I think the issues are that our D line is very mediocre, and Bedford's three down lineman scheme is so very weak against the run, that average run games appear unstoppable. Also, Rice has a clear run first identity. Their players are chosen and trained from day one for that scheme.
Review the tape, and it is clear that when we had four guys with a hand on the ground and three LBs close to the LOS (4-3 defense) we controlled their run game. But Vance is stubborn and played the three/three repeatedly. And the back three were unable to quickly fill the holes and stop the runner's progress. They got pushed back 5 - 6 yards before the back was stopped. Rice kept going to the well, and why not. Do it till you're stopped, and we rarely stopped them.
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Last edited: Sep 13, 2015