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Running Backs/Offensive Line

Pantone287

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Oct 7, 2012
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...have been quite the pleasant surprise lately.

It's quite nice to have a stable of three legitimate ACC running backs to cycle through, and who complement each other quite well - Snead the explosive, speed guy, Duncan the between-the-tackles bruiser, and Thompson as an experienced, all-around back. Each has looked like our best runner at times, and I think Roper has actually done a pretty good job of balancing the workload effectively. Seems like the contrasting styles help keep defenses on their toes a little bit.

O-line's been doing quite well, too, although it would be nice if any of our blocking TEs were healthy (Reeves has been doing pretty well, Blakeney not so much). Hopefully it all holds up against the next tier of opponents...
 
Well, I don't consider Blakeney as a TE. He is a WR trapped in an end's body. There is no reason why he shouldn't get some reps as the outside receiver in a four wide set. Send Vernon and Blakeney deep, with Crowder and Scott in crossing routes. No team can cover all of them.
 
But speaking of RBs.

Jela Duncan is in a class above. The kid runs angry and is not afraid of contact. I like that all of our backs give us something different. Thompson gives us great pass protection and a bruiser to pick up short yardage, even acting as a FB in the connette package sometimes.

Snead gives us a homerun threat. Give the kid some room and he explodes. He hits the holes quicker than our other backs, but is not as big as our other options.

Duncan is a beast. Once he learns pass protection and becomes more confident in his hands, he will be our most complete back.

I know people have been begging for Cut to feature ONE back, giving him 20-25+ touches a game, but as long as each back gives us something different, I do not see that happening. It's been working so far, although I fear that as the season goes on we will become predictable with our rotation and our opponents will be able to predict the type of play based on the back in the game.
 
dukeberto said:
Well, I don't consider Blakeney as a TE. He is a WR trapped in an end's body. There is no reason why he shouldn't get some reps as the outside receiver in a four wide set. Send Vernon and Blakeney deep, with Crowder and Scott in crossing routes. No team can cover all of them.

100% agree, except more like a WR gifted with Brandon Marshall's body. I've been wondering the exact same thing all season. I keep trying to find reasons why he shouldn't be a solid NFL prospect as an outside receiver... kid's a freak:



I can't help daydreaming about a potentially insane lineup of skill players in 2 years with Blakeney and Nash on the outside, Crowder in the slot, Boone QBing and Duncan steamrolling. If Blakeney and Nash can just learn how to run routes and catch footballs adequately, they should be huge matchup problems by then.
 
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Not to mention Reeve's huge frame at TE too. Add in Dan Belinson whose projected to be an adequate blocking TE, which btw we have none of right now.

And Connette for 2 more years.
 
We're always 2 years from being so awesome. Although, I guess we might have been sort of right in 2010...
 
Braxton Deaver is jumping around all over the place on the ESPNU special. Would be awesome to get him back soon.

Funny guy, at least.
 
Interesting.... That means that young Roper is moving to? TE coach? I know he was co-special teams coach with Middleton.

Still need a recruiting coordinator. Nominating SouthFloridaDevil or DaTrain
 
He was a graduate assistant. VO is a graduate assistant, and I assume that either Jomar, Leon, or Lee Butler will be taking Re'quan's spot as the new graduate assistant.
 
That freaking sucks. They had been talking during the game Saturday night about the durability of our line, too. Crap.
 


Didn't know this person existed. Grad transfer from Ohio State, former 4-star recruit. Duke should corner the market on elite grad transfers who aren't quite good enough for the NFL.
 
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