Don't want to whistle past the graveyard on this - Printable Version

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Re: Don't want to whistle past the graveyard on this - washingtonismoney - 09-12-2014

(09-10-2014, 11:18 PM)Boston Card link Wrote:I'm not sure you want to filter out other rushing plays.  Some of them, like the Skov touchdown were short, but would be considered successful.  Others like the Marx stuff were short and unsuccessful, but it's not like we didn't have similar situations last year.  The biggest "other" rushed after the top three is Hogan.  He was the third leading rusher (after Gaffney and Wilkerson) last year, and the second leading rusher two years ago.  Many of those rushes were scrambles (and of course, the sacks), but we also have used him in read option and even conventional (pitch) option plays

I think it's fair. I spotlighted it not to filter, per se -- those other plays are real rushing plays, as you say -- but to spotlight. As in, it looks to me that with Stanford's most effective running backs, we're in decent-to-good shape. The question is whether we can increase the percentage of runs allocated to them, which your response gets at.

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Re: Don't want to whistle past the graveyard on this - BostonCard - 09-12-2014

OK, so taking an apples to apples (sort of) comparison.

This year, our top three running backs (Young, Wright, Sanders, and ) have 214 yards in 38 carries, or 5.6 ypc.  If you include McCaffrey's one attempt for 10 yards, you get 5.7 ypc.
Last year, our top two running backs (Gaffney and Wilkerson) had 2070 yards in 415 carries or 5.0 ypc.  If you take our top 5 RB (add Wright and Young) you get 2282 yards in 449 carries; 5.08 ypc
In 2012, our top four running backs (Taylor, Wilkerson, Wright, and Young) got 1995 yards in 441 carries, or 4.5 ypc.
In 2011, our top four running backs (Taylor, Gaffney, Wilkerson, and Stewart) got 2318 yards in 427 carries, or 5.4 ypc. (note some of Gaffney's carries were on a wildcat)
In 2010, our top four running backs (Taylor, Wilkerson, Gaffney, and Stewart) got 1937 yards in 390 carries, or 5.0 ypc.
In 2009, our top four running backs (Gerhart, Taylor, Stewart, and Gaffney) got 2368 yards in 438 carries, or 5.4 ypc.
In 2008, our top four running backs (Gerhart, Kimble, Stewart, and Howell) got 1988 yards in 360 carries, or 5.5 ypc.

So if you look at just the top running backs, this year looks ok overall; in fact, it is as good as it has ever been.  The sample size is small, though, so I wouldn't jump to conclusions.

BC

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