Need to Feed Jerome Smith the ball in the bowl game

[dinosaurbbq]

He's at 840 yards on the season. Assuming SU plays a team that doesn't excel at stopping the run, there are tons of benefits to doing everything possible to get Jerome Smith 160 yards rushing to get him to 1,000 on the year. Cuse extending its streak of 1,000 yard back seasons is helpful for recruiting. Getting Jerome the ball enough to get there sends him a signal we believe in him and he will get his reps next year if he comes back. Most of us have felt that feeding him the ball this entire year would have resulted in more wins and more offensive production anyway.

I happen to agree with another poster and an awesome post that George McDonald made a conscious choice not to run a boring run first offense despite the RB corps being our most talented or at least acclaimed unit on the team and to not make the offense fit the talent and to instead put into place an offensive system that excites and will bring in recruits to play and star in it. It costs you wins probably in the short term but builds a better more enticing program long term and gets kids familiar with the system. Lots of merit to that. More merit to keeping the 1,000 yard rusher streak alive and winning the bowl game, though at this point. A bowl game is sort of a win at all costs, even if its ugly, game. Of course, that BC game was also a win at all costs game and we didn't feature Jerome Smith or feed him the ball a ton in that game (18 carries).

I would guess we'll play a team that is not as good as BC in a bowl. I am hoping we get out to an early lead due to our killer D shutting down the other team and our offense putting some points on the board and then we feed the rock to Jerome Smith to drain the clock and in the process of that, he runs it 25 times and gets his 160 yards.

 

[ImperialOrange]

Rome won't get close to 160 yards unless he breaks a long run like he did vs Clemson.

He's a class act, and a good player but he isn't built for 25 carries in a game. He gets winded and has to come out every 5 plays it seems.

 

[SWC75]

Rome won't get close to 160 yards unless he breaks a long run like he did vs Clemson.

He's a class act, and a good player but he isn't built for 25 carries in a game. He gets winded and has to come out every 5 plays it seems.

He carried 29 times in the Pinstripe Bowl last year. Also 28 vs. South Florida last year and Maryland this year. He gained 152, 127 and 118, respectively in those games.


We need to do whatever we can to win the game.

 

[IthacaBarrel]

Why is everyone so enamored with giving the ball 100 times game, dude is calling for a breather after 2 runs. We have 3 other backs that can carry the ball too. I get focusing on the running game, and Smith is a good back but he isn't even on the level of a Carter.

 

[storange]

Why is everyone so enamored with giving the ball 100 times game, dude is calling for a breather after 2 runs. We have 3 other backs that can carry the ball too. I get focusing on the running game, and Smith is a good back but he isn't even on the level of a Carter.

Actually, I thought GM did a great job in not running on 1st down every series against BC and attacking their weakness which was there pass defense. Our most productive game against BCS competition was also our best passing game. And I might take some heat for this but I tnink GM2 and DM are running the ball as well if not better then Smith.