The Running Back Room

Mavric said:
I think you are making a lot of assumptions about a "feature back". 

In 1994, Lawrence Phillips led the team with 286 carries (41.6% of all carries)

In 1997, Ahman Green led the team with 278 carries (36.8%)

In 2010, Helu led with 188 carries (29.6%)

In 2012, Ameer led with 226 carries (34.4%)

There carries were more spread out in 1995 because the subs got a lot of playing time when we were up 40 at half time.  But my point is that in the 90s the carries got split between more backs.  In the 2010s, instead of the touches going to backup running backs they went to starting receivers because the offense was more balanced.  But the touches were still getting spread around in a similar manner.

I think there is a tendency for people to discredit our offense in recent years because the overall results we're what we wanted.  The game has changed and that plays a part in the statistics.  None of the recent backs were Mike Rozier or Lawrence Phillips.  And a step below Ahman Green.  But when you look at the other members of the all-time Top 10 rushing list - Calvin Jones, Ken Clark & I.M. Hipp - I don't know that I'd say Helu, Burkhead and Ameer were giving anything up to them.
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Put Helu in the 95 offense and you may have a 2200 yard rusher.  Things have changed since then so stats dont tell the same story.  

 
Comparisons between our best RBs of different eras is so subjective and it is likely our memories and judgments are colored by the success or failure of the team as a whole.

However, I am not sure I could include many of our RBs of the past 15 years in the same category as those from most of the 80s and 90s.    Calvin Jones, Keith Jones, Dubose, Redwine, Craig,  Buckhalter, Jeff Smith, Damon Benning, Clinton Childs, are all certainly comparable to the backs of late.  I am sure I am missing several more as I took a few minutes only to compose this.

Burkhead and Ameer get my vote.  I think Rex would have been a fullback for TO probably right up there with some of the very best including those Mackovica boys and Schlessinger, Sheleen, Davies, and Janovich.   Ameer reminded me of Derek Brown.   

I think the most interesting comparison might be to look at yards per carry average over their careers as a better indicator of how exceptional they were as opposed to total career yards.

IM Hipp got more pub than he deserved and would not be amongst those near the top.   Tough Tony Davis was popular but would have been a linebacker or something had he played in the 90s.     

 
Huskers93-97 said:
So does anyone still feel Washington doesn’t weigh enough or are we over that now that all the coaches Think so highly of him? 
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Not everyone cared in the first place, but Frost himself said Washington was a little light and hadn’t been lifting.

I figured he could gain 5-10lbs before the Akron game and it sounds like he’s already gained 5.

 
I mean, if he is going to be the short yardage/goal-line back, it would make sense if he was running with the 1's during short yardage or goal-line drills/plays

 
Huskers93-97 said:
Never insinuate helu is better than LP or AG again
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Thats not what I said, although Helu as a senior was better than Green as a freshman.  The point was that Helu doesn't have the stats that some of the previous backs do partly because he was playing in a different system with less talent around him.  

 
Add another freshman to the mix of newcomers catching attention. Running backs coach Ryan Held said Miles Jones has really come on strong the last three days after being slowed earlier in camp with an injury.

Held said Jones was slated more for the Duck-R position, but he finds himself using the back more in a true running back role because of the ability of the freshman from Florida to break big plays.

While it wasn’t clear how much Jones would be used early on when he was slowed with an injury, Held said he fully expects the freshman to help the team this year.
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247

 
ScottyIce said:
It will be very interesting to see how things shake out.

Scholarship & talked about Players

Mikale Wilbon RS SR

Devine Ozigbo - True Senior

Wyatt Mazour - RS JR

Tre Bryant- True Junior

Greg Bell - True Junior

Jaylin Bradley - True Sophomore

Fullback Ben Miles - RS FR

Maurice Washington - True Freshman

I could see Tre Bryant redshirting this season to fully rehabilitate.

I could see Devine Ozigbo transferring after spring ball (he would be able to use his redshirt to sit out for a year)

I'm interested to see how the staff can use Mazour, as he has always been raved about as a player who can shake a guy.

Greg Bell is a 3 for 2 guy, but barring injury I can't see a way he would redshirt.

Bradley and Washington feel like they are going to be a little bit interchangeable so I don't see redshirts for either of them.

That would leave us with Wilbon, Bell, Bradley and Washington getting the bulk of the snaps with plenty of handoffs going to Spielman and Miles Jones as well. Should be very interesting to see how this all shakes outs. It feels like we have multiple options for multiple roles. Will be interesting if Mazour finds a niche or if Ben Miles finds a role. They have already said they will not be using a true Fullback.
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Looks like he found one...

 
ScottyIce said:
Looks like he found one...
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The other two players being put on scholarship are pretty predictable. Several linebackers have failed to surpass Weinmaster to the point of leaving the team. Frost's offense uses more two tights than people realize. Mazour being on scholarship is intriguing. A lot of us have liked the glimpses of him we've seen. Apparently the staff does, too. Excited to see what this means.

 
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