AAM's carries down the stretch is a bummer

[Millhouse]

Giving him more carries at the end of the season wouldn't have been charity. Guy averaged 5.5 ypc.

he got 2 carries the last 2 games

philips got 9, mcfarlane got 8, morris got 9?

that's a bummer

it's not like the other guys were having great success

 

[RF2044]

Giving him more carries at the end of the season wouldn't have been charity. Guy averaged 5.5 ypc.

he got 2 carries the last 2 games

philips got 9, mcfarlane got 8, morris got 9?

that's a bummer

it's not like the other guys were having great success

Its really strange--a few games into the season, he was the clear cut second stringer behind PTG, and had several long runs that made it look as though AAM deserved to get the bulk of the platoon carries.

After that goal line pitch against Louisville, it was as though the coaches gave up on him. Or rather, Lester did when he took over play calling duties.

Not knocking the decision, just pointing out that up until that point, AAM had been pretty damn good.

 

[NineOneSeven]

I'm sorry, I don't see any upside in McFarlane or Morris.

 

[Trueblue25]

I'm sorry, I don't see any upside in McFarlane or Morris.

Morris maybe, I think McFarlane's clearly the best option going into next season though.

 

[Upstate]

I'm sorry, I don't see any upside in McFarlane or Morris.

I can see some, but it really ought to be Erv's show from here-on out. He can do too much. McFarlane and Morris both can't catch, especially in the RZ. Can't play like that.

 

[Chip]

Giving him more carries at the end of the season wouldn't have been charity. Guy averaged 5.5 ypc.

he got 2 carries the last 2 games

philips got 9, mcfarlane got 8, morris got 9?

that's a bummer

it's not like the other guys were having great success

After we lost the Duke game, it didn't matter to me. Might as well let the younger guys play. Is he the difference between 3-9 and 5-7? Do we even care? He's not back next year anyway.

AAM's problem, which was probably more of an OL problem, is that he often ran like he was going to hit a wall so he was going to push that wall as far forward as he could. His first down run in the BC game, if he just stayed upright and ran, he's probably got a 10-15 yard gain. Instead he assumed he'd be hit, and was tackled by air for a 4 yard gain.

 

[PhatOrange]

I screamed most of the season to get AAM more carries. One of the mind boggling personnel usage decisions this year. Dont understand it and never will. Would love to hear Shafer's 20/20 hindsight answer on that one.

 

[Millhouse]

After we lost the Duke game, it didn't matter to me. Might as well let the younger guys play. Is he the difference between 3-9 and 5-7? Do we even care? He's not back next year anyway.

AAM's problem, which was probably more of an OL problem, is that he often ran like he was going to hit a wall so he was going to push that wall as far forward as he could. His first down run in the BC game, if he just stayed upright and ran, he's probably got a 10-15 yard gain. Instead he assumed he'd be hit, and was tackled by air for a 4 yard gain.

i know i make a federal case out of everything, i don't mean to do it here. it just seemed a little weird. especially since flemming was getting balls thrown to him ... 10 yards out the back of the end zone.. that he caught.. with his knees

big chunk of his yards was garbage time against CMU.

 

[PhatOrange]

Morris dropped too many easy (and important) passes to deserve to see the field imho. He should be last in the pecking order. A couple of screens that would've been TD's or huge gainers. He blew it.

 

[OrangeTarheel]

I agree that AAM's absence was notable but a worse crime was playing so many freaking running backs. I can't ever recall seeing a team field five or six backs, especially when no single back truly stood out. What was the point?

PTG and AAM as full time backs all season long would make the most sense to me.

 

[orangeinohio]

According to ESPN.com, AJ had 14 carries for 12 yds in the last two games.
So, technically, he was SU's leading rusher, in terms of carries. ugh.

 

[qdawgg]

I screamed most of the season to get AAM more carries. One of the mind boggling personnel usage decisions this year. Dont understand it and never will. Would love to hear Shafer's 20/20 hindsight answer on that one.

Ditto

 

[OrangeDW]

I agree that AAM's absence was notable but a worse crime was playing so many freaking running backs. I can't ever recall seeing a team field five or six backs, especially when no single back truly stood out. What was the point?

PTG and AAM as full time backs all season long would make the most sense to me.

Yup. It's stuff like that why I have no confidence in the staff going forward and really don't want to hear the "he won 7 last year, it's one bad year!". Many personnel decisions this year were just crazy, with the RB usage being one of the major ones.

 

[shu 49]

I am telling you guys that Mcfarlane is the best kid we got. Yes phillips is shifty but has no top gear and Floyd little himself said he could be the next su great back. He also likes Morris to. Floyd might know something about rb. My biggest issue is rb do need many carries a game to get into a rhythm and they never got them. Coach smith needs to leave one guy in there and we will kick ass. My man would be mcfarlane.

 

[reedny]

I am telling you guys that Mcfarlane is the best kid we got. Yes phillips is shifty but has no top gear and Floyd little himself said he could be the next su great back. He also likes Morris to. Floyd might know something about rb. My biggest issue is rb do need many carries a game to get into a rhythm and they never got them. Coach smith needs to leave one guy in there and we will kick ass. My man would be mcfarlane.

I think his speed is equivalent to Phillips but he doesn't have Phillips moves. Nor can MF catch. We've been beaten at least twice on wheel routes by other teams in the 4th Qtr (Fla-S., BC). But when we try the same play, MF has nearly always failed to make the catch. His drops were especially hurtful b/c wheel routes are not a well you can dip into very often. MF's also not especially big or bruising to make up for his lack of shiftiness. I'm trying to figure out what you're seeing in him ... understanding that there's a small sample size as a result of our backs routinely getting TFL'd.

 

[tipphill]

I screamed most of the season to get AAM more carries. One of the mind boggling personnel usage decisions this year. Dont understand it and never will. Would love to hear Shafer's 20/20 hindsight answer on that one.

i said the same thing after the villanova game, and through the season. i now question the coaches ability to use the talent they have, and even evaluate talent---.