Darius Walker @ UCLA

[LOVEMYIRISH]

Let's not talk speed or quality here...

Let's talk about hitting the holes, etc.

Did it seem like DW was a bit hesitant today?

While I am the first to remark about how slow he is...I never feel that he does not lean head down and take a hit to get the extra half yard to a yard...

Today it really seemed like he was falling backwards more than once. Or he was dancing like he used to do so much more.

Basically, he seemed very tentative to me.

I have not watched a replay yet, but did anyone else notice this?

 

[tchris555]

his running style just isn't effective against this type of defense, which is why if aldridge isn't ready you gotta let T Thomas get some carries

 

[punishment]

UCLA has a tremendous D-Line though. So holes were very difficult to create against them. But, I'm still not sold on Darius like everybody else on these boards is.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

UCLA has a tremendous D-Line though. So holes were very difficult to create against them. But, I'm still not sold on Darius like everybody else on these boards is.

Even when we had holes he did not get to them in time...but yet again he could not turn a corner.

HOWEVER, the post was more to ask whether or not he seemed more tentative than usual.

 

[luckofirish8]

I think he did look a little hesitant. He hopped to and through some of the hole, instead of running up into the hole hard. i don't know if it was an unwillingness to gain 1-3 yards of some poorly blocked plays (I doubt this very much DWalk is a team player) or if he was get trying to make too much out of nothing on some plays.

 

[marv81s]

I think DW just had a bad game, and UCLA just has a really good/fast D.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

I think DW just had a bad game, and UCLA just has a really good/fast D.

Ummm...so how is this game different from Penn State, Michigan, or Michigan State? By the way, I looked at MSU...he had 3 rushes of 9 or 10. The rest were basically 2 yarders (I think he squeezed out one 4 yarder).

At GT (where he got 99 yards) he got 5 rushes of 5 yards or more. Same thing for UCLA actually.

It's interesting, the trend I see is that he gets 5+ yards 1 out of every 4 times. The lone exceptions would be Purdue and Stanford. Two of the worst rushing D's in the country.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=161739

Then I look at a few other players at PEER schools:
Mike Hart: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=160897
Anotnio Pittman: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=160722
Jamall Charles: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=175766
James Davis & CJ Spiller: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/clubhouse?teamId=228
Marshawn Lynch: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=163361

Then some LESS THAN PEER schools:
Darren McFadden: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=170928
Ray Rice: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=176934
PJ Hill: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=180057

And I see plenty examples of people doing better consistently.

Is it because we have the worst O-Line in the country???

Seriously, how can every other top25 team have a RB doing better than ours?

 

[Pinoy QB]

I believe that we are a passing team not by choice, Lately we have been behind or slow to start, that is why we have been throwing the ball and not running, we has been very predictable with the pass.

 

[onenybrother]

Ummm...so how is this game different from Penn State, Michigan, or Michigan State? By the way, I looked at MSU...he had 3 rushes of 9 or 10. The rest were basically 2 yarders (I think he squeezed out one 4 yarder).

At GT (where he got 99 yards) he got 5 rushes of 5 yards or more. Same thing for UCLA actually.

It's interesting, the trend I see is that he gets 5+ yards 1 out of every 4 times. The lone exceptions would be Purdue and Stanford. Two of the worst rushing D's in the country.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=161739

Then I look at a few other players at PEER schools:
Mike Hart: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=160897
Anotnio Pittman: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=160722
Jamall Charles: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=175766
James Davis & CJ Spiller: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/clubhouse?teamId=228
Marshawn Lynch: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=163361

Then some LESS THAN PEER schools:
Darren McFadden: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=170928
Ray Rice: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=176934
PJ Hill: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=180057

And I see plenty examples of people doing better consistently.

Is it because we have the worst O-Line in the country???

Seriously, how can every other top25 team have a RB doing better than ours?

Great post. His lack of break away speed. The lack of speed period on this team is amazing.

 

[tommy]

it all falls on the line imo

 

[marv81s]

because those other schools that you mention have had the opportunities to grind it out, we have fallen behind early, and have quite honestly played better competition than they have, so far, on a week by week basis, they had the pass to open up the run game. We came out sputering the first few games, with the exception of the penn state game, and even then we had a tough time with the run game. We have played against some really tough D's too, for the most part. Is Darius fast like Pittman, hell no. But I'll take DW's overall game over those other guys. We'll get the fast runners in soon enough, but I'll take DW's blocking, pass catching, etc over those other guys right now.

 

[bmf175]

Ive already said this once in the game thread on Saturday. The problem with Darius is not his speed or his vision. Its his ability to keep running after he makes that initial contact.

When I say initial contact I mean arms outstretched by somebody being blocked or diving shoe string tackles. Pretty much if you touch him he is going down. There is no second burst or "moving the pile".

I know at least once in the game in the second half he saw 2 or 3 defenders closing in and he just decided to go down and dive, he wasnt diving for a first down or a TD he just didnt want to get hit.

We need a punisher TB, while we are at it get us a punisher FB! Brady is more willing to get hit than DW.

 

[tommy]

i seen that and we all would agree he does more then run the ball but we do need some gerth in the back field

 

[bmf175]

He definitely does more than run the ball. I think he would be a great third down specialist back.
Like Ronnie Harmon was for the Chargers last time they went to the superbowl.

Line him up next to brady in shotgun either give him a shoval pass or he can swing out for a short pass. I just dont see him as an effect everydown back.

You know whats funny, when Grant was starting for us we were yelling for DW to get a shot. And now we are yelling for Aldridge to get a shot. Its been a while since we were able to get a great everydown back.

 

[tommy]

i think its obvious that you dont put freshmen in against the 9th ranked d can you imagine if he did and they fucked the game up i think the line has more responsability in this then dwalker come on they were rushing 3 guys and getting sacks thats a good d if you think they were pumped for us i would be worryed if i was usc

 

[bmf175]

Agreed but lets not gorget DW's first time in a game. It was against then ranked UM in South Bend, and he ended up putting the game away for us.

I honestly believe that class ranking has nothing to do with the ability to be a great RB. All the great runningbacks in college football have a coming out during their freshman year. Adrian Peterson, TBs from Clemson, Mike Hart, pretty much every game changer at TB produced while they were freshman.

TB is one of those positions you are either going to good at or not. But I will agree a second time with you, the O-line needs to help more. But if they dont a TB should be prepared to be hit and keep driving.

 

[HereComeTheIrish]

i think its obvious that you dont put freshmen in against the 9th ranked d can you imagine if he did and they fucked the game up i think the line has more responsability in this then dwalker come on they were rushing 3 guys and getting sacks thats a good d if you think they were pumped for us i would be worryed if i was usc

Punctuation is your friend. USE IT!!!

I like you Tommy and your posts generally have something interesting to say, but for heavens sakes, would it be to much to ask for you add a comma, question mark or for pete sakes a freakin' period to show the end of a freakin' sentence. Come on, Man...you're better than that!

 

[tommy]

hey i would have loved to have seen aldridge ive been replaying his 4 or 5 carries from the stanford game over and over but i think cw knows what he is doing but on the other hand i questioned some of his calls and thats the first time i have

 

[tommy]

sorry i am the worst at grammer

 

[ND4life]

personally it comes down to the line, our tackles whiffed on 2 of their speed rushes.... and DW has more experience in picking up blitzes than JA and MP.

 

[Seymore]

i think its obvious that you dont put freshmen in against the 9th ranked d can you imagine if he did and they fucked the game up i think the line has more responsability in this then dwalker come on they were rushing 3 guys and getting sacks thats a good d if you think they were pumped for us i would be worryed if i was usc

Why not try it ? I mean, what else was working at the time ? Im sure going for it on 4th and 6-15yds. is a much larger risk ! Dont you think being 3rd and long all day was sickening to watch ? Weis is famous for taking gutsy risks (one of my favorite things about him). The guy calls pass plays on 4th and inches to the TE 20-30 yds. down the field. He puts Darrin Walls on Calvin Johnson at Georgia Tech when we were down. Why not bring Prince, or Aldridge in against UCLA? Personally, if I had been there, and James Aldridge came in the game, I would have went crazy, along with probably 75% of the stadium attendance. The offense looked flat yesterday, they showed little emotion most of the game. Aldridge might have come in and did ok, he may have fumbled and turned the ball over too, but I gurantee it would have pumped the crowd and put some excitement in the offense regardless of his performance. Im not saying he should be starting, nor do I believe he's alot better than Darius (at this point), but why not bring him in and take a chance when the shit has been hitting the fan all day long ? Prince even ?

 

[tommy]

im not calling the plays just playing the odds

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

because those other schools that you mention have had the opportunities to grind it out, we have fallen behind early, and have quite honestly played better competition than they have, so far, on a week by week basis, they had the pass to open up the run game. We came out sputering the first few games, with the exception of the penn state game, and even then we had a tough time with the run game. We have played against some really tough D's too, for the most part. Is Darius fast like Pittman, hell no. But I'll take DW's overall game over those other guys. We'll get the fast runners in soon enough, but I'll take DW's blocking, pass catching, etc over those other guys right now.

Oh come one now...

In the ENTIRE Top25 there is only ONE starting back with stats (yards per carry) as low as his: L.V. Whitworth of Boston College.

DW is 41st in total yardage for NCAA rushing... (that can be attributed somewhat to the line and team style)

HOWEVER......................
Out of all 65 Rushers with 100 rushes or more...only these fellows have WORSE Yards Per Carry Averages:
Marcus Cross of Utah State
Dennis Kennedy of Akron
Marcus Thomas of UTEP
Jayson Bird of Idaho
Joseph Doss of Memphis
Shaun Carney of Air Force
Eugene Gross of Middle Tennessee State

That's 7 guys out of 65!!!

Look, I completely agree that DW blocks well, picks up the blitz, and can catch. But he is a WAY BELOW average back when it comes to total and average yards.

He's a great 3-star back...but so far he has not proven better.

 

[LOVEMYIRISH]

Line him up next to brady in shotgun either give him a shoval pass or he can swing out for a short pass. I just dont see him as an effect everydown back.

You know whats funny, when Grant was starting for us we were yelling for DW to get a shot. And now we are yelling for Aldridge to get a shot. Its been a while since we were able to get a great everydown back.

Yup...you nailed it.