I didn't know that Boulder High School had 60 high school coaches. The coaches were bolded in the article, not by me. I was more interested that SIXTY coaches attended.
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3/15/ Friday Scrimmage Report
- Thread starter Hugegroove
- Start date
I didn't know that Boulder High School had 60 high school coaches. The coaches were bolded in the article, not by me. I was more interested that SIXTY coaches attended.
boydbuff
Club Member
I am pretty sure EB was quoted in an interview that ford needed to become more of an all round back (blocking and receiving) to get more pt. I have always felt ford should see the field more not just based on spring performances but his limited game action performance. I hope he has an awesome year.
I never saw that and I looked hard, because what I saw was Ford doing a great job and not seeing PT awarded. Someone made a vague reference to it and it seemed to become internet fact. The only place I may have missed it was from AZ, who I boycotted. But nobody ever cited him for it. Even if EB said it, we now know that doesn't make it true. EB befriended AZ. All ya need to know!
Maybe I should have put quotes around "lack of understanding of the play book and inability to hold blocks"...because EB's comments were exactly what I was referring to.
bigbang2
blindslighted
I plan to be in Boulder for the Spring game. I hope for the sake of the program, that Jordan Webb is not in the discussion for the starting job at QB. We need Dillon to step up. I also expect the likes of Ford and Wood to look good, they always look good in spring drills but go through an identity crisis in the fall.
BellsideBuff
Member
Ford not playing had nothing to do with his blocking or not knowing the play book in fact this was yet another thing that was causing tension in the locker room because you have I guy who was clearly killing it in all aspects it wasn't just spring games it was in practice off season work out but yet he never really received a fare shout & teammates Began to wonder he was told repeatedly to stay patient your time is coming or I just have to see what these young guys can do it was as simple as Ford wasn't a EMbo or EB guy
You seem like someone who belongs in Barzil (our quasi-protected forum for members). Thanks for your insight.
CUFan
Welcome back
This kind of information makes me so mad at Embo/EB. Makes me want to
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SINKRATZ
PhD in Analogy
I'm having a hard time with this, we can pretty much all agree that Embo and his staff were over their head and ill equipped to run a BCS program - but I find it hard to believe that they were complete idiots. If Ford was truly killing it in Spring, in fall practice, and doing all the things the coaches wanted him to do, he would have played. There must have been something about his play that caused the coaches concern, it's not likely that we had this total stud that they just forgot about or refused to play because he wasn't "their guy".
For some reason I tend to believe this post is completely correct. I don't think Ford is a "great" back but based on what he has shown in his limited opportunities and the production of some of the other guys who were actually getting playing time I have a hard time believing that Ford didn't deserve at least a better opportunity.
Gold
Well-Known Member
Doesn't seem as if MM will have the luxury of playing his guys. Considering we fired the last coach in 2 years, he needs to come out of the gates strong with the best he's got. I don't believe Ford is the best RB on the team, but he's capable enough to get carries when it counts. I think the political B.S. we saw under Hawk and Embree is going to stop with MM.
I have a hard time accepting you believe this! IT is often difficult to be a walk-on that gets PT over a scholarship kid. I know that first hand as I did it, and my daughter did it. But both times, it had to get to the point where the coach had no choice. EB had a lot vested in his recruitment of Powell and Abron and they are young.
Also, running back analysis is pretty subjective. It's difficult to judge even for the most "partial" observer. Did the RB hit the right hole? Was he patient enough? Did the tackler screw up, or did the RB run over a good attempt?
Bottom line, I've just seen Ford completely and totally destroy our own defense time and time again. Way too many times to write it off as "coincidentally, the holes must be larger when he's in the game". I just believe the guy has a feel for finding the seam and exploiting it. Powell is powerful, and Abron is quick, but I've not seen the that same instinct. This is of course my own opinion and I'm not a RB expert by any stretch. I always thought that it wasn't the tape measure or lack of effort that hurt D.Scott, it was lack of "the instinct, the feel". He was a robotic guy. Ford is all feel.
But at some point it just becomes too obvious to ignore. Ford is ALWAYS our top performer in EVERY scrimmage I think I've seen in 3 years. PLAY HIM!
BlackNGold
Club Member
I did not have much problem with most of the guys they had playing but the Ford situation really had me baffled. Every time I saw him play I thought he looked good and I always wondered why he did not play more. I watched him and he would throw good blocks so that was not an issue. I don't know if it is as simple as being an Embree guy or not - Tony Jones was recruited by Hawkins and they seemed to be high on him. Sometimes coaches are just hard headed. Just like the QB situation last year...it was obvious that Webb was struggling but they would leave him in late in games they were well out of when they could of given Wood or Hirschmann some much needed snaps.
^^True^^
And it seemed that JE and EB spent all last year just trying (and failing) to keep their heads above water. Some of the decisions may have been based on favorites, some may have been a "my guys" mentality, some may just simply have been that they were so far out of their element that they never had or took the time to rationally evaluate what they were doing and make appropriate changes.
It seems as if the more they failed the more they dug their heels in to try to prove themselves right.
When it is clear that decisions are not being made based on performance then it is easy to lose the team. Certain guys figure that they don't have to put in the effort because they are safe, others figure why bother since it isn't going to get them on the field anyways.
Gold
Well-Known Member
Embree & Co. were likely thinking "If we lose this game, and we probably will, I want to get my young RB's some game time experience for next year". It was always "wait till next year" with Embree. And if he was going to lose, it wasn't going to be with a walk-on RB out there because that would have ruined his mantra of "keep me, I'm building something for next year".
What Embree didn't connect is that the younger RBs could have learned something by watching Ford. Either by watching his skills or being motivated that they got passed by a walk-on.
Either way, it's water under the bridge. That mentality is gone, thankfully.
boydbuff
Club Member
I have been one of many ABers to complain about Ford not getting playing time during the last 2 years. However my complaint was not just based on his scrimmage performances. For me it was hard to judge who was talented on our team during scrimmages because we sucked so bad on both sides of the ball. And we all saw/heard how well Webb played in scrimmages and that didn't translate to live games.
But what I couldn't understand was that in actual game situations, Ford almost always seemed to average 6 yrds/carry. Proof is in the pudding and the pudding for an RB is YPC in live game action. Yes there are other variables like being a good receiver and blocker but even if he sucked at both, there should always be 5-10 carries a game available for a back who can produce 6 ypc.
Anyway, I agree with others that believe MM is not going to play favorites based on who got schollies or who he recruited, etc. Playing the best players makes the team better, improves moral (i.e players realize it's all about on field performance that gets them more PT) and should get us more wins. HCMM knows that.
But what I couldn't understand was that in actual game situations, Ford almost always seemed to average 6 yrds/carry. Proof is in the pudding and the pudding for an RB is YPC in live game action. Yes there are other variables like being a good receiver and blocker but even if he sucked at both, there should always be 5-10 carries a game available for a back who can produce 6 ypc.
Anyway, I agree with others that believe MM is not going to play favorites based on who got schollies or who he recruited, etc. Playing the best players makes the team better, improves moral (i.e players realize it's all about on field performance that gets them more PT) and should get us more wins. HCMM knows that.
Last year. The Jones average is very deceiving though because it was heavily skewed by the big TD at Wazzu. He simply was not very effective.
Agree that the stats don't tell the story. At the same time I think Jones is our most explosive back. Unlike Speedy was he isn't highly effective in a lot of traffic but give him a seam and he has big play speed. Unfortunately last season none of the backs had much opportunity to run in space. The only thing worse than our gameplanning was our blocking and execution. Other than seeing Powell move the pile I don't know that last year told us much of value about any of the backs.
I don't have any specific favorites this year. I only hope and expect that M2 is going to give all the guys a fair shot and playing time will be based on who earns it.
Abron
When I see Abron (or somebody else) run away from defenders then I will change my opinion. I know that given the chance Jones can do that. He isn't elusive like some of the others and he certainly doesn't have the ability to run people over. All I am saying is give him the open hole to run through he has shown that he has the ability to run past guys and not be caught.
Again I'm not making any judgements based on last year about any of these guys. Let it be decided on the field.
Abron has gotten limited carries so far but he is out most explosive back. You're way overrating Jones, as Duff said, he doesn't hit the holes, he dances, and just doesn't have good vision. Go look at Abron's senior film and then that 70+ yard screen pass that was called back.
If you're saying let it be decided on the field, then how can you argue that Jones is the most explosive? Sans the play against Wazzu what other times has he been explosive?
Rick James
Member
Jones would probably win against any of the backs in a footrace, but for a small guy he's not particularly explosive getting into the hole, nor is he particularly elusive once he gets there. He's built for a spread system, and I think that one of the challenges facing the new staff is finding ways to get him into space. The last coaching staff didn't seem particularly interested in this and tried too hard to run him between the tackles.
Also Mtn, just look at his ypc in games from last year (yes I know they don't tell the whole story but they give you a good idea)...
2.7
1.0
3.9
4.1
3.6
1.0
0.0
2.9
In only three games last year did he average more than 4.2 YPC and if you take out his 83 yard rush against Wazzu he had a 5.25 ypc. Those aren't explosive numbers...
2.7
1.0
3.9
4.1
3.6
1.0
0.0
2.9
In only three games last year did he average more than 4.2 YPC and if you take out his 83 yard rush against Wazzu he had a 5.25 ypc. Those aren't explosive numbers...