San Diego football fans, be prepared for schooling this fall. You're taking a lab class, call it "Running Game Lab 101."
God knows we've taken the lecture version, and I've contributed my share. The Chargers offensive line sucks, LaDainian Tomlinson has lost a step (or two), Norv Turner overly favors the passing attack, San Diego State can't recruit enough quality blockers and the Aztecs (and USD for that matter) have lost too many ball-carriers to injuries.
This fall, we will learn some truth.
The Chargers enter 2010 with an offensive line that will not be as good as last year, barring a miracle. If you read this blog last fall, then you'll know I'm not a big fan of holdout LT Marcus McNeill. I think he is in the middle of the pack as far as left tackles go. However, he is an established pro, and you don't let one of those guys go lightly. It's kind of like choosing the devil you know over the one you don't know. I highly admire Brandyn Dombrowski's ability to work his rear end off to not just make the team, but play multiple positions on the offensive line. The SDSU alum has become invaluable and is on his way to a solid pro career. But he is not McNeill. It will be interesting to see how he fares.
Before I digress too much, running back Ryan Mathews is entering his rookie season in relief of LT.
Put that combination together and our first laboratory observation will be who was right in the "offensive line or LT?" question. Let's say Mathews goes off on Kansas City for 150 yards and a couple of scores in the Monday night opener, behind a wall of blockers arguably weaker than last year? That won't look good for LT, particularly if he fails to put up big numbers in what will apparently be a limited role with the Jets. Or maybe Mathews, Darren Sproles, Jacob Hester and Mike Tolbert are all stuffed, just like LT was in 2009. Add Tomlinson gaining 4 yards per carry and a couple catches for New York. That puts the onus on the line.
The results will stop a lot of arguing, although one game does not make a trend. It will be an interesting first month for the Chargers to see how things shake out.
Ultimately, it might not matter if the Chargers are unable to generate a running game during the regular season, but it will be a life-or-death issue at San Diego State.
The Aztecs' inability to reach a bowl can almost be directly linked to a poor ground assault. Beginning in 2009 and working back season-by-season, they ranked 116th, 117th, 105th, 80th, 54th, 80th, 88th, and 114th in rushing offense in Division 1 college football, dating back to the beginning of the Tom Craft era. Ball-toters during that time were guys like James Truvillion, Atiyyah Henderson and the oft-injured Lynell Hamilton. One year, quarterback Kevin O'Connell was the leading rusher. The high-water mark was 2005, when the Aztecs ran for 148 yards per game and Hamilton was as healthy as he'd been since his freshman season.
Again, the question is the same. Has it been bad blocking or lousy running backs? Even in the 1990s, when Aztec offenses often rang up TDs by the bushel thanks to running backs like Marshall Faulk and George Jones, the offensive line was often unable to get a push against decent defenses.
However, in recent years, even with such lowly rushing rankings, SDSU has sent a number of blockers to pro football, including Dombrowski, Lance Louis of the Bears and Will Robinson of the Redskins.
The only running back to receive NFL pay has been Hamilton, who won a Super Bowl ring with the Saints last year. Alas, he was released after suffering a serious injury in training camp.
The blockers are supposedly in far better physical condition than when Brady Hoke, line coach Darrell Funk and strength coach Aaron Wellman arrived. They've had nearly two years to learn the system of offensive coordinator Al Borges. Much better, they have legitimate backs to block for. Miscast RB Brandon Sullivan is now a fullback, where he might blossom as a blocker, a ball-carrier from the up-back spot or running as a single back. Freshman Ronnie Hillman is fast and athletic, and has the chance to be the best SDSU back since Hamilton. Walter Kazee showed promise last year in limited action. Depth, as mentioned in a previous post, has been severely depleted by injuries and administrative foul-ups.
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My theories that will be put to test in this fall's lab:
1. The Chargers running game will struggle, but it will be put to a greater test because, without Vincent Jackson lining up at receiver, defenses will be able to double TE Antonio Gates and focus remaining resources on Mathews.
2. The Aztecs ground attack will sparkle vs. lesser lights like Nicholls State and be moderately successful against all but the strongest defenses posed by Missouri and TCU. Conversely from the Chargers situation, where does a defensive coordinator place his resources? The Aztecs have a quarterback ready for a breakout season and a receiving corps rated by one organization as the nation's 11th best. That could leave a lot of room open for draws and traps. If SDSU can at least approach that 2005 ranking of 54th nationally, they will have a game to play in December.
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Consternation is all over the local media on how the Padres drew only in the low-20,000s for the first two games of the Diamondbacks series. I agree with the theory that fans are saving up for the Phillies series. Memo to Jeff Moorad and the rest of Major League Baseball: your ticket prices are way too high. Fans now have to pick and choose which games to attend. No sense going to a mid-week contest against a last-place club when a division contender is coming in for the weekend.
I told you, I told you, I told you a thousand times over that Petco Park was not going to work in the long run. Bad location, too expensive.
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