Our Rushing Offense

[Black Irish]

I have confidence in our run game, but I am concerned that if MSU forces the Irish off the field on a few three-and-outs and ND finds themselves playing from behind they will have to start airing it our heavily. I hope Kelly is giving Golson plenty of pass plays to run in practice in anticipation of this possibility.

 

[RDU Irish]

Exactly. At this point in his career--and he will improve--GAIII is like a Tommy Rees. He has some traits (here, speed) that weaker opponents can't defend. However, those are largely canceled out against better opponents.

I think Cierre Wood is a significantly better RB than GAIII and that our running game will be much more potent with his return. I was not worried about the Navy game without CW, but Purdue was a different beast. MSU will look more like that and hopefully CW won't be too rusty.

Please, don't ever compare GAIII to Tommy again. I hear what you are saying but making my brain absorb the concept makes me throw up a little.

For the record, I like Cierre adding to pass protection and adding a more experienced decision maker behind the line with EG.

 

[Veer option]

FYI Wood is listed at 215...and Mahone is 211

Gonna just give myself a big facepalm right now. Completely overlooked Mahone and misread Lo wood instead of Cierre.

 

[Domina Nostra]

Please, don't ever compare GAIII to Tommy again. I hear what you are saying but making my brain absorb the concept makes me throw up a little.

For the record, I like Cierre adding to pass protection and adding a more experienced decision maker behind the line with EG.

Your second point is important. CW is a very complete player.

on your first point... I hear you--and I was a HUGE Golson partisan-- but once Golson got the job I lost my inadvertant disdain for Tommy's game.

A more apples to apples comparison would probably be Andrew Hendrix, but the big difference between anyone and GAIII is that if the lights ever go on, GAIII has the gifts to be truly dominant.

OT- Mahone, Wood, and Atkinson are all comparitive on paper, but I think its accurate to call them big, bigger, biggest in terms of body type- mostly because of height. Ray rice is 212, but CW is not a "bigger" back, IMO. I know that is somewhat semantics, but I get what people are saying about Mahone looking more like the power back.

 

[BeauBenken]

Exactly. At this point in his career--and he will improve--GAIII is like a Tommy Rees. He has some traits (here, speed) that weaker opponents can't defend. However, those are largely canceled out against better opponents.

I think Cierre Wood is a significantly better RB than GAIII and that our running game will be much more potent with his return. I was not worried about the Navy game without CW, but Purdue was a different beast. MSU will look more like that and hopefully CW won't be too rusty.

So our defense is still an inferior opponent? He's plenty capable of schooling all of them.

 

[Domina Nostra]

So our defense is still an inferior opponent? He's plenty capable of schooling all of them.

At practice your opponent is not truly running 100% and is not on a beserker rage trying to kill you and your blockers. For example, I bet EG scores TDs in practice that he would not score in a game because the safeties are not going to decapitate him at the end of a run (like on his TD run at Purdue).

IMHO, while GAIII has the potnetial to be a star, I think that he still seems like an incomplete back with a V-12 under the hood.

 

[BeauBenken]

At practice your opponent is not truly running 100% and is not on a beserker rage trying to kill you and your blockers. For example, I bet EG scores TDs in practice that he would not score in a game because the safeties are not going to decapitate him at the end of a run (like on his TD run at Purdue).

IMHO, while GAIII has the potnetial to be a star, I think that he still seems like an incomplete back with a V-12 under the hood.

I think he's incredibly dangerous once he hits the secondary period. No matter who the competition is.

 

[Domina Nostra]

I think he's incredibly dangerous once he hits the secondary period. No matter who the competition is.

ABSOLUTELY! The question is whether he can get there and what the play is going to look like if he doesn't.

Don't get me wrong, all of this is coming from an appreciation of CW--who I consider strangely underrated, not a disire to belittle BAIII>

 

[BeauBenken]

ABSOLUTELY! The question is whether he can get there and what the play is going to look like if he doesn't.

Don't get me wrong, all of this is coming from an appreciation of CW--who I consider strangely underrated, not a disire to belittle BAIII>

Okay. I think we're on the same page then. lol

 

[clashmore_jon]

i am still having a hard believing golson was hurt

Kelly said that just made his decision easier, and that he had already started talking about using Rees in that situation prior to the injury anyway.

 

[irishtrain]

I have said all along that Brian Kelly was a very good (great) coach. This my man was why you were hired-its year 3-its about time you got this team going in the right direction. If not I will question his ability, you must find a way to run the ball enough to turn loose this developing talented QB. Its time Brian Kelly. I have been wrong on this team so far as I thought they would be 1-1 at the start. Now they have a chance to really make me wrong as I did not see them beating either Mich team. Either way this is why this coach was hired-to win such games as this. I will love being wrong and take all the guff from all our posters but if they dont win this game its 2 steps forward one step back. I thought they would start 1-3, now the have a chance to be 3-1/4-0 but 2-2 is not cutting it.