"We gave up on running with Bijan after 1st quarter success"

I kept hearing that during the game, and it was a common criticism after the game, but I don't think it's true. Here were all his carries by quarter, situation, and result.

1Q, 1st & 10, -4 yds
1Q, 2nd & 14, 24 yds
1Q, 2nd & 10, 2 yds
1Q, 2nd & 15, 11 yds
2Q, 1st & 10, 6 yds
2Q, 2nd & 4, 6 yds
2Q, 1st & 10, 2 yds
3Q, 1st & 10, 9 yds
4Q, 1st & 10, -3 yds
4Q, 1st & 10, 1 yd
4Q, 1st & 10, 1 yd
4Q, 3rd & 20, 3 yds
4Q, 1st & 10, 2 yds

We didn't really give up on him, he just mostly got stopped after having the early success. Not necessarily his fault or anything he did wrong (I'm not sure one way or the other without going back to watch), but 4 of his first 6 carries were really good, and then 5 of his last 7 carries were on 1st down and resulted in 2nd and long. I suspect it's either just random distribution and clumping, or else they started clamping down on our run game more and more game went on and our passing game kept being rather non-threatening.

 

Oh yeah I forgot this is a sports board.

 

You must not be a fan of backs getting into a rhythm. His first 4 carries were in the very first drive averaging 8.25 yds per carry. Then he sat for the rest of the first qtr until midway thru the second qtr where he averaged 4.67 yds per carry yet still in the first half he had 7 carries averaging 6.71 yards per carry.

He then had 1 carry in the entire 3rd qtr for 9 yards making it 8 carries averaging 7 yds per carry for the game.

In the 4th he was put in for an occasional carry swapping with RJ who had similar results with a yard here or there.

Go with the hot back early and often!

 

Ingram is out on Saturday, so this should help with shortening the rotation

 

I believe a few of those latter, "failed" runs were just running clock on obvious run downs with stacked line...FWIW

 

Couldn't agree more.

 

It’s really starting to interfere with the politics

 

Great point, Robinson was running hard that game

 

To me Robinson is on the verge, or he’s not going to make it. What I see is some good shake with quickness but some missed opportunities in the direction he takes. My thought is the more plays he gets the better he gets. Hope I’m right and he gets the opportunities to show us what he’s capable of doing in the BOrange!

 

He had an impact against WVU.

 

I’m not sure we gave up on him but I do not think we ran him nearly enough and I think any criticism is pretty harsh. All backs — even the great ones — miss opportunities. More important though is that he averaged 4.6 yds per carry. Yet, we only gave him the ball 13 times, including once in the 3Q? Outside of the world of Madden, that makes little sense to me.

 

We were talking about this^^^^ on the game thread.
What is this with coaches??
This is working so obviously well...they are on to us and will stop us any minute...So let's quit now and do something else.
No...the old saying is keep on doing it til they show they can figure out how to stop it.
Cowboys failed in this same manner last week vs Philly. Nothing was working with DeNucci...then they found a rhythm running and were just pounding it down their throats all the way down the field. Got down inside around the 25 or so on 2nd down and tried some kind of slow developing trick reverse whatever, lost 7 yards, had to try a long pass on 3rd, then settled for another long fg try.
Brilliant.

Not trying to bash ours too much....I think they've generally coached well the last few weeks....but you're right on this....and most all teams and coaches do it.

 

He actually carried 12 times for 113 yards, a 9.4 yds per carry average.

 

One carry for fifty plus. 11 carries for 60ish.

 

Speaking of our run game...
Don't hear much talk these days about RB depth. True...for this year we have been better than recent years, but Ingram will be gone before you know it, and that leaves Bijan starting with RJ relieving (so long as he is OK w that). Bijan is going to be a stud, but any solid program needs better depth than we will soon have barring grad transfer or recruiting surprise.
We have already "lost " Camar and there is a good chance aggy success this year relative to how things have gone in Austin cost us Larry J.
I know I'm getting more into recruiting but wanted to put this on the radar of anyone who cares.. I'm personally surprised out of all we talk about the RB room moving forward doesn't get more play.
I'm not being fearful or negative...I am sure Stan's draw, acumen and approach will help us pull something off, but it is something to keep an eye on.