Hello folks, it's been a while. I have not been on the forums in months. Had a little more free time lately and I decided to do a bit of research regarding the run game. I am definitely not screaming that it's the end of the world, and I do believe that it can and will be fixed.
I wanted to go back and look at how the QB run impacts the run game, and not in how many yards a dual threat QB gives you or why we need to recruit dual threat guys. I was more curious of how the threat of a QB run opens things up for an offense.
The statistic I was most interested in was Rushing Yards Per Game (YPG) in comparison to QB Carries Per Game (QCPG). I started with 2014, the Braxton Miller Era was heavily skewed. (Obviously when you have a freak of nature like that you're gonna run him a lot)
2022: 193.2 YPG / 2.8 QCPG (CJ Stroud)
2021: 180.8 YPG / 2.5 QCPG (CJ Stroud)
2020: 256.8 YPG / 10.1 QCPG (Justin Fields)
2019: 267.3 YPG / 9.8 QCPG (Justin Fields)
2018: 177.0 YPG / 5.6 QCPG (Dwayne Haskins)
2017: 243.4 YPG / 11.8 QCPG (JT Barrett)
2016: 245.2 YPG / 15.8 QCPG (JT Barrett)
2015: 245.3 YPG / 13.8 QCPG (Cardale Jones/JT Barrett)
2014: 264.5 YPG / 16.2 QCPG (JT Barrett/Cardale Jones)
As you can see here, the three lowest YPG are also correlated with the three lowest QCPG. The three worst seasons:
- 2018: 177.0 YPG / 5.6 QCPG (Dwayne Haskins)
- 2021: 180.8 YPG / 2.5 QCPG (CJ Stroud)
- 2022: 193.2 YPG / 2.8 QCPG (CJ Stroud)
Obviously the solution is not QB Power for 10-12 plays a game like CJ is JT Barrett. But I do believe a healthy amount of QB keeps and Zone Reads would drastically improve this offense.
Let's hypothetically say we bump CJ up to 6-7 carries per game. He ran 6 times for 79 yards on Saturday, I don't expect that efficiency from him. But if he runs 7 times for 34 yards and holds the backside linebacker on handoffs, that would be a massive improvement. So what do you say, Coach Day? CJ Stroud on the ground 6-7 times a game? Sounds reasonable to me.
I didn't choose that 7 CAR for 34 YDS stat line for no reason. That stat line belongs to the late great Dwayne Haskins, in the 62-39 thumping of That Team up North. I'll always remember when he came out on the first offensive play of the game and rumbled for 8 yards. The shoe was f****** rocking when they saw the big fella putting it all on the line to beat TTUN. Rest In Peace, Dwayne.
18 days.
Go Bucks, Beat TTUN
