So far, Isaiah Crowell has been just about everything Georgia fans could've hoped for in a freshman tailback who lacked super powers or the first name Herschel.
Over a 13 game season, he's on pace for over 1200 yards rushing and about 9 TDs. Those are pretty realistic and potentially conservative numbers given that Vandy, New Mexico State, Kentucky and likely a tier 2 Big Ten team represent four of the remaining seven opponents.
His statistical splits against ranked teams and SEC opponents are solid so he's rising to the level of the opponent for the most part. He's also playing banged up.
Obviously, the one area where he can improve dramatically is his conditioning. His average yards per carry per quarter are:
-- First Quarter = 6.2 yards/carry
-- Second Quarter = 5.6 yards/carry
-- Third Quarter = 3.4 yards/carry
-- Fourth Quarter = 3.7 yards/carry
If you prefer a look by half, it's 5.9 yards per carry in the first half and 3.5 yds/carry in the second half.
In fairness, he probably didn't see the fourth quarter of very many high school games as dominating as his team was. But still...UGA and Crowell must find a way to get him ready for more work.
The flip side of this equation...if you're an elite high school running back recruit like Keith Marshall (RB from Raleigh, NC), you can realistically look at the success of Crowell and still see tremendous playing time. Crowell would likely be happy to have you take some of his snaps. (Weirdest sentence I've written in a while)
I'm pleased for him as he's having a great freshman season. The coaches just have to find a a way to get more quality carries from him in the fourth quarter of games.
PWD
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7 comments:
Your sentence is not so weird….Crowell has said that he doesn’t want 30 carries per game and Keith Marshall is on record as not wanting to have to shoulder the whole load himself either. If you notice the drop off without Crowell in the game, imagine what the “O” would look like with two fresh backs. It’s a match made in Heaven.
You are dead on about his conditioning but I wonder also how much of his ypc is the OL not getting as much of a push with the starters going almost every snap. Especially at the OT where the two guys both are over 340.
I would be quick to offer that he's not out there blocking for himself. The "HOLIAOF" (Heaviest Offensive Line in all of Football) might have to bear some of the blame for the descending numbers too...
I think defenses key on the run more the 2nd half and when we go conservative in the 2nd half there are more running plays.
I hope he makes it to the SEC Championship game :-)
Surely the playcalling strategy in the 2nd halves of our games has played a big role in these stats.
" Those are pretty realistic and potentially conservative numbers given that Vandy, New Mexico State, Kentucky and likely a tier 2 Big Ten team represent four of the remaining seven opponents."
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I'd throw that 103rd ranked run D of Auburn in there too.
Anon 10:08, you took the words out of my mouth. Auburn got a break with the way Garcia was playing in the South Carolina game. Any kind of competent passing attack puts the Tigers in a bad place trying to stop both.
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