C
cscougIt is difficult to distill football down to one aspect of the game or variable, but I would like to focus on one point: the running game. Specifically, our ability to run and our ability to stop our opponents rushing attack.
Consider a few stats from last year:
1. We had 0 (zero!) individual 100-yard rushing performances. That alone is enough to make all of the arguments about the O-line under-performing valid. Certainly, this will be a point of emphasis for change this year. (O-line conditioning program...)
2. In our losses to Texas and Utah, we had 43 and 11 yards rushing, respectively. Those are game totals, folks. We can't win like that, and we didn't. Even against TCU, we managed 139 yards. But consider we averaged 249 yards rushing the previous 4 games and 194.3 the subsequent 3 games. We gave up 136 yards rushing to TCU, so it was a wash. We did lose the turnover battle 3-0. (A separate argument, I realize.)
3. In week 5, we emphasized the running game and Riley took over as starter. This totally changed our red zone scoring. In weeks 1-4, we had 11 RZ opportunities, and 3 TDs = 27%. For the rest of the year, we had 43 RZ opportunities, and 30 TDs = 70%. Any wonder the coaches wanted to keep Riley in there. With no 100-yard backs, he very much affected the running game. (This is not intended to be a Heaps vs Riley argument. I wish we had Jake next year very much.)
Anyway, we have to run the ball, and we have to get better production from the O-line to do it. If Riley can make progress as a passer, and we make these improvements, I think we might have a surprisingly good year.
Consider a few stats from last year:
1. We had 0 (zero!) individual 100-yard rushing performances. That alone is enough to make all of the arguments about the O-line under-performing valid. Certainly, this will be a point of emphasis for change this year. (O-line conditioning program...)
2. In our losses to Texas and Utah, we had 43 and 11 yards rushing, respectively. Those are game totals, folks. We can't win like that, and we didn't. Even against TCU, we managed 139 yards. But consider we averaged 249 yards rushing the previous 4 games and 194.3 the subsequent 3 games. We gave up 136 yards rushing to TCU, so it was a wash. We did lose the turnover battle 3-0. (A separate argument, I realize.)
3. In week 5, we emphasized the running game and Riley took over as starter. This totally changed our red zone scoring. In weeks 1-4, we had 11 RZ opportunities, and 3 TDs = 27%. For the rest of the year, we had 43 RZ opportunities, and 30 TDs = 70%. Any wonder the coaches wanted to keep Riley in there. With no 100-yard backs, he very much affected the running game. (This is not intended to be a Heaps vs Riley argument. I wish we had Jake next year very much.)
Anyway, we have to run the ball, and we have to get better production from the O-line to do it. If Riley can make progress as a passer, and we make these improvements, I think we might have a surprisingly good year.