We better revive the Run Game Now

[zenhuddy]

Forum guru’s where did our running game go yesterday? I have seen over the years where an opposing team loads up the box on a good running team and chokes them down but they still get some breakout plays - we had zero in our running game. I’m guessing since we knew they’d load the box we didn’t dial in many running plays into our preparation therefore kinda bailed out on ourselves being able to run the rock ?  
To this point leads to my concern in the stretch - we know Mr 50% can’t win us games over UAB or WKU and Rice is 50/50 - so I sure hope we go back to what we know can win for us, as we all know how we got in the bowl game last year! 
Lastly to me what is kinda crazy is, we give up on Aune and the pass game last year which said he’s not our “passing QB” and ran the ball - why would we think this year would be any different ?  I get that we lost some key receivers last year but looking at this year Shorter was the only one that made a real difference. 
Grant I think was a difference maker this year had we be willing to take some hits early till he go settled down - he showed good numbers at a P5 school and reading the Memphis coach’s stuff indicated he had probably won the job at Memphis before he decided to portal out. I think we promised Aune the job and here we are. Hope we refocus our efforts on pounding the rock this week! 

[Cr1028]

10 minutes ago, zenhuddy said:

Forum guru’s where did our running game go yesterday? I have seen over the years where an opposing team loads up the box on a good running team and chokes them down but they still get some breakout plays - we had zero in our running game. I’m guessing since we knew they’d load the box we didn’t dial in many running plays into our preparation therefore kinda bailed out on ourselves being able to run the rock ?  
To this point leads to my concern in the stretch - we know Mr 50% can’t win us games over UAB or WKU and Rice is 50/50 - so I sure hope we go back to what we know can win for us, as we all know how we got in the bowl game last year! 

 

There are two ways we can improve our running game from what happened yesterday and they both involve benching number 2.

1. You put in whichever quarterback has the best accuracy. Have them throw 10 balls into tires your roll across the field or something and Aune is not allowed in the competition. Put that guy in anytime the box get loaded up again and just run go routes until they start dropping more into coverage. OR

2. You put Earle or Head out there so they have to account for the quarterback run game. Aune was decent running the ball last year but has been abysmal this season and it is clogging up the lanes for the RBs because they know he can’t run the ball effectively anymore.

 

10 minutes ago, zenhuddy said:

11 minutes ago, zenhuddy said:

Grant I think was a difference maker this year had we be willing to take some hits early till he go settled down - he showed good numbers at a P5 school and reading the Memphis coach’s stuff indicated he had probably won the job at Memphis before he decided to portal out. I think we promised Aune the job and here we are. Hope we refocus our efforts on pounding the rock this week! 

This is not true based on everything said leading up to the Memphis game. He got beat out by a younger player plain and simple. He doesn’t seem to be right since injury.

[zenhuddy]

39 minutes ago, Cr1028 said:

There are two ways we can improve our running game from what happened yesterday and they both involve benching number 2.

1. You put in whichever quarterback has the best accuracy. Have them throw 10 balls into tires your roll across the field or something and Aune is not allowed in the competition. Put that guy in anytime the box get loaded up again and just run go routes until they start dropping more into coverage. OR

2. You put Earle or Head out there so they have to account for the quarterback run game. Aune was decent running the ball last year but has been abysmal this season and it is clogging up the lanes for the RBs because they know he can’t run the ball effectively anymore.

 

This is not true based on everything said leading up to the Memphis game. He got beat out by a younger player plain and simple. He doesn’t seem to be right since injury.

Good feedback -  I will say what was leading me to think he might have started for Memphis was off this quote in an earlier thread - ( I hear you and he might not be over the injury) 

When Memphis football wrapped spring practice in April, the outcome with the quarterback battle was it would continue into the preseason. Both Seth Henigan and Grant Gunnell played well in the spring game and coach Ryan Silverfield didn’t name a starter.

Gunnell then surprisingly ended the battle by entering the transfer portal a week after practice 

[El Paso Eagle]

They game planed to stack the line and force Aune to beat them.  I don't think they were worried about the yardage up to the red zone because they felt confidence what they got into the red zone they could have more control. They went all out to stop the run and did that.

[UNTcrazy727]

1 hour ago, El Paso Eagle said:

They game planed to stack the line and force Aune to beat them.  I don't think they were worried about the yardage up to the red zone because they felt confidence what they got into the red zone they could have more control. They went all out to stop the run and did that.

And I think we knew that was their plan. Unfortunately, we don’t have a QB accurate enough to make them pay for stacking the box. IMO, I think if we hit one of those passes on our first drive for a TD the game plays out differently. 

[zenhuddy]

WKU losses if we regenerate the run game - if we run for nothing like the UTSA game we are toast. 

[Aquila_Viridis]

The run game did not go anywhere.  When you can't consistently throw downfield with accuracy, defending your run game becomes very easy.