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How worried are you about the Hawaii game?
- Thread starter Buffnik
- Start date
Another episode of random thoughts with Duff Handy...
fify
It was in response to a post arguing for Powell to be the primary back. Really just not a good option.
But in this case correct.
Pow is very good at certain things but doesn't have the speed and quickness to do what others like for example an Adkins can do with plays that require speed to the outside or quickness on pass routes.
My bigger concern with Pow is that his style lends itself to injury. He takes a lot of direct hits and as a result has had a hard time staying on the field as has been proven in past seasons. Unfortunately with his concussion history it's fair to say that Pow is one hit away from the end of his career.
Not exactly the profile of a guy you want to be feeding the ball 20+ times a game.
Pow was originally recruited as a fullback. He was pressed into running back duties when we had pure garbage at that position. Possibly it's time to rotate him back to fullback. Yes, he's a senior, but he'll have a better chance of getting a paycheck as a fullback than he will as a running back in the NFL. We *should* have adequate talent at the position to where we're not depending on him to carry the load. We can still have him carry the ball from the fullback position from time to time.
Stop with the drama of this statement. Every player is "one hit away" from the end of their career, and it's not just contingent on concussion history. Concussions causing a player to end his career would be a personal choice, not something forced, so stop talking about it in the absolute.
How often does CU's offense even use a FB?
Pow will get his carries but I agree he shouldn't be the feature back. Jmho.
Not that much so far, Frazier is kind of a hybrid with FB and TE though and him getting the ball more will definitely happen this year.
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Apparently I inadvertently fueled some debate about Powell's worth. My comment to Duff was just a joke because I didn't see a mention of Powell anywhere and it seemed like his comment was generated randomly from thin air. Carry on.
DiggerBuffs
Well-Known Member
The more I think of it and read this, the only concern I have is Wittek. Kid is talented and had no shot at USC once he got behind better guys. He is the X Factor. Even if he is great, Hawaii is not a good team and CU should be able to beat them with the team they have coming back. They just can't stall endlessly on drives or go 3 and out due to not having the ball go further than 5 yards past the LOS. Buffs will win.
I still point to the RMS as my main reason for my stomach to turn.
I still point to the RMS as my main reason for my stomach to turn.
I guess that's kind of my point. Powell was recruited by Embree to fit the FB role in his Pro Style offense. Seeing as how we don't really use the FB much anymore, Powell's value and role should be relegated to short yardage/goal line/end of game clock management. Frazier's versatility gives Lindgren more options in more personnel groupings, without having to leave a full time FB.
Speaking of Frazier, is it possible that he will see more time at TE this year, filling the void at the position that we so desperately need?
Every player is one hit away, not every player has already had multiple incidents that resulted in missed games due to concussions like Pow has, not every player plays with a style like he does that subjects his head to the frequency and impact that Pow does.
I hope he never has another concussion and that the contributes to our success and to a pro team in the future. I am also realistic enough to accept that a guy who has a history of concussions and plays a style that leads to concussions is a significantly higher risk to get concussions. To think otherwise is fantasy.
I think Powell was recruited more as an athlete than a FB or RB. He was a two-way star in HS, and I can't find anything that says he was recruited as a FB or RB or any real position. As for Frazier, I was talking about this on Rivals yesterday, but I expect Frazier and Keeney to play big roles this year. Keeney probably won't be able to block much, but he'll be a mismatch across the middle lined up inside. Frazier, well he can do it all so he'll be interesting to watch. He has a mean streak so hopefully it'll resonate throughout the team.
DeNiro
My Dixie Wrecked
Keeney playing the role McCullough played at the end of the year?
DeNiro
My Dixie Wrecked
See post 281 by Tini
He basically has to, considering his current weight. Hopefully he can stay healthy.
I'm really excited to see what we can do with Frazier this year. I am excited to see what he brings this year, more so than anyone else on O. He could be the X factor we have been missing. You can line him up all over the field, from what we saw last year. We could have a good combination with Frazier (TE, H-Back, FB, etc.), Keeney (Split TE), and Irwin (Traditional TE). Just like usual with CU football, we won't know what we have until the season starts.
8Jah
Well-Known Member
Oregon made Royce Freeman their primary back. Though it is a stretch to compare any CU back with Freeman, he was a mostly up the gut power back.
Being the primary back doesn't mean he runs every down. Powell can play FB and you can mix in some Lindsay as scatback and you have a diverse run game.
DiggerBuffs
Well-Known Member
Powell was recruited as a FB. Everything says FB other than rivals. Check his profile here and on Scout. We were all taken aback when he got so many carries as a TB in Game 2 after lining up as a FB in his first game. I think that's why he is noted as a FB all the time here. He has got smaller and looks like a big HB. We don't employee a FB so quit trying to make CP as a FB happen people.
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Come on man. Powell is not Freeman, not even close. A primary back like Powell tips the defense, cannot work.
Powell is a nice back that can be a situation back. He is no Freeman and certainly not an everyone back. If we try to make him an everyone back, I will have huge questions about our coach's thought process and ability.
8Jah
Well-Known Member
I was pretty careful to say that Royce Freeman is on a different level. However, he is an example that, even in the Pac12, even on a spread team, a power back can be a feature back. In the SEC and NFL nowadays it seems like every back is a power back; all north-south.
My reasoning is that we don't need a high yardage run-game (though I wouldn't complain if we had one), because we have good enough pass attack. What we need IMHO is a high percentage short yardage game so that we don't have a punt or pick after every third and short. What caused our unreliable run game? Was it the backs, was it the run-blocking, was it the RB by committee. I like our backs, and my eyeballs saw Powell blast through All-Americans when he was a FR. So I think it may have been an OC/line coach who doesn't practice run-blocks and the RB by committee approach - which never allows the RB and the OL to synch up.
...and when it comes to playing Hawaii in 2015, their DL is going to be so green and thin that you just have to let Powell pound those guys early and often.
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8Jah
Well-Known Member
Guys that run between the tackles and get yards beyond contact are power backs. Royce Freeman is a power back for Oregon. He is 5'11 230lbs. He runs a 4.65 40; fast for us but slow for Oregon. He likes to run between the tackles and would fit right into an SEC offense. Tyner and the other OU backs are in the 4.40 or better range - those are the prototypical Oregon track stars.
DeNiro
My Dixie Wrecked
You missed where Duff was going with that, he was talking more about Powell.