B Back position

The big issue is we keep losing experience! Knowing the right read for the bback (the track he should follow based on blocking) has been a killer. It effected every year negatively and some more than others. 2018 bbacks looked thier best at hitting the mesh and hole hard for the first time this year against VT. They were more physical with greater speed than all year last week.
 
BranMart said:
4 fumbles in 11 games 2017, lost them all.

upload_2018-11-2_11-32-18.png

edit to add, 2 against Pitt(29 rushes), 1 NC(18), and 1 Clemson(16).
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Man, that one that JJ Green had was huge.
 
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RamblinWreck92 said:
It'd be nice to put such a high recruiting priority on DLmen, since recruiting FBs is clearly not a problem. Which makes sense - FBs aren't used heavily anywhere but us and service academies.
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That's just the thing though. I don't think Dwyer, Mills, Marshall, Howard, Mason, etc. are fullbacks. They could all play RB in a standard offense and do great. I think a FB could do fine getting our power yardage, but our offense is at its best when our B-back is not only powerful, but explosive. We saw what happened when we put an actual FB (Patrick Skov) back there.

But yeah. DL recruiting has killed us for 10 years. We've actually done pretty well with DBs and okay at LBs, but not at DL. Check out this list of 4* DL we have signed since 2008:

JC Lanier
Anthony Williams
Denzel McCoy
Francis Kallon
Jordan Woods

We beat out teams like Alabama, Auburn, FSU, Clemson, UGA, etc. for every one of those guys. It's pretty ridiculous that every single one of them didn't work out for various reasons. That's poor development/evaluation I guess, but it's also really, really shitty luck.
 
TypicalTechFan said:
Marshall was Dwyer-esque. Strong guy who could drag defenders and also had a burst to outrun a defense. Losing him was a killer. Mills was decent but couldn’t get excited about him running the ball.
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I too thought Mills was the only BB we've had with home run potential since Dwyer. I always thought we should've featured Marshall instead of Mills. Mills was a nice banger but just didn't have that extra gear like Marshall.
 
aeromech said:
Mason looks like a breakaway runner, if he can just get past that last shoe string tackle.
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You aren’t joking. In the Virginia Tech I thought he was going to break one and it looked like he tripped over his own feet in the second level. I feel like he’s one step away from breaking through (both literally and figuratively).
 
TypicalTechFan said:
Marshall was Dwyer-esque. Strong guy who could drag defenders and also had a burst to outrun a defense. Losing him was a killer. Mills was decent but couldn’t get excited about him running the ball. Benson struggled with Ball security a season ago.
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TampaBayJacket said:
I too thought Mills was the only BB we've had with home run potential since Dwyer. I always thought we should've featured Marshall instead of Mills. Mills was a nice banger but just didn't have that extra gear like Marshall.
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Y'all are crazy. Dedrick Mills was preseason 1st team All-ACC as a rising sophomore and was already on the horizon of NFL scouts. I agree that Marshall is the fastest B-back we've had since Dwyer, and a good player, but Mills was easily the best player on the entire team.
 
johncu said:
Y'all are crazy. Dedrick Mills was preseason 1st team All-ACC as a rising sophomore and was already on the horizon of NFL scouts. I agree that Marshall is the fastest B-back we've had since Dwyer, and a good player, but Mills was easily the best player on the entire team.
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upload_2018-11-2_15-57-12.jpeg
 
johncu said:
Y'all are crazy. Dedrick Mills was preseason 1st team All-ACC as a rising sophomore and was already on the horizon of NFL scouts. I agree that Marshall is the fastest B-back we've had since Dwyer, and a good player, but Mills was easily the best player on the entire team.
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If you look at their stats in 2016 there is a lot to like about both. I just leaned towards Marshall's style. And that run he had late in the game in Athens where he was dragging mutts for 15 yards didn't hurt either. Would definitely have liked for Mills to have not gotten booted off the team for sure. We could use him.
 
Longestdays said:
The big issue is we keep losing experience! Knowing the right read for the bback (the track he should follow based on blocking) has been a killer. It effected every year negatively and some more than others. 2018 bbacks looked thier best at hitting the mesh and hole hard for the first time this year against VT. They were more physical with greater speed than all year last week.
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Yep. CPJ in multiple interviews said Laskey and Days did as much to make our Oline look dominant as the Oline did in 2014.
 
johncu said:
That's just the thing though. I don't think Dwyer, Mills, Marshall, Howard, Mason, etc. are fullbacks. They could all play RB in a standard offense and do great. I think a FB could do fine getting our power yardage, but our offense is at its best when our B-back is not only powerful, but explosive. We saw what happened when we put an actual FB (Patrick Skov) back there.

But yeah. DL recruiting has killed us for 10 years. We've actually done pretty well with DBs and okay at LBs, but not at DL. Check out this list of 4* DL we have signed since 2008:

JC Lanier
Anthony Williams
Denzel McCoy
Francis Kallon
Jordan Woods

We beat out teams like Alabama, Auburn, FSU, Clemson, UGA, etc. for every one of those guys. It's pretty ridiculous that every single one of them didn't work out for various reasons. That's poor development/evaluation I guess, but it's also really, really ööööty luck.
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Yeah honestly, the traditional FB position would make more sense at AB then BB given how much blocking they do. Running the midline with a FB sized AB running through the B gap would be a terror.
 
Two pages in and we haven't done this yet?

B-back position ... it's your mom's favorite.

Let's go, stingtalk. We can do better than 2 pages of actual football analysis and talk.
 
johncu said:
Y'all are crazy. Dedrick Mills was preseason 1st team All-ACC as a rising sophomore and was already on the horizon of NFL scouts. I agree that Marshall is the fastest B-back we've had since Dwyer, and a good player, but Mills was easily the best player on the entire team.
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I'm not saying Mills wasnt a good back but Marshall was just special. Marshall is still hitting home runs at JMU. I will be interested to see how Mills does at Nebraska next year.
 
TampaBayJacket said:
I'm not saying Mills wasnt a good back but Marshall was just special. Marshall is still hitting home runs at JMU. I will be interested to see how Mills does at Nebraska next year.
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It is weird that we're arguing about this, since we all agree they were both great backs. But freshman Mills beat out sophomore Marshall for the starting spot in 2016. Me and the coaches pick Dedrick.
 
18in32 said:
It is weird that we're arguing about this, since we all agree they were both great backs. But freshman Mills beat out sophomore Marshall for the starting spot in 2016. Me and the coaches pick Dedrick.
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Well that was obviously a mistake.. start marshall and he's still here
 
TypicalTechFan said:
I do. I tried to find some stats to back that up but couldn’t locate them and am not going to get worked up over it too much as far as anyone disagreeing with my opinion of various players. I’m a lifelong fan and grad and I’m comfortable in having an opinion of team or a player as I’ve seen a lot of Tech football over 37+ years.
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Lol
 
TampaBayJacket said:
I'm not saying Mills wasnt a good back but Marshall was just special. Marshall is still hitting home runs at JMU. I will be interested to see how Mills does at Nebraska next year.
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Marshall's stats at JMU really aren't that impressive to me. He has had 100 yard games against: Maine, Weber State, and South Dakota State; and that's all. Looks like he typically rushes for less than 50 yards a game, with 4 games where he rushed for less than 20. 7 carries for 14 yards against Villanova, 5 for 15 versus Stony Brook, 8 for 21 versus Delaware; look like stats I would put up. He should have stayed here.

https://jmusports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=13449
 
aeromech said:
Marshall's stats at JMU really aren't that impressive to me. He has had 100 yard games against: Maine, Weber State, and South Dakota State; and that's all. Looks like he typically rushes for less than 50 yards a game, with 4 games where he rushed for less than 20. 7 carries for 14 yards against Villanova, 5 for 15 versus Stony Brook, 8 for 21 versus Delaware; look like stats I would put up. He should have stayed here.

https://jmusports.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=13449
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Well...he did win the Natty last year. Not sure if he regrets that.
 
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