Jamario?

Norwester · September 10, 2006

25-90 3.6 ypc 1 td Lg 14

Is this the result of:

a) a new dimension of a Mean Green offense orchestrated by a scrambling quarterback that no longer needs to hand off to the running back 30 times a game?

facing a defense with eight men in the box who have been amping up on stopping the 2004 national rushing champion all summer?

c) or a running back who is still suffering from a hamstring injury that kept him down for most of 2005?

I really hope it's "a" but fear that it's "c". Perhaps someone who went to the game has more insight.

JayDub · September 10, 2006

25-90 3.6 ypc 1 td Lg 14
Is this the result of:
a) a new dimension of a Mean Green offense orchestrated by a scrambling quarterback that no longer needs to hand off to the running back 30 times a game?
facing a defense with eight men in the box who have been amping up on stopping the 2004 national rushing champion all summer?
c) or a running back who is still suffering from a hamstring injury that kept him down for most of 2005?
I really hope it's "a" but fear that it's "c". Perhaps someone who went to the game has more insight.
←

I'm gonna go with "D". No O-Line to open holes for him.

Bryan316 · September 10, 2006

Jamario is an outside runner. You can't slam him up the middle and expect him to pop out on the other side like Patrick. He's faster than most linemen and LBs, but that doesn't do any good when you deliver him to their waiting arms. When he started to get on track late in the game, it was from options and sweeps. Most of his big runs from the previous years were sweeps to the outside, a cut between the blocking tight end and the tackle, a stiff arm to the linebacker, and then juking and blowing by the DBs.

SilverEagle · September 10, 2006

It's B

Jamario's numbers reflect the committment of the SMU defense to take him away from us. It was VERY evident that that was their plan. They basically lined up and said "you're going to have to beat us with someone besides Jamario". Our coaches finally got the message and started using Woody and Johnny Quinn more in the game plan.

Green Crazy · September 10, 2006

It's B
Jamario's numbers reflect the committment of the SMU defense to take him away from us. It was VERY evident that that was their plan. They basically lined up and said "you're going to have to beat us with someone besides Jamario". Our coaches finally got the message and started using Woody and Johnny Quinn more in the game plan.
←

SE is right. I can't remember a single running play that didn't have 8 defensive players in the box. By the end of the game their defense was just out of gas and thats when Jamario got a majority of his yards.

Cerebus · September 10, 2006

No matter how many times El Presidente burned them, every time the option was run, he just had to fake the pitch and about 4 guys would hit Jamario.

It was pretty evident that the SMU coaches beat the fear of Super Jamario into thier heads.

emmitt01 · September 10, 2006

It's B
Jamario's numbers reflect the committment of the SMU defense to take him away from us. It was VERY evident that that was their plan. They basically lined up and said "you're going to have to beat us with someone besides Jamario". Our coaches finally got the message and started using Woody and Johnny Quinn more in the game plan.
←

And if I'm a coach this is exactly how I would gameplan it. If you allow a running back to get on track your night is officially over. With a mobile quarterback the other team has to at least throw in the occasional pass, plus you get the opportunity to tee off on a guy the size of a QB and not the size of a RB.

meangreendork · September 10, 2006

facing a defense with eight men in the box who have been amping up on stopping the 2004 national rushing champion all summer?
←

Jamario was being told to run headfirst into a wall. Nothing against our O-Line since they were able to give WW plenty of pocket time, but you can only expect so much from them with 8 guys coming in to hit the RB.

Furthermore, JT isn't the same kind of RB as Cobbs. I remember how Cobbs would run into a furball and then pop out on the other side. JT's an outside runner, and DD should adjust for that style.

I do have to credit SMU for stopping Jamario; they know that if they don't stop him in 10 yards, he's going for at least another 10.

UNTSIG · September 10, 2006

like the other two posters said. J Mo is an outside runner. it is nothing more and nothing less.

meangreenfreak · September 10, 2006

like the other two posters said. J Mo is an outside runner. it is nothing more and nothing less.
←

Almost all of his "big" plays have come from running outside the tackles. If he can reach the corner and make the turn, he's going for at least 15 yards.

Cerebus · September 11, 2006

JaMario has made plenty of runs between the tackles in his career.

He just has to have a crease, SMU just made sure they filled every gap. The LB'ers where primarily concerned with the run and thats why Johnny Quinn was open underneath all game long.

There were plenty of plays designed to get JaMario outside, but SMU only had one thing on its mind all night long, stop JaMario.

That was one of JaMario's most impressive nights in a Mean Green uniform. Sure, he wasn't running though huge holes and making DB's look silly for 200 yards, but that play where the team needed a couple of yards on 3rd down, and he got seven after several blocks where missed, pure money.

gksmith · September 12, 2006

All of the above and then some.

I am sure JMo has a target on him. If I were an opposing coach, I would make Woody or someone else beat me. Put a spy on Jamario every play. JMo got more yardage when Woody Wilson was scrambling around back there...something else for the defense to think about and a better offensive idea I think. A good mix of play calling helps. The one drive against Texas was a good mix of passes and Jamario runs. I doubt he is still "hurting" from the hamstring and I hope that is not a concern while playing. If it is, he will always be sub-par till he gets that out of his head.

Another thing that I saw in the game (I watched on the internet so it was good close-ups) has to do with basic "running style" for lack of a better term. RBs are taught to "slow down" to let the holes develop instead of just blasting through and taking what you have. I saw that a lot from Jamario against SMU. There are times when you need to let holes develop and there are times when the RB needs to just blast through with what ever is there. One of the times I think he just needed to blast through is on the short yardage situations. Pitch the ball back to him 7 yards deep, wait for something to develop and when nothing develops, he ended up with a 3-4 yard loss.

2nd and short or 3rd and short...if all you want to do is get the 1st down; the play is a FB dive play or RB dive play with lead FB to get the 1-3 yards. Forget waiting for holes to develop. You are only looking for a few yards.

IslandEagle · September 12, 2006

Jamario was being told to run headfirst into a wall. Nothing against our O-Line since they were able to give WW plenty of pocket time, but you can only expect so much from them with 8 guys coming in to hit the RB.
Furthermore, JT isn't the same kind of RB as Cobbs. I remember how Cobbs would run into a furball and then pop out on the other side. JT's an outside runner, and DD should adjust for that style.
I do have to credit SMU for stopping Jamario; they know that if they don't stop him in 10 yards, he's going for at least another 10.
←

SMU was filling the gaps and slanting to jam up the middle. Sometimes, the QB misread the defense and either didn't change the play on the read or made the wrong decision on the hand-off. On one option play, WW kept for about a 3 yard gain when Thomas could have waltzed for 15-20 yards. On another, Quinn was so wide open he could have danced into the end zone, but WW didn't see him and kept the ball on a play-action scheme. This is not to kncok Woody at all, he has so much talent and stretches the defense so much, that he is effective even when he makes the wrong read. It's scary to think how good, he and our offense can be when he gets all that down pat. Like the UT poster said, the coaches may correct in stating one or both of the other QB's understand the offense better at this point in time, but when you have someone with the capabilities of Wilson, the usual logic doesn't apply. Some QB's are better even with mistakes than a more experienced, but less talented rival. In fact, Wilson is like a text-book example of that very point.