Shawn Johnson leads the Bobcat run game
Photo by: R. Dean Hendrickson
CAMP REPORT #8: Ash Evaluates Bobcat Ground Game
8/11/2014 3:46:00 PM | Football
Scrimmage allows Bobcat coaches to evaluate run game
Multiple issues, but a fixable problem.
That was Rob Ash's message Monday regarding his team's lack of run game production in Saturday's first scrimmage of the fall, which also came during the team's first full-contact practice. The Bobcats gained just 20 yards on 18 carries on rush plays not involving quarterbacks, and Ash boiled the lack of production to three elements.
"The first thing," he said, "is scheme. Jamie (Marshall, MSU's defensive coordinator) did a really good job of out-numbering the offense in the box in the scrimmage. There was usually an unblocked player in there, and that would have to be taken care of by game plan, throwing the ball, changing the audibles, that sort of thing."
Bobcat offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey agreed. "Coach Marshall likes to load up the box so the running game is hard to come by," he said. "When you get into the X's and O's of football, a lot of guys in the box means it's tough to run the football. We didn't game-plan for the scrimmage, so when we had a look we wouldn't normally run against in a game we ran it anyway because we wanted it on film."
The second issue, Ash said, is more about attitude than adjustments. " Sometimes from a running back standpoint we needed to cram it more," he said, offering that the Bobcats stressed big plays in the running game in the spring and summer may have given the backs pause to take what was there. "Sometimes there was a little crease but not a huge, wide open hole, and we needed to stick it in there and get four yards. We were looking to find something better than that, and that caused us to be hesitant… Sometimes you have to cram it in there and get three or four or five yards."
The third element boiled down to the trigger man, but is equally fixable. "There were three or four other plays where we thought it was on the quarterbacks for not communicating real well. It was kind of a combination of things, but mostly self-inflicted."
* * * * *
Anyone hoping for a sense of urgency from Rob Ash regarding the starting quarterback spot was probably disappointed with his comments after Monday's morning practice. "Not at all. We're still running all the same plays. We'll go through all this (week) including the scrimmage and then we'll decide, and (if not) we still have two weeks (until the season opener) after that. There's plenty of time."
* * * * *
PERSONNEL PALAVER: Two players – running back Cody Vitt and safety Bo Hughes – left the Bobcat squad last week. Dylan Mahoney (toe), Brandon Davis (knee), Taylor Sheridan (knee) each missed time Monday, but only Mahoney is expected to linger beyond a day or two.
PRACTICE SCHEDULE: The Bobcats practice once Tuesday (9:15 am) and twice Wednesday (4 pm).
That was Rob Ash's message Monday regarding his team's lack of run game production in Saturday's first scrimmage of the fall, which also came during the team's first full-contact practice. The Bobcats gained just 20 yards on 18 carries on rush plays not involving quarterbacks, and Ash boiled the lack of production to three elements.
"The first thing," he said, "is scheme. Jamie (Marshall, MSU's defensive coordinator) did a really good job of out-numbering the offense in the box in the scrimmage. There was usually an unblocked player in there, and that would have to be taken care of by game plan, throwing the ball, changing the audibles, that sort of thing."
Bobcat offensive coordinator Tim Cramsey agreed. "Coach Marshall likes to load up the box so the running game is hard to come by," he said. "When you get into the X's and O's of football, a lot of guys in the box means it's tough to run the football. We didn't game-plan for the scrimmage, so when we had a look we wouldn't normally run against in a game we ran it anyway because we wanted it on film."
The second issue, Ash said, is more about attitude than adjustments. " Sometimes from a running back standpoint we needed to cram it more," he said, offering that the Bobcats stressed big plays in the running game in the spring and summer may have given the backs pause to take what was there. "Sometimes there was a little crease but not a huge, wide open hole, and we needed to stick it in there and get four yards. We were looking to find something better than that, and that caused us to be hesitant… Sometimes you have to cram it in there and get three or four or five yards."
The third element boiled down to the trigger man, but is equally fixable. "There were three or four other plays where we thought it was on the quarterbacks for not communicating real well. It was kind of a combination of things, but mostly self-inflicted."
* * * * *
Anyone hoping for a sense of urgency from Rob Ash regarding the starting quarterback spot was probably disappointed with his comments after Monday's morning practice. "Not at all. We're still running all the same plays. We'll go through all this (week) including the scrimmage and then we'll decide, and (if not) we still have two weeks (until the season opener) after that. There's plenty of time."
* * * * *
PERSONNEL PALAVER: Two players – running back Cody Vitt and safety Bo Hughes – left the Bobcat squad last week. Dylan Mahoney (toe), Brandon Davis (knee), Taylor Sheridan (knee) each missed time Monday, but only Mahoney is expected to linger beyond a day or two.
PRACTICE SCHEDULE: The Bobcats practice once Tuesday (9:15 am) and twice Wednesday (4 pm).
Thursday, July 31
Monday, May 19
Wednesday, May 03
Wednesday, May 03
