SB Nation - Cory Boyd

Keys to Success in 2009: Number 2, Establishing a Running Game

Gamecock Man — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 17:22:38 -0000

Without a doubt, one of our biggest problems last year was our inability to establish a running game. We ranked 112th in the country and dead last in the SEC in team rushing offense. While a lot of the talk right now is about how Stephen Garcia needs to step up for the Gamecocks to win in 2009, the truth is that, even at its worst, last year's passing game looked like a well-oiled machine compared to the running game. Even in Steve Spurrier's passing-oriented offense, we're not going to score many points with such a horrible ground game even if Garcia plays well. In fact, Spurrier's offenses rely on the run game more than many might think. Spurrier, like most coaches that run something like a pro-style offense, needs strong running to open keep defenses honest and thereby open up the opportunity to throw the ball down field. We haven't had that kind of running game since late 2006, and it's shown. Simply put, we have to improve in this as the first step to getting the offense as whole to come into its own.

I'll be honest: I'm not quite as confident in our ground game as I am in Garcia showing marked improvement. We've seen Garcia play well and therefore have an inkling as to what he's capable of when he's on. Moreover, most of his mistakes can be attributed to the kinds of decision-making difficulties that inexperienced quarterbacks often show when they're asked to do more than they're ready for. Those mistakes often disappear with experience. The problems with the running game, though, are multifaceted. For one thing, offensive line play has been a problem for most of Spurrier's time here, and it was a huge problem last year. You can mask a poor line in pass protection to some degree by running out of the shotgun and just asking the linemen to hold off defenders long enough for the quarterback to get a pass off. However, you can't mask poor run protection. Run protection requires not only holding defenders off but actually creating running lanes. Not even the best running backs can run well if that's not happening, and he certainly can't run well when defensive tackles are in his face as soon as he gets the ball in his hands, which was the case last year. Second of all, even when we've gotten relatively good run blocking, our backs haven't been the best since Cory Boyd graduated. Mike Davis was probably never destined to be anything more than a third-down back and a reliable receiver out of the backfield, and Brian Maddox and Eric Baker lacked experience last year. A lot of progress needs to be made in all of these areas for us to get to where we need to be.

Read the rest of the story after the jump.

Luckily, though, while there is still cause for concern, there is also reason to believe that we will have a better running game this year. For one thing, the offensive line played better in the spring and appears to be more talented than the lines we've had in the past, the departure of Jamon Meredith notwithstanding. Part of the spring improvement, perhaps, is attributable to new line coach Eric Wolford, who replaces the much-maligned John Hunt. Wolford and Steve Spurrier have pledged to get better, tougher line play in general and better run blocking in particular as one of their primary goals this year, and they made some strides in the spring.

We also now have a relatively deep backfield. Brian Maddox has been named the starter after a solid spring, and incoming freshman Jarvis Giles, Eric Baker, and redshirt freshman Kenny Miles are all going to contribute. While none of these guys look like the next coming of Herschel Walker, each is talented and, moreover, each is talented in different ways, making the prospect of using a rotation that takes advantage of the skills of each more plausible. Maddox and Giles are all-purpose backs (although Giles may need to put on a few pounds to survive taking his licks from SEC linebackers), Baker is a good receiver out of the backfield, Miles is a home-run threat, etc.

Will this be one of the SEC's best rushing offenses? Probably not, when you consider the kind of talent teams like Alabama and Georgia have. But I do think it will be better than what we've had in the past, and if it can do its job along with Garcia, we could actually have a decent offense around here for a change.

Wednesday Morning Gamecocks News Link Dump

Gamecock Man — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:44:16 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

8 months ago: This is a March 20, 2009 file photo showing Memphis coach John Calipari answering a questions during a news conference for a second-round men's NCAA college basketball tournament game in Kansas City, Mo. If Kentucky is focusing on John Calipari as its next basketball coach, university officials won't say. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

Browse more photos »

Football

Joe Person's Practice Report. The main things to note are the lack of effort by the offensive linemen and the injury to Lemuel Jean-Pierre.

Baseball

Gamecocks Fall to The Citadel. Not a good way to start the week after the promising weekend.

Other News

Calipari Hired in Lexington. Took a little longer than I thought it would, but John Calipari is now a Wildcat. Look out, SEC. Don't let columns like this one from ESPN pot-stirrer and resident dunce Pat Forde fool you. Despite Forde's attempt to raise the ghosts of Tubbys past and his vague claims about the skeletons in Calipari's closet, this was a home run hire of absolutely epic propotions for Kentucky. Calipari has won big at mid-major schools, and he'll win big within two to three years at Kentucky, with tangible improvement coming immediately.

UPDATE: Check out Seth Emerson's run down of the players Calipari may bring with him from Memphis. If Cal brings any of these guys and Pat Patterson and Jodie Meeks stay, the 'Cats will be a national contender as soon as next year.

Mike Anderson Not Going to Georgia. Anderson appears ready to stay at Mizzou for much less than UGA is offering him, although Anderson could be waiting for the call from Memphis. At any rate, it's getting more and more likely that UGA will have to take a risk on an unproven coach; that's good for us.

Cory Boyd Waived. Good luck finding a new gig to Cory.

Rating the RBs Class

Gamecock Man — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 17:40:07 -0000

Whether or not this was a major area of need or not is up for debate. Obviously, we had a poor rushing offense, one of the worst in the country in fact. When there was room to run, our backs didn't always hit the holes like they could have. Mike Davis, particularly, showed a proclivity to run the wrong way. However, we also had a one of the worst offensive lines in the country, and in our running backs' defense, those holes were few and far between, as we typically had a couple of opposing defensive linemen in the backfield before the play even had time to develop. Moreover, our level of talent in the backfield should have produced more than it did. Davis was a senior that had produced in earlier years, and Brian Maddox and Eric Baker were underclassmen that had shown potential. We did and still do have experienced depth in the backfield, as well as younger players like Kenny Miles that the coaches have spoken highly of.

That said, considering that Davis has graduated and that, whatever the reason, we didn't run as well as we would have liked to, it was important for us to bring in some new blood in this class. We did that, signing two four-star RBs in Ben Axon and Jarvis Giles. Both were coups: we lured Axon away from Clemson during the Tommy Bowden mid-season drama, and we won a recruiting war against Tennessee and Nebraska for Giles. One of the things I like most about these pickups is that Axon and Giles are different types of runners: Axon gives us a bigger, more bruising type of back, while Giles is more of a breakaway-type guy. If the other pieces fall into place, these two could eventually become a better version of the Davis-Cory Boyd duo that was so effective late in 2006.

I'm giving this portion of our class an A. I really have nothing to complain about. These guys fill our needs and, along with Maddox, Baker, and Miles, will fill out a deep, talented RB core that will perhaps be the best we've ever had. If the rest of the offense shapes up, we've got the weapons in the backfield to move the ball efficiently. Spurrier has promised us a better running game next year, and there's reason to believe he can back that up.

Poll

Rate the RBs class.

A

13 votes

B

4 votes

C

2 votes

D

0 votes

F

2 votes

21 votes | Poll has closed