I hope Singleton didn't DWill himself

[africamurphy]

More of an "off-week" topic than OSU-week...but the talk about Singleton losing his offensive burst made me think of DWill.

Super electric true freshman. Injures his arm at Michigan. Rehabs in the off-season and bulks up to "get stronger for big'time college football" and loses his juice. The only other "electric" play I remember from him after that was the 50-yard punt return vs. Notre Dame in 2007. He was a good receiver...but he didn't have that spark after year 1.

Hope Singleton didn't bulk up in the wrong places this past off-season. (And I'd love him to prove me wrong with some big runs on Saturday!!!)

 

[Erial_Lion]

 

[The Spin Meister]

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Senior year.

 

[bison13]

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I was there

 

[jimarnp]

More of an "off-week" topic than OSU-week...but the talk about Singleton losing his offensive burst made me think of DWill.

Super electric true freshman. Injures his arm at Michigan. Rehabs in the off-season and bulks up to "get stronger for big'time college football" and loses his juice. The only other "electric" play I remember from him after that was the 50-yard punt return vs. Notre Dame in 2007. He was a good receiver...but he didn't have that spark after year 1.

Hope Singleton didn't bulk up in the wrong places this past off-season. (And I'd love him to prove me wrong with some big runs on Saturday!!!)

Was thinking the same thing. It was more of an obvious difference with DWill as he bulked up 20 pounds from 175 or 180 And lost some quickness. Singleton was already over 200 pounds. Not sure what he is now ( 220-225 maybe) . Dropping 5-7 pounds may do the trick for him…… or just opening up some bigger holes might work as well . (Lol)

 

[WIP2001]

Nah he still looks plenty fast with great acceleration. Just hasn’t had many opportunities with grass in front him.

Plus… this isn’t a rinky dink amateur soloflex based S&C program like Dwill had.

 

[Cap Levi]

You know how a RB loses his burst?

A crap oline.

 

[The Spin Meister]

Was thinking the same thing. It was more of an obvious difference with DWill as he bulked up 20 pounds from 175 or 180 And lost some quickness. Singleton was already over 200 pounds. Not sure what he is now ( 220-225 maybe) . Dropping 5-7 pounds may do the trick for him…… or just opening up some bigger holes might work as well . (Lol)

Just need to complete some deep balls yo back up D backs and hit TEs to draw LB coverage. Both will open running lanes.

 

[IANit]

More of an "off-week" topic than OSU-week...but the talk about Singleton losing his offensive burst made me think of DWill.

Super electric true freshman. Injures his arm at Michigan. Rehabs in the off-season and bulks up to "get stronger for big'time college football" and loses his juice. The only other "electric" play I remember from him after that was the 50-yard punt return vs. Notre Dame in 2007. He was a good receiver...but he didn't have that spark after year 1.

Hope Singleton didn't bulk up in the wrong places this past off-season. (And I'd love him to prove me wrong with some big runs on Saturday!!!)

Don't see this as a DWill story at all. Run blocking for the most part has not been good enough to spring him. Second, he's probably pressing a bit, dancing around looking for the big play instead of hitting the holes. When holes are there he doesn't trust them because the blocking has not been good at other times. He either cuts it in another direction or hesitates and the hole closes. I think it's mainly blocking issues rather than him losing any speed. I think that is fixable and our run game will get better.

 

[LMTLION]

I don’t buy the offensive line excuses. The line has been solid the whole year. For the first time since the Sandusky sanctions, we are not seeing the defense in the backfield almost every play and we are getting good push. I truly believe it’s Singleton not seeing the field right.

 

[94LionsFan]

Well, Kaytron also hasn’t broken a long one. Their longest runs are 18 and 19. And Potts’ is 20. Doesn’t seem to be a one-guy issue.

 

[mcpat]

There have been very few downfield pass attempts. I think that’s why the RBs haven’t broken long runs. They’re cranking out good yardage with defenses playing the run. CJF has used the words “complimentary football” like never before. He sees how good the defense is and how well they can control the game with a vanilla offense cranking out long ball-controlling drives. “Explosive plays” has been replaced with “complimentary football”.

 

[The Spin Meister]

Well, Kaytron also hasn’t broken a long one. Their longest runs are 18 and 19. And Potts’ is 20. Doesn’t seem to be a one-guy issue.

Neither one of them have breakaway speed. It’s the lack of deep balls and under use of tight ends allowing the defenses to prevent big runs. Also, the lack of a running QB. Open up the passing and the big runs will appear.

The fact is we have a different offense this year. Only one top receiver, a less mobile QB, using TEs less. Hoping that CJF/Yurcich has just been playing vanilla and will go Neapolitan when needed.

 

[Bondist]

Neither one of them have breakaway speed. It’s the lack of deep balls and under use of tight ends allowing the defenses to prevent big runs. Also, the lack of a running QB. Open up the passing and the big runs will appear.

The fact is we have a different offense this year. Only one top receiver, a less mobile QB, using TEs less. Hoping that CJF/Yurcich has just been playing vanilla and will go Neapolitan when needed.

Honestly , I thought last year Singleton showed breakaway speed? I find it hard to believe any high tech S&C program would add muscle mass to skill players without focusing on maintaining their speed metrics.

 

[bcspsu]

Neither one of them have breakaway speed. It’s the lack of deep balls and under use of tight ends allowing the defenses to prevent big runs. Also, the lack of a running QB. Open up the passing and the big runs will appear.

The fact is we have a different offense this year. Only one top receiver, a less mobile QB, using TEs less. Hoping that CJF/Yurcich has just been playing vanilla and will go Neapolitan when needed.

Also, our running scheme is very rudimentary and, unless you spread the field with an Air Raid type of offense, it's much more difficult to run the ball with one back in the backfield, especially when the qb is no running threat at all.

IMO, the o-line needs to take wider gaps aand create holes through leverage. Then, the running backs need to make some moves of their own to create additional yards rather than running right into tacklers. Unless you have a bunch of All-Americas at o-line, it's going to be very difficult to have a great running game when almost all of the runs are up the middle with no fullback.

As I've said before, I'm a fan of a two back offense like PSU used to run in the Paterno years and the 49ers run now. When you watch games from the 1980s on BTN, our running scheme was so much better than it is now.

 

[bcspsu]

Honestly , I thought last year Singleton showed breakaway speed? I find it hard to believe any high tech S&C program would add muscle mass to skill players without focusing on maintaining their speed metrics.

He did. He ran back a kick for a td against Rutgers last season and had the very long td run in the Rose Bowl. He looked like he had breakaway speed to me in those plays. With that said, he definitely doesn't look explosive this season, and is running more like a Jerome Bettis than a speed back. Also, as I've said before, he never seems to try to make any moves, but rather just runs staright ahead into tacklers. However, on the few plays that he takes wide, he does exhibit a burst. Whatever, he's been a perplexing player this season; I certainly expected more.

 

[bvillebaron]

I don’t buy the offensive line excuses. The line has been solid the whole year. For the first time since the Sandusky sanctions, we are not seeing the defense in the backfield almost every play and we are getting good push. I truly believe it’s Singleton not seeing the field right.

Well maybe you can help him out. The offensive line may be solid but hasn’t opened the type of holes that generate big plays. Some of this is MY’s insistence on calling predictable running plays between the tackles on early downs against defenses playing the run. I want to see him get the ball in space

 

[indynittany]

Just need to complete some deep balls yo back up D backs and hit TEs to draw LB coverage. Both will open running lanes.

Sometimes just making the attempt to stretch the defense vertically can do the trick.

I'm like most here. I want to see the big play too! But let me play devil's advocate.

For years, we've lamented PSU's inability to convert on short yardage. Not just to extend drives, but to close out games, specifically against OSU. It seems we now have a team that can do just that.

We're leading the nation defensively. We're leading the B1G in scoring. We're way up there nationally in TO margin. Time of possession is strongly in our favor.

If we can go into Columbus tomorrow and methodically drive it down the field and score points, we'll win. Anybody got a problem with that?

 

[tboyer]

Lots of factors in the lack of explosive run plays. Maybe Singleton's been a little banged up?

Coach Codutti I think commented a couple of weeks ago that the wide receiver blocking downfield has been inconsistent. That's something that should improve as the season goes along, and those wideouts have just had 3 weeks of practice so maybe we see some improvement this year.

 

[Cowbell Man]

Sometimes just making the attempt to stretch the defense vertically can do the trick.

I'm like most here. I want to see the big play too! But let me play devil's advocate.

For years, we've lamented PSU's inability to convert on short yardage. Not just to extend drives, but to close out games, specifically against OSU. It seems we now have a team that can do just that.

We're leading the nation defensively. We're leading the B1G in scoring. We're way up there nationally in TO margin. Time of possession is strongly in our favor.

If we can go into Columbus tomorrow and methodically drive it down the field and score points, we'll win. Anybody got a problem with that?

Not even a little bit. Keep the D off the field so they don’t gas in the 4th quarter

 

[SR108]

Just need to complete some deep balls yo back up D backs and hit TEs to draw LB coverage. Both will open running lanes.

Singleton is just fine, in some ways better. The lack of long runs is how defenses are playing us and the need for better downfield blocking.

 

[bvillebaron]

Singleton is just fine, in some ways better. The lack of long runs is how defenses are playing us and the need for better downfield blocking.

That’s how I see it. MY calling predictable run plays on early downs between the tackles against defense geared to stop the run isn’t helping either.

 

[MacNit2.0]

Sometimes just making the attempt to stretch the defense vertically can do the trick.

I'm like most here. I want to see the big play too! But let me play devil's advocate.

For years, we've lamented PSU's inability to convert on short yardage. Not just to extend drives, but to close out games, specifically against OSU. It seems we now have a team that can do just that.

We're leading the nation defensively. We're leading the B1G in scoring. We're way up there nationally in TO margin. Time of possession is strongly in our favor.

If we can go into Columbus tomorrow and methodically drive it down the field and score points, we'll win. Anybody got a problem with that?

No problem. But what have you seen that makes you think we can do that against O$U in the Shoe? This ain’t Massachusetts.

PSU will struggle mightily to score on the road against top-2/3 talent in nation.

 

[mgkpsu]

Neither one of them have breakaway speed. It’s the lack of deep balls and under use of tight ends allowing the defenses to prevent big runs. Also, the lack of a running QB. Open up the passing and the big runs will appear.

The fact is we have a different offense this year. Only one top receiver, a less mobile QB, using TEs less. Hoping that CJF/Yurcich has just been playing vanilla and will go Neapolitan when needed.

Allar is on pace to end up with more rushing yards than Clifford. And the Tight Ends are on pace to have more receptions that last year. And getting Wallace back healthy can't hurt the situation.

 

[94LionsFan]

Allar is on pace to end up with more rushing yards than Clifford.

Not sure where you’re getting this. Even if you go by only net yards (sack yardage subtracted), I don’t see it.
Clifford gained 284, lost 108, net of 176
Allar has gained 105, lost 26, net of 79

 

[CJFisJoePaII]

There have been very few downfield pass attempts. I think that’s why the RBs haven’t broken long runs. They’re cranking out good yardage with defenses playing the run. CJF has used the words “complimentary football” like never before. He sees how good the defense is and how well they can control the game with a vanilla offense cranking out long ball-controlling drives. “Explosive plays” has been replaced with “complimentary football”.

Yea, the +20 yard stat is a bit overstated. The other day on the B1G Show, one of the analysts identified that PSU was dead last in Conference in 20+ yard plays, but extremely importantly #3 in 10+ yard plays. This would suggest that PSU likely leads the Conference in Intermediate Chunk-Yard Plays between 10-20 yards.

As an interesting follow up to that stat and to demonstrate just how much duhO$U's run game has struggled (not PSU's), the analyst said that duhO$U is dead-last in the Conference in runs of 10 yards or more and that virtually all of their 20+ yard plays have come from the pass. Finally, the analyst said this inability to consistently run the ball, and over-reliance on passing to move the ball, shows up in their poor Red Zone numbers.

 

[AWS1022]

I don’t buy the offensive line excuses. The line has been solid the whole year. For the first time since the Sandusky sanctions, we are not seeing the defense in the backfield almost every play and we are getting good push. I truly believe it’s Singleton not seeing the field right.

The difference is Brenton Strange…he was an outstanding blocker and our TE’s this year just aren’t.