• The KillerFrogs

For the RTB Crowd....

Froggish

Active Member
This is for all of the Run the Damn Ball folks......I'm tired of hearing Frog fans complain about needing to run the ball more. TCU has run the ball an unprecedented amount over the last 4 years and only once in those years, 2017, has it lead to actual wins. This year Gary got the exact "run heavy" offense he's always dreamed about,. Yup, what's been lost in all the ineptitude of this offense is GP got the offense he always wanted....... and it stinks....Would you be surprised to know that

1. TCU has ran the ball 56.5% of the time in 2020 (43.5% passing? So much for balance)
2. TCU is in the top 15 of FBS schools in run attempts per game 40+
3. TCU on paper is actually running the ball better than anyone in the conference outside of Iowa St...Yah that includes Oklahoma...(TCU Sits 3rd in conference Run Yrds per Game and 2nd in Run Yards per Att).

Some of you are going to try and make the point that we are only so imbalanced because we can't throw the ball....Well yah your absolutely right! So lets dive deeper. Why can't we throw the ball when the data shows your so effective on the ground? That effectiveness in the ground game should be opening up all kinds of passing right? Nope... there's a bigger problem that we all keep pretending isn't the problem.......Max.....TCU doesn't need to run the ball more...It needs to find a QB that can make the throws necessary to open up the offense.

-But But,,,we have a crappy Offensive Line? Run game would indicate that its not as bad as people are making it out to be
-But But..Max is running for his life on every pass play..If your OL is talented enough to be the second best rush offense in the league, even with teams selling out to stop the run, than its talented enough to be better in pass protection.

Bottom Line is Max hasn't progressed this year as a passer. Defenses don't respect him at all. They man us up and put 6-7 in the box and Max can't hurt them.

This team will not compete for a title until the can show a balanced run/pass game that can take what the defense is giving. Right now defenses are giving us the down field passing game and we aren't good enough to take it....We just keep RTDB.
 

jake102

Active Member
Yeah I agree. My only argument would be that Duggan is running the ball way too much, distorting the stats.

2017: Run 55%, RB run 42%
2018: Run 55%, RB run 41%
2019: Run 56%, RB run 40%
2020: Run 57%, RB run 36%

We are running the ball more, but our RBs are running the ball a whole lot less.

For reference - 2014: Run 49%, RB run 34%
 

Froggish

Active Member
Yeah I agree. My only argument would be that Duggan is running the ball way too much, distorting the stats.

2017: Run 55%, RB run 42%
2018: Run 55%, RB run 41%
2019: Run 56%, RB run 40%
2020: Run 57%, RB run 36%

We are running the ball more, but our RBs are running the ball a whole lot less.

For reference - 2014: Run 49%, RB run 34%

There’s no question that Max is a big part of that running game but its certainly by design. Trying to get numbers by running the QB is part of this offenses strategy. My point is that we are becoming more and more imbalanced because Max can’t throw the ball. I don’t think who runs the ball changes that fact.
 

jake102

Active Member
There’s no question that Max is a big part of that running game but its certainly by design. Trying to get numbers by running the QB is part of this offenses strategy. My point is that we are becoming more and more imbalanced because Max can’t throw the ball. I don’t think who runs the ball changes that fact.

Yeah, ultimately I'm in agreement with you. In my opinion we are shooting ourselves in both feet by 1) not being able to throw the ball and 2) when we run, using Duggan at an alarming rate instead of our 4* and 5* RBs
 

Shorty

Active Member
I'd like to see the % on how often Duggan keeps the ball on options because it feels way too high. I guess Jake's RB % speaks to that because they are not all designed runs or scrambles.
 

Chongo94

Active Member
I'd like to see the % on how often Duggan keeps the ball on options because it feels way too high. I guess Jake's RB % speaks to that because they are not all designed runs or scrambles.

I’ve felt for years we have had the QB keep way too often and not only that, we always look so clumsy on options whereas other teams make the decision making process and the handoff or non-handoff look rather smooth...at least compared to how we run it.
 

Paul in uhh

Active Member
This is for all of the Run the Damn Ball folks......I'm tired of hearing Frog fans complain about needing to run the ball more. TCU has run the ball an unprecedented amount over the last 4 years and only once in those years, 2017, has it lead to actual wins. This year Gary got the exact "run heavy" offense he's always dreamed about,. Yup, what's been lost in all the ineptitude of this offense is GP got the offense he always wanted....... and it stinks....Would you be surprised to know that

1. TCU has ran the ball 56.5% of the time in 2020 (43.5% passing? So much for balance)
2. TCU is in the top 15 of FBS schools in run attempts per game 40+
3. TCU on paper is actually running the ball better than anyone in the conference outside of Iowa St...Yah that includes Oklahoma...(TCU Sits 3rd in conference Run Yrds per Game and 2nd in Run Yards per Att).

Some of you are going to try and make the point that we are only so imbalanced because we can't throw the ball....Well yah your absolutely right! So lets dive deeper. Why can't we throw the ball when the data shows your so effective on the ground? That effectiveness in the ground game should be opening up all kinds of passing right? Nope... there's a bigger problem that we all keep pretending isn't the problem.......Max.....TCU doesn't need to run the ball more...It needs to find a QB that can make the throws necessary to open up the offense.

-But But,,,we have a crappy Offensive Line? Run game would indicate that its not as bad as people are making it out to be
-But But..Max is running for his life on every pass play..If your OL is talented enough to be the second best rush offense in the league, even with teams selling out to stop the run, than its talented enough to be better in pass protection.

Bottom Line is Max hasn't progressed this year as a passer. Defenses don't respect him at all. They man us up and put 6-7 in the box and Max can't hurt them.

This team will not compete for a title until the can show a balanced run/pass game that can take what the defense is giving. Right now defenses are giving us the down field passing game and we aren't good enough to take it....We just keep RTDB.
We already run it a lot, and then half the passes are near or behind the LOS.
 

Eight

Member
There’s no question that Max is a big part of that running game but its certainly by design. Trying to get numbers by running the QB is part of this offenses strategy. My point is that we are becoming more and more imbalanced because Max can’t throw the ball. I don’t think who runs the ball changes that fact.

no one is disagreeing with the idea that we have to be able to throw the ball better, but i don't agree on some of your ideas on the run game

the imbalance in this offense is just a symptom of the issue just as the inability to maximize the talent which happens to be at running back, pro wells etc....
 

MinerFrog2409

The offseason sucks
My problem isn't that we are not running the ball but how. We have bell cows at RB and can't seem to get them enough touches. Max shouldn't be our leading rusher week in and out. Plus once we start running more with the RBs we can finally run some play action and hopefully get the ball to our WRs. Also why so many jet sweeps??? If you run them 6 times a game then they don't catch anybody by surprise. But I think @notyalc said it best when he said he's in the SSDP crowd. At this point that is all I want. Let's do anything to score. We can't be picky on how when we are this bad on offense.
 

Froggish

Active Member
no one is disagreeing with the idea that we have to be able to throw the ball better, but i don't agree on some of your ideas on the run game

the imbalance in this offense is just a symptom of the issue just as the inability to maximize the talent which happens to be at running back, pro wells etc....

A called pass is a called pass...The staff isn’t stupid. They may be inept, but they aren’t dumb. They know they can’t win without throwing the ball effectively. They are choosing to run significantly more than pass for a reason....I happen to believe that reason is Max isn’t a very good thrower.
 
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jake102

Active Member
A called pass is a called pass...The staff isn’t stupid. They may be inept, but they aren’t dumb. They know they can’t win without throwing the ball effectively. They are choosing to run significantly more than pass for a reason....I happen to believe that reason is Max isn’t a very good thrower.

Believe there was a moment in the WVU game where Duggan airmailed a simple 8 yard out pass and they cut to Meacham on the sideline with his hands on his knees, head down in utter exasperation
 

TCU_91

Active Member
A called pass is a called pass...The staff isn’t stupid. They may be inept, but they aren’t dumb. They know they can’t win without throwing the ball effectively. They are choosing to run significantly more than pass for a reason....I happen to believe that reason is Max isn’t a very good thrower.

I may argue with the "isn't stupid" part.

When you have Evans run a go route, then come running back to the LOS only to take a handoff that is beyond being inept. That is the definition of stupid. And this isnt the first time this season that this has occurred.
 
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