to believe Kizer had 10 designed runs/game. I thought it was closer to 5, mostly consisting of QB draws. I'm not calling his numbers crazy, I'm chicken little when it comes to forecasting team health.

I'd prefer to limit the offensive lynchpin from unnecessary stress. His truest value is with his head and arm. Get his bell rung or if he gets dinged up and his effectiveness starts to wane.

The biggest value is in forcing the defense to believe he can run without requiring him to do it. I would expect a run/quarter to keep defenses honest and it allows Chip Long to create sets of plays that use similar formations and stress defenses.

This is coming from a chump who has never coached and is probably among the top 5% in risk aversion.

I'm not sure you read his posts.

He's not saying that the ten runs are designed, but rather the offense dictates that he should take off if things breaks down. Add that to 5 or so designed runs a game and you're over 10 rushes a game for him.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

I'm not sure you read his posts.

He's not saying that the ten runs are designed, but rather the offense dictates that he should take off if things breaks down. Add that to 5 or so designed runs a game and you're over 10 rushes a game for him.

Thanks Wooly, you're right. I was thinking 10 designed runs plus the breakdown plays and I kept thinking that was way too much exposure. NP if he takes off running when nothings open/pocket breaks down.

I guess I was arguing with myself.

 

[Irish Insanity]

To add, in a much more conservative offense in 2012, Golson ran the ball 7.83/game.

And in a pass happy 2014 offense, he ran the ball 8.76/game.

The 8-10 range is standard. Mariotta, in the midst of a Natty run, was running the ball 9/game. Again, its just not that much, when you actually understand what is going on. Its pretty standard for a zone read offense.

Were those all designed runs for Golson or AWOL runs?

 

[BobbyMac]

2 of Kizer's rushes per game were sacks.

 

[stlnd01]

We should definitely run Wimbush. We should also remember Wimbush is smaller than Kizer and that if he gets hurt we're f*cked.
.

 

[kmoose]

I can name a few reasons we shouldn't regularly line up in 2 back sets: Chase Claypool, Stepherson, ESB, Alize, Smythe and Wright. (possibly CJ Sanders)

As you said, we are loaded at TE and WR and you want to maximize the field. Putting two good players within 5 yards of each other so the defense can fixate instead of worrying about the 3 WRs or TEs bookended on our OL likely isn't the best use of talent.

An occasional play, sure. But I believe it makes more sense to keep them in regular rotation. Either split reps in groups, ie - every 5th play, swap em out. Or by series and do continual evaluation and ride the hot hand, errr, hot legs until they need a breather.

If we can feed them 10-15 reps each/game, they'll have plenty of opportunities to shine, along with the rest of our offensive talent.

But the other school of thought says:

Playing the two backs and pounding the rock will force defenses to stack the box, leaving minimal coverage on the receivers. And it is much easier to rotate receivers in and out to get them all touches.

 

[Veritate Duce Progredi]

The man deserves a bumped thread. 20 ypc and eclipsed the century mark.

 

[koonja]

He deserves a hell of a lot more carries too. Tony Jones looks OK and all.

Dexter looks different.

 

[greyhammer90]

Very interested to see what the talking heads say, there was apparently a consensus between everyone who saw practice that Dexter was clearly the number 3. Obviously that didn't appear to be the case on Saturday. I'm a fan of judging practice performance over a single game, but Dexter looked like Procise in all the best ways.

 

[woolybug25]

One interesting thought I had on the "Dex needs more carries" narrative. I'll go with BK and Long's opinion until proven otherwise. I don't think more carries for Dex yesterday would have improved our rushing total.... we had 422 rushing yards and 5 TD's for crying out loud.

Gd that last sentence makes me rock hard.

 

[BobbyMac]

Williams recognizes holes and gets through them better than Jones and Adams. Adams' yac is most likely superior but that's not a crack on Dex.

The one thing that is obvious is Dex doesn't have the same top end as Adams. They have different gears.

No doubt in my mind, Dex should be getting the second most carries. Hopefully if TJj is getting a lot of snaps against UGA, he's seeing some passes come his way out of the backfield.

 

[irishrb]

Dex has a different gear than any other back in his first 5 steps to the LOS. He has a tremendous initial burst and hits the hole quicker than anyone else. He deserves more carries. Should be clear cut #2, splitting carries with Adams, and, IMO, it's not even close.

 

[Luckylucci]

Williams recognizes holes and gets through them better than Jones and Adams. Adams' yac is most likely superior but that's not a crack on Dex.

The one thing that is obvious is Dex doesn't have the same top end as Adams. They have different gears.

No doubt in my mind, Dex should be getting the second most carries. Hopefully if TJj is getting a lot of snaps against UGA, he's seeing some passes come his way out of the backfield.

This was my thought as well. I love Adams but he still struggles getting his pad level low, and quick cuts laterally. Dex is clearly above both Jones and Adams in that regard. He NEEDS more carries. He's just much faster hitting the hole than the other two.

 

[woolybug25]

This was my thought as well. I love Adams but he still struggles getting his pad level low, and quick cuts laterally. Dex is clearly above both Jones and Adams in that regard. He NEEDS more carries. He's just much faster hitting the hole than the other two.

Adams had 112 yards against their fresh starters in the FIRST QUARTER.

All RB conversations should have that as a hard stop....

 

[Luckylucci]

Adams had 112 yards against their fresh starters in the FIRST QUARTER.

All RB conversations should have that as a hard stop....

I never said he was bad or didn't have other attributes that are extremely good. Elite breakaway speed for example. But that doesn't mean he's perfect and he still struggles with what I said above. He even had some really good awkward runs because he's difficult to bring down, but far from agile laterally.

 

[irishandy]

If Georgia can have a 2-headed monster at RB w/ Chubb and Michel I like ND's 2-headed monster with Adams and Williams.

 

[stlnd01]

Aside from pass-catching skills, and maybe the short-yardage bull rush stuff b/c he's bigger, is there a reason Jones was playing ahead of Williams?
B/c to me it's pretty clearly
Adams
Dex
Jones

And all three look pretty solid.

 

[IrishLion]

Dex must be absolutely awful in pass pro and have hands of stone. Otherwise he'd be splitting even carries with Adams.

 

[yankeehater]

Any word on how he is doing? He was gimpy and I don't remember seeing him return. Not sure if that was due to his injury or more because of the score.

 

[koonja]

Dex has hands of stone but he hasn't dropped a pass and has by far the 2 best catches of any rb this year, and it's not even close.

Narrative doesn't equate.

 

[FightingIrishLover7]

Dex has hands of stone but he hasn't dropped a pass and has by far the 2 best catches of any rb this year, and it's not even close.

Narrative doesn't equate.

Sample size in game, two.

Sample size in practice, much larger.

Not denying the production, just speaking realistically considering the coaches see a lot more than we do.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Rizzophil]

Anyone know how bad his ankle injury is at this point?

 

[jjsccer2]

Anyone have an update on Dex? He was dressed form UNC so still baffled why he's not getting reps.

 

[NDdomer2]

He had a great bye week!

 

[dwshade]

Anyone have an update on Dex? He was dressed form UNC so still baffled why he's not getting reps.

Didn't get reps because his ankle was still an issue. Was only going to be used in an emergency.

 

[jjsccer2]

Ankle still bothering him? Asking for a friend.

 

[ryno 24]

Kelly said in the presser that he is 100 percent and ready to go for this week.