Running Back Thoughts . . .

[kma0043]

Wondering what everyone thinks of our RB situation going into this year and who will get the bulk of the carries and shine. I think by years end that Hall will emerge as a very nice player once he stops hesitating at the line so much. Also, any update on Ollison? Be nice to see him out of Duzz's doghouse and shed a few pounds; I think he could be an effective back if he's around 225-230. Thoughts?

 

[DiehardPanther]

Wondering what everyone thinks of our RB situation going into this year and who will get the bulk of the carries and shine. I think by years end that Hall will emerge as a very nice player once he stops hesitating at the line so much. Also, any update on Ollison? Be nice to see him out of Duzz's doghouse and shed a few pounds; I think he could be an effective back if he's around 225-230. Thoughts?

We are in very good shape. I think Sibley will be the best of the bunch by the time he is finished.

 

[RaleighPittFan]

I think Moss and Ollison, if healthy, will be a formidable duo to split carries.

 

[vegasgreed]

I think Davis from florida will be better than Sibley when its all said and done. This year, playing time is there. One thing for sure, this staff has a total man crush on Hall, despite not doing much. Early on, i see different guys getting carries and then trying to ride the hot hand. One of these freshman has a chance to sneak into the picture.

We are in very good shape. I think Sibley will be the best of the bunch by the time he is finished.

 

[Panther-MT]

Pitt has a good group of backs.
It depends on what kind of Offense we want to run as to who gets the carries.
Ollision and Moss have power and Davis and Sibley have speed for end arounds. Hall still has to prove something to me.
Play calling and execution is what it comes down to.

 

[Delpanther]

I think the 2 freshmen are better than all the returning players and represent the best prospect of Pitt having a HR threat at RB.

 

[EastOhioPanther]

Wow, what a variety of opinions. And what is interesting, everyone is right. Good problem to have.
One thing about RB, there is always a high risk for injury, and having a group of solid players will definitely be an an asset.
My opinion.
Moss - showed serious flashes as a true freshman, (5.4 ypc). If he has that step forward as a 2nd year player, he will be very good.
Ollison - Which Ollison will show up? Coach's have been impressed with the work he has put in this off-season. He has improved his blocking, which was a question mark. Will he do better in getting yards after contact?
Hall - As stated above, the coaches have always been high on him. Can he stay healthy and be 100% of what the coaches see in him.
Davis - Very much the HR hitter we have been looking for.
Sibley - Seems to have Power and Quickness.
I agree that both the Freshman could have a large impact over the upcoming years, and could be the 2 best backs in the stable, but do you RS one of them if the Upper classmen stay healthy.
Can't wait to see who steps up..

 

[Swervin27]

call me a pessimist but I do not see any of these guys being able to come close to what we got with JC, not even close. I'd say that we could be successful with a "committee" approach but lets face it, coaches, especially narduzzi doesn't do that. They don't do the proverbial 1-2 punch. Coaches want one man to step up and get bulk of carries and get any other RBs in there to give the main guy a breather.. Maybe there is a point to it, maybe having that one man get a feel of it and doing a 1-2 approach breaks that up..

I like Ollison, have been a supporter of his but there is a point to some of his detractors, he is good north/south runner but he doesn't make that second wave miss. He is great on short distance and he is very good turning a 5 yard gain into an 8 yard gain but he never turns a 5 yard run into an 18 yard gain like we saw time and again with JC.. He is very good at taking what the line gives him but just cant make that second line of defenders miss..

I saw nothing, NOTHING from hall and moss to give me any hopes. Moss was thrust into action though, should have redshirted so maybe we haven't seen yet what he is capable of. The "Group by committee" thing makes so much sense on paper but gametime, it just doesnt' happen..

 

[VAPITTALUM]

Ollison proved that he could be a very solid back in 2015. Narduzzi has made a few comments about Ollison and the major improvements he has made to his game over the past 2 years. For Ollison, he has to learn how to block the LB coming up the middle or off the edge that the OL cannot pick up. Simply put, if he can block well, he has a chance to receive a significant number of reps. Conversely, he could also lose carries if Moss, Hall, Sibley, or Davis prove to be the better blockers and show promise in the running game.

I don't see much room for Hall unless he has completely changed his game to attack the line of scrimmage rather than dance around looking for the perfect hole to run through.

Moss is very promising, and had some excellent moments against UNC, Marshall, and GT before being injured. If he's back 100% and not being used on special teams, Moss could be an absolute monster this year.

My hope is Davis receives some time to work with the special teams as a kickoff returner rather than sticking Maddox back there with Henderson. Davis and Henderson returning kickoffs could be incredibly exciting for the return game. Additionally, as has been mentioned, Davis and Sibley both appear to be great option in not only the traditional tailback spot, but also running end arounds with the loss of Tipton.

 

[VAPITTALUM]

call me a pessimist but I do not see any of these guys being able to come close to what we got with JC, not even close. I'd say that we could be successful with a "committee" approach but lets face it, coaches, especially narduzzi doesn't do that. They don't do the proverbial 1-2 punch. Coaches want one man to step up and get bulk of carries and get any other RBs in there to give the main guy a breather.. Maybe there is a point to it, maybe having that one man get a feel of it and doing a 1-2 approach breaks that up..

I like Ollison, have been a supporter of his but there is a point to some of his detractors, he is good north/south runner but he doesn't make that second wave miss. He is great on short distance and he is very good turning a 5 yard gain into an 8 yard gain but he never turns a 5 yard run into an 18 yard gain like we saw time and again with JC.. He is very good at taking what the line gives him but just cant make that second line of defenders miss..

I saw nothing, NOTHING from hall and moss to give me any hopes. Moss was thrust into action though, should have redshirted so maybe we haven't seen yet what he is capable of. The "Group by committee" thing makes so much sense on paper but gametime, it just doesnt' happen..

Hall we can agree on, but Moss showed the ability to run around and over people when called upon prior to being injured. His average on the year was 5.4 yards on 42 carries. Moss came into the UNC game when Conner was completely gassed and provided the team with a major spark.

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

Like the guys we have coming back but hoping one of the newbies has the "it" factor (aka like Shady, Dion, Graham, Conner) to quickly emerge out front of them. Obviously by that list the "it" can mean either fast and shifty or a raging monster; ill take either, but someone a little (hopefully a lot) more dynamic than the guys returning.

 

[upj87]

call me a pessimist but I do not see any of these guys being able to come close to what we got with JC, not even close. I'd say that we could be successful with a "committee" approach but lets face it, coaches, especially narduzzi doesn't do that. They don't do the proverbial 1-2 punch. Coaches want one man to step up and get bulk of carries and get any other RBs in there to give the main guy a breather.. Maybe there is a point to it, maybe having that one man get a feel of it and doing a 1-2 approach breaks that up..

I like Ollison, have been a supporter of his but there is a point to some of his detractors, he is good north/south runner but he doesn't make that second wave miss. He is great on short distance and he is very good turning a 5 yard gain into an 8 yard gain but he never turns a 5 yard run into an 18 yard gain like we saw time and again with JC.. He is very good at taking what the line gives him but just cant make that second line of defenders miss..

I saw nothing, NOTHING from hall and moss to give me any hopes. Moss was thrust into action though, should have redshirted so maybe we haven't seen yet what he is capable of. The "Group by committee" thing makes so much sense on paper but gametime, it just doesnt' happen..

no need to be pessimistic, add good Pitt running back to the death and taxes saying...a guy or two always steps up.

 

[Swervin27]

Hall we can agree on, but Moss showed the ability to run around and over people when called upon prior to being injured. His average on the year was 5.4 yards on 42 carries. Moss came into the UNC game when Conner was completely gassed and provided the team with a major spark.

I need to rewatch that UNC game, a few people have mentioned how he looked good in that game. Im almost scared to re-watch it, knowing how it ends. maybe if I turn it off before last drive, i'll be able to do this and not get too upset, sort of like quickly turning the channel when you are watching poltergeist before the little kid looks under his bed after he realizes the toy clown is no longer on the rocking chair..

 

[VAPITTALUM]

I need to rewatch that UNC game, a few people have mentioned how he looked good in that game. Im almost scared to re-watch it, knowing how it ends. maybe if I turn it off before last drive, i'll be able to do this and not get too upset..

No doubt that game was painful, especially from the stands. That was one of the longest walks back to my vehicle ever...

Moss not only looked strong in the running game, but he did a fantastic job picking up the defender.

 

[Swervin27]

No doubt that game was painful, especially from the stands. That was one of the longest walks back to my vehicle ever...

Moss not only looked strong in the running game, but he did a fantastic job picking up the defender.

what irritated me the most about that game was just seeing us up by what, 13 points or whatever, you could just do the math in your head and KNOW, with some confidence, how this was gonna end painfully. You saw it coming in advance and there was nothing we could do to stop it. It was like being on a boat with no oars and seeing a ship coming right at you

 

[revampedpanthers]

call me a pessimist but I do not see any of these guys being able to come close to what we got with JC, not even close. I'd say that we could be successful with a "committee" approach but lets face it, coaches, especially narduzzi doesn't do that. They don't do the proverbial 1-2 punch. Coaches want one man to step up and get bulk of carries and get any other RBs in there to give the main guy a breather.. Maybe there is a point to it, maybe having that one man get a feel of it and doing a 1-2 approach breaks that up..

I like Ollison, have been a supporter of his but there is a point to some of his detractors, he is good north/south runner but he doesn't make that second wave miss. He is great on short distance and he is very good turning a 5 yard gain into an 8 yard gain but he never turns a 5 yard run into an 18 yard gain like we saw time and again with JC.. He is very good at taking what the line gives him but just cant make that second line of defenders miss..

I saw nothing, NOTHING from hall and moss to give me any hopes. Moss was thrust into action though, should have redshirted so maybe we haven't seen yet what he is capable of. The "Group by committee" thing makes so much sense on paper but gametime, it just doesnt' happen..

Depends on which JC you are talking about. The james connor who played the first 5 weeks of the season wasn't the same one who finished the season. They will have no problem replacing james connor from the first half of the season. The way JC played at the end of the year will be tough to replace!

 

[Swervin27]

Depends on which JC you are talking about. The james connor who played the first 5 weeks of the season wasn't the same one who finished the season. They will have no problem replacing james connor from the first half of the season. The way JC played at the end of the year will be tough to replace!

yeah, the one where he was healthy and still not recovering from Cancer and chemotherapy, that's the JC I was referring too. The one in 2014 who had 26 TD and over 1700 yards..

 

[joeydavid]

Moss was averaging 6 ypc before he got injured and looked better than Connor up until then.

call me a pessimist but I do not see any of these guys being able to come close to what we got with JC, not even close. I'd say that we could be successful with a "committee" approach but lets face it, coaches, especially narduzzi doesn't do that. They don't do the proverbial 1-2 punch. Coaches want one man to step up and get bulk of carries and get any other RBs in there to give the main guy a breather.. Maybe there is a point to it, maybe having that one man get a feel of it and doing a 1-2 approach breaks that up..

I like Ollison, have been a supporter of his but there is a point to some of his detractors, he is good north/south runner but he doesn't make that second wave miss. He is great on short distance and he is very good turning a 5 yard gain into an 8 yard gain but he never turns a 5 yard run into an 18 yard gain like we saw time and again with JC.. He is very good at taking what the line gives him but just cant make that second line of defenders miss..

I saw nothing, NOTHING from hall and moss to give me any hopes. Moss was thrust into action though, should have redshirted so maybe we haven't seen yet what he is capable of. The "Group by committee" thing makes so much sense on paper but gametime, it just doesnt' happen..

 

[Swervin27]

Moss was averaging 6 ypc before he got injured and looked better than Connor up until then.

he has about 200 career yards rushing, Nate Peterman has twice as much. again, lets wait and see if he can at least be a reliable option in back to back games without disappearing before we give out these praises..

 

[cruzer]

Ollison was a pretty good back 2 years ago. Not great, but better than average.

Hall showed me nothing. Straight line speed. That's it. Doesn't make anyone miss and not overly powerful. I have no idea why the coaches like this guy.

Moss looked good in spurts. Not a real burner, but certainly has the ability to make defenders miss. Will be interesting to see how he's progressed.

Sibley and Davis are complete unknowns. Based strictly on what I saw from high school tapes, I think Davis will get some carries.

There's no Tony D in this group, but we certainly have depth.

 

[FieldHouse12]

Sibley / Davis combo will be sweet in years to come.

No doubt.

 

[Cathedral Lawn Frisbee]

I don't see anything great out of Moss, Hall or Ollison.

I would not be at all surprised if Sibley or Davis comes out of camp starting.

 

[h2p_5150]

Ollison can run behind a good line and get what the defense gives him, which is more than I can say about Hall. Moss has some big-play ability but he had a few games where he was nonexistent. Guess that comes with being a backup to some extent but he flashed potential. I'm hoping Sibley or Davis is a stud

 

[DiehardPanther]

I don't see anything great out of Moss, Hall or Ollison.

I would not be at all surprised if Sibley or Davis comes out of camp starting.

Ollison was ACC Rookie of the Year, and Moss showed some flashes last year as a Fr. Hall has not done much, and is hurt frequently.

 

[Panther-MT]

I don't see anything great out of Moss, Hall or Ollison.

I would not be at all surprised if Sibley or Davis comes out of camp starting.

That might be a stretch but I also see one of them starting before the season is over.

 

[VAPITTALUM]

what irritated me the most about that game was just seeing us up by what, 13 points or whatever, you could just do the math in your head and KNOW, with some confidence, how this was gonna end painfully. You saw it coming in advance and there was nothing we could do to stop it. It was like being on a boat with no oars and seeing a ship coming right at you

Exactly. What made this even more painful were all of the UNC fans who were leaving before the end of the 3rd quarter with their heads down, only to have some of those fans come back into the stadium and cheer their team on to victory. PITT simply needed one first down in their last two drives to run the clock, or a stop on one of the 4th downs on defense to win the game...neither happened.

Couple that with the Q. Henderson fumble toward the end of the first half when it appeared he had an opening for a really long run, leading to a FG from UNC; and this was one of the most painful games to watch.

 

[vegasgreed]

I don't see Davis or Sibley starting game one like you mentioned. Could see that scenario at some point during the season. With those big games early in season, i see narduzzi going with the more experienced player, just like he's done since he got here.

I don't see anything great out of Moss, Hall or Ollison.

I would not be at all surprised if Sibley or Davis comes out of camp starting.

 

[Jpripper88]

I'd rank them: Moss, Davis, Sibley, Ollison, and Hall.

I think we will be fine, but none will be a game breaker this year.

 

[VAPITTALUM]

I'd rank them: Moss, Davis, Sibley, Ollison, and Hall.

I think we will be fine, but none will be a game breaker this year.

I think you're dead on with the order of based on expected production heading into this year.
Moss has shown the ability to run the ball with power and speed, while also blocking well if required.

Davis has the ability to make guys miss and break a run for a TD every time he touches the ball; he also shows great hands in his highlight video which can prove useful on wheel routes.

Sibley looks like an incredibly powerful runner with the speed to break away from defenders. I'm not sure how he will show in the blocking and passing game, since neither were really showcased in his highlights. If he has the ability to do both, he and Davis are likely neck and neck.

Ollison has the ability to be a great running back, but his inability to make even a basic block on the defender is concerning. With as much movement as the offense likes to employ, having everyone understand their responsibility in the blocking game is incredibly important.

Hall is either making a great run and making guys miss or getting completely buried behind the line of scrimmage.

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

Exactly. What made this even more painful were all of the UNC fans who were leaving before the end of the 3rd quarter with their heads down, only to have some of those fans come back into the stadium and cheer their team on to victory. PITT simply needed one first down in their last two drives to run the clock, or a stop on one of the 4th downs on defense to win the game...neither happened.

Couple that with the Q. Henderson fumble toward the end of the first half when it appeared he had an opening for a really long run, leading to a FG from UNC; and this was one of the most painful games to watch.

SOP loss for sure. Not a source of shame to lose such a game. But was a game we had won, and only needed a single play (O or D) ... just one ... in the last 5 min to secure it and couldn't make it. How many Freaking 4th downs given up on the final unc drive? Three? Win would have made a difference in the perception of the overall season, and fan buy in. But alas not to be.

 

[thebadby2]

I think the 2 freshmen are better than all the returning players and represent the best prospect of Pitt having a HR threat at RB.

Could this thread get any more speculative?

On what basis could anyone conclude that an incoming freshman RB, fresh out of high school, will walk onto the field for his first college game as the best back of a deep, experienced, talented group? His H.S. highlight film? I mean, it's possible, but how the f%&k does any Pitt fan sitting at home in his armchair have any idea about that?

As far as being a "home run threat", there is a helluva lot more to the RB position than that. Just as there is a helluva lot more to being an effective QB than arm strength.

And then there are the D. Hall critics, the guys that wonder why he gets reps over other backs. While Hall hasn't wowed any fans, the coaches obviously think he brings something important to the table. To criticize the coaches for not playing the best players in a position group over any other players, is to say the coaches don't know that they're doing. Is that what you guys are saying?

Barring disciplinary issues, work ethic issues, or issues with executing the plays in the playbook, the best players get the most game reps. The coaches are in a unique decision to determine who their best players are. First, unlike anyone on this message board, they are experts--this is their lifelong profession. Second, unlike anyone on this message board, they know these kids personally and work with them every single day. Third, unlike anyone on this message board, the coaches' livelihoods depend on winning football games. You win games by playing the players that give you the best chance to win, in the situations that they are best suited for.

This is very simple stuff.

 

[Farnox]

I just don't see the pessimism of some these posts. We have solid running backs who will fill the void left
by JC. The ones who will play the most are going to be the backs who are consistent with their assignments both running and blocking. Ollison got into trouble being a sloppy blocker and moved down the depth chart but looks to better now. The future is bright at running back!

 

[EastOhioPanther]

Every Pitt Fan will miss James Conner. He is a special player, and a special person....
But as College Football goes. "Next Man Up".
How did everyone feel about the upcoming years after Shady left, Fitzgerald left, Boyd left.
Many belly ached about the loss of Boyd. (a huge talent, no doubt). Well we followed it up with more total Receiving yards and more Receiving TD's as a team.
I expect the same in the rushing game this year... As a team. Can we meet or exceed last years Yards per game?
One key to our RB's, (as with JC) the upperclassmen are all good receivers. (Jury will be out on the incoming freshman's receiving skills).
Nobody will ever be James Conner, but as a group can we meet the Rushing goals.
I say yes....

 

[Delpanther]

Could this thread get any more speculative?

On what basis could anyone conclude that an incoming freshman RB, fresh out of high school, will walk onto the field for his first college game as the best back of a deep, experienced, talented group? His H.S. highlight film? I mean, it's possible, but how the f%&k does any Pitt fan sitting at home in his armchair have any idea about that?

As far as being a "home run threat", there is a helluva lot more to the RB position than that. Just as there is a helluva lot more to being an effective QB than arm strength.

And then there are the D. Hall critics, the guys that wonder why he gets reps over other backs. While Hall hasn't wowed any fans, the coaches obviously think he brings something important to the table. To criticize the coaches for not playing the best players in a position group over any other players, is to say the coaches don't know that they're doing. Is that what you guys are saying?

Barring disciplinary issues, work ethic issues, or issues with executing the plays in the playbook, the best players get the most game reps. The coaches are in a unique decision to determine who their best players are. First, unlike anyone on this message board, they are experts--this is their lifelong profession. Second, unlike anyone on this message board, they know these kids personally and work with them every single day. Third, unlike anyone on this message board, the coaches' livelihoods depend on winning football games. You win games by playing the players that give you the best chance to win, in the situations that they are best suited for.

This is very simple stuff.

Because they have better pedigrees than any of the guys on the roster, none of whom have shown they are big play guys...simple as that. When we have had great backs, it hasn't taken them "years" to establish themselves, not that this year couldn't be an exception. You ignore history in your short sighted post....

 

[thebadby2]

Because they have better pedigrees than any of the guys on the roster, none of whom have shown they are big play guys...simple as that. When we have had great backs, it hasn't taken them "years" to establish themselves, not that this year couldn't be an exception. You ignore history in your short sighted post....

You ignore reality in your clueless post.

You're penciling in the true freshmen over good, experienced players with a ton of D1 starts and live game reps among them because of H.S. "pedigrees"?

Using your logic, Darrin Hall should have been a lot better than Connor coming into the program, no?

By the way, how does Hall's "pedigree" stack up to Sibley's and Davis's?

 

[vegasgreed]

RB's in college can play early and have success. Such as Dion, McCoy, JC and even Ollison did it.

 

[Delpanther]

You ignore reality in your clueless post.

You're penciling in the true freshmen over good, experienced players with a ton of D1 starts and live game reps among them because of H.S. "pedigrees"?

Using your logic, Darrin Hall should have been a lot better than Connor coming into the program, no?

By the way, how does Hall's "pedigree" stack up to Sibley's and Davis's?

You're clueless as usual. It doesn't take great backs 3 years to establish themselves. Hall's credentials in HS don't stack up favorably to Sibley's at all. Was Hall offered by OSU? Sibley and Davis are more talented than any returning back on Pitt's roster. They will prove that early on. This isn't the civil service system...years of seniority don't always trump better talent! You've been watching that garbage at MSU too long.

 

[cpc247]

french as apb?

redshirt all freshman rbs.....

heard it here first

H2P

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

Could this thread get any more speculative?

On what basis could anyone conclude that an incoming freshman RB, fresh out of high school, will walk onto the field for his first college game as the best back of a deep, experienced, talented group? His H.S. highlight film? I mean, it's possible, but how the f%&k does any Pitt fan sitting at home in his armchair have any idea about that?

As far as being a "home run threat", there is a helluva lot more to the RB position than that. Just as there is a helluva lot more to being an effective QB than arm strength.

And then there are the D. Hall critics, the guys that wonder why he gets reps over other backs. While Hall hasn't wowed any fans, the coaches obviously think he brings something important to the table. To criticize the coaches for not playing the best players in a position group over any other players, is to say the coaches don't know that they're doing. Is that what you guys are saying?

Barring disciplinary issues, work ethic issues, or issues with executing the plays in the playbook, the best players get the most game reps. The coaches are in a unique decision to determine who their best players are. First, unlike anyone on this message board, they are experts--this is their lifelong profession. Second, unlike anyone on this message board, they know these kids personally and work with them every single day. Third, unlike anyone on this message board, the coaches' livelihoods depend on winning football games. You win games by playing the players that give you the best chance to win, in the situations that they are best suited for.

This is very simple stuff.

Dunno about the rest of your comments. But count me in on the curiosity of how impressed they are with Hall. After two years, I don't see a whole lot there (other than a bit of wonder that he shouldn't lose a few pounds ... Of course so should I).

At the same time I wouldn't say he's gotten more PT than he deserves either.

I'll go back to my first post ... the existing guys are ok. But I hope one of the new guys have "it" beyond them.

 

[88Pitt88]

I liked having a big back like JC running the ball for us. That said, I have always been partial to the guys who could make tacklers miss. I am talking the Ray Graham's, Dion Lewis's, Curvin Richards's and others.

Since we have George Aston, who is a very versatile fullback, I would expect the coaches may be looking for a homerun hitter. Aston is good at getting to the 2nd level, and a quality back might be able to make one cut off of one of his blocks and take it to the house. I would guess that the homerun hitter, if we have one, will emerge at camp, and the most likely guy would be Davis.

However, if our defense remains sorry, we could use a bigger back and let Aston lead the way, hoping to go down the field 5 yards at a time and chewing up clock, all while keeping our D on the sideline. Ollison or Sibley could be very effective with this strategy.

Either way, we are in a really good position, and I hope Aston stays healthy, as he gives our offense alot of options. He is also pretty good at catching it coming out of the backfield.