MIKE FORD CHILLIN IN UCONN

[WWMJD]

You do realize that he had 21 carries in that game, and was on the field for probably 23 plays. They knew when he was in the game that he was getting the ball. I don't think that Jerome Bettis in his prime would have been too stellar at the end of that one when he was getting gang tackled every time he touched the ball.

Limited play book knowledge dictated that, I am not saying he should have been in there every play, but to make that comparison without also saying how they were keying on him is slightly unfair.

Oh come on, this is ridiculous. 

1) Your number is an exaggeration.

2) If you have limited ability, then it MAKES NO SENSE to have you on the field for plays where you will hurt the team

3) Of course they will key in on him!!!  If you want to be a star player you have to make it work.  Rice didn't have much trouble when we keyed in on him, did he?  If you are a premier RB then people will be paying a whole lot of attention to you for your entire career.  If he can only run when no one's paying attention to him then he might as well find another sport.

I think Ford will be a great player but that argument is absolutely ludicrous.

[Rocky Style]

Let's just give up on running the ball.  We'll win a Big East championship that way I am sure.

[WWMJD]

Let's just give up on running the ball.  We'll win a Big East championship that way I am sure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man

Either that or your reading comprehension is reallly bad

[TRUTH D. Antagonist]

You do realize that he had 21 carries in that game, and was on the field for probably 23 plays. They knew when he was in the game that he was getting the ball. I don't think that Jerome Bettis in his prime would have been too stellar at the end of that one when he was getting gang tackled every time he touched the ball.

Limited play book knowledge dictated that, I am not saying he should have been in there every play, but to make that comparison without also saying how they were keying on him is slightly unfair.

Oh come on, this is ridiculous. 

1) Your number is an exaggeration.

2) If you have limited ability, then it MAKES NO SENSE to have you on the field for plays where you will hurt the team

3) Of course they will key in on him!!!  If you want to be a star player you have to make it work.  Rice didn't have much trouble when we keyed in on him, did he?  If you are a premier RB then people will be paying a whole lot of attention to you for your entire career.  If he can only run when no one's paying attention to him then he might as well find another sport.

I think Ford will be a great player but that argument is absolutely ludicrous.

what number is an exaggeration?

Mike did have 21 carries in the Auburn game... and i do remember seeing him on field for a couple plays in which he didn't get the ball.

no exaggeration there that i can see.

[WWMJD]

You do realize that he had 21 carries in that game, and was on the field for probably 23 plays. They knew when he was in the game that he was getting the ball. I don't think that Jerome Bettis in his prime would have been too stellar at the end of that one when he was getting gang tackled every time he touched the ball.

Limited play book knowledge dictated that, I am not saying he should have been in there every play, but to make that comparison without also saying how they were keying on him is slightly unfair.

Oh come on, this is ridiculous. 

1) Your number is an exaggeration.

2) If you have limited ability, then it MAKES NO SENSE to have you on the field for plays where you will hurt the team

3) Of course they will key in on him!!!  If you want to be a star player you have to make it work.  Rice didn't have much trouble when we keyed in on him, did he?  If you are a premier RB then people will be paying a whole lot of attention to you for your entire career.  If he can only run when no one's paying attention to him then he might as well find another sport.

I think Ford will be a great player but that argument is absolutely ludicrous.

what number is an exaggeration?

Mike did have 21 carries in the Auburn game... and i do remember seeing him on field for a couple plays in which he didn't get the ball.

no exaggeration there that i can see.

I said 21.  No exaggeration there.  He definitely was on the field for more than two plays where he didn't run.  23 = exaggeration.  You people are talking about Ford the way Gators talk about Tebow.

[Rocky Style]

Let's just give up on running the ball.  We'll win a Big East championship that way I am sure.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man

Either that or your reading comprehension is reallly bad

???

I was just making a joke and it wasn't even directed towards you...  It was more a comment on the sad state of the running game. 

This Ford thing is not really a debate or an argument to me.  They should have used him more and they didn't.  It's my opinion from watching the games.  I am allowed to have an opinion and I am aware that it could be wrong.  That said, it seems obvious to me from watching the games.

I don't like seeing Grothe being most of the running attack after him getting banged up last year.  Like I said, the Big East title is looking more like a stretch now so I just hope they win some games, win whatever .com bowl game they make it to.  I will no longer be agonizing over decisions and wacky play calling.

[TRUTH D. Antagonist]

I said 21.  No exaggeration there.  He definitely was on the field for more than two plays where he didn't run.  23 = exaggeration.  You people are talking about Ford the way Gators talk about Tebow.

so how does the underestimation of the number of plays Ford was on the field hurt the argument?

so what if he was tired after 21 carries and several more plays on the field where he didn't touch the ball?  it was freakin AUBURN.  he was moving a pile of hard hitting SEC beasts on **** near every play.

i certainly don't think the fact that he was winded in that scenario is a reason to cut him from 21 plays to 4 or 5 a game.

give him 10-12 carries!  sure, he doesn't break huge gains on every play and his stats are weighted by a few long runs... but so are Ben Williams.  what would his stats look like without FAU?  the thing is, Mike can't get those one or two huge gains if he only gets the ball 4 times a game.

Ford isn't superman, but our running game is total **** and our offense is screeching to a halt inside the 10 yard line.  time to do something, and if our playcalling is going to consist of 7 plays all of which are telegraphed and easily predictable, at least put a guy on the field that has the potential to break something big.

[WWMJD]

I said 21.  No exaggeration there.  He definitely was on the field for more than two plays where he didn't run.  23 = exaggeration.  You people are talking about Ford the way Gators talk about Tebow.

so how does the underestimation of the number of plays Ford was on the field hurt the argument?

so what if he was tired after 21 carries and several more plays on the field where he didn't touch the ball?  it was freakin AUBURN.  he was moving a pile of hard hitting SEC beasts on **** near every play.

i certainly don't think the fact that he was winded in that scenario is a reason to cut him from 21 plays to 4 or 5 a game.

give him 10-12 carries!  sure, he doesn't break huge gains on every play and his stats are weighted by a few long runs... but so are Ben Williams.  what would his stats look like without FAU?  the thing is, Mike can't get those one or two huge gains if he only gets the ball 4 times a game.

Ford isn't superman, but our running game is total **** and our offense is screeching to a halt inside the 10 yard line.  time to do something, and if our playcalling is going to consist of 7 plays all of which are telegraphed and easily predictable, at least put a guy on the field that has the potential to break something big.

The argument was not just that he was winded.  It was that the one game he was the featured back he didn't run all that well.  Pretty simple.

I'll say one more thing then let it die.  If you think that the running game is not working because Ford is not in for more carries, you are wrong.  Ford had more carries than Williams and Taylor this week, didn't do much. 

The problem is the gameplan and playcalling.

[Guest JulmisteForPrez]

The problem is the gameplan and playcalling.

I am a BIG Mike Ford fan and think he should be getting more touches.

But WWMJD is correct on this point.

Nothing will be significantly changed until.......

a) Greg Gregory reveals that he has been "sandbagging" during these first eight games, and that he does indeed have a playbook that Pop Warner defensive coordinators can't figure out.

or....

We hire a new offensive coordinator from OUTSIDE the program who is actually QUALIFIED to run a Big East offense.

Truthfully, with Coach Leavitt's propensity to be loyal to a fault, we're going to have to hope for option "a."

[Rocky Style]

I'll say one more thing then let it die.  If you think that the running game is not working because Ford is not in for more carries, you are wrong.  Ford had more carries than Williams and Taylor this week, didn't do much. 

The problem is the gameplan and playcalling.

I think we just have to agree to disagree on that.  I think it he did do much with his limited carries.  Running him on 1st down was actually moving the ball forward and then they went to a play action fake with him on the 3rd for 4th 1st down and it worked.  Also he made that short TD run (which seems nearly impossible lately) which was called back. 

I am not saying you are necessarily wrong either I am just saying that I came to this opinion just by watching the games and just analyzing the situations.  I agree he is young and yes there are the problems that you have pointed out but I also see certain things obviously not working and for some reason they don't even TRY using him until it is too late.  If you are going to lose, at least lose having tried everything you have.  If he goes in and fumbles the ball, fine.  But if he goes in and helps the offense get a drive going when nothing is working man I would stick with that until it didn't work.