B Back Transfer - Patrick Skov

[GTJoeBrew]

One thing that is great about BBs, and more specifically, BB speed, is that when you break contain up the middle, nobody has an angle on you. In fact, you have the angle on most of them in pursuit. That is part of what made Dwyer so effectively fast. 4.6 is enough speed, if you are breaking free straight up field in the middle of a defense. Not so much, if you are taking a pitch up the sideline, where every defender has an angle of some sort. Dwyer was deceptively fast AND he was often racing against players without an angle.

I love BB speed and think it is a great help. However, the MOST IMPORTANT quality is being really tough to put on the ground. Give me a pile pusher first, then, if he has speed, great.

We need someone to emerge who can move the chains. 4 or 5 yards a pop and I will be happy.

 

[Skeptic]

We need someone to emerge who can move the chains. 4 or 5 yards a pop and I will be happy.

That is a pretty substantial goal. If it were that easy, well ...

 

[Bruce Wayne]

That is a pretty substantial goal. If it were that easy, well ...

This is a "system" position.

2014
Days = 5.9 avg yds/carry
Laskey = 5.0

2013
Sims = 5.5
Laskey = 5.8

2012
Laskey = 5.2
Sims = 4.5

2011
Sims = 5.2
Lyons = 6.0

2010
Allen = 5.5
Lyons = 4.3

2009
Dwyer = 5.9
Lyons = 4.6

2008
Dwyer = 7.0
Cox = 7.7

 

[GTJoeBrew]

This is a "system" position.

2014
Days = 5.9 avg yds/carry
Laskey = 5.0

2013
Sims = 5.5
Laskey = 5.8

2012
Laskey = 5.2
Sims = 4.5

2011
Sims = 5.2
Lyons = 6.0

2010
Allen = 5.5
Lyons = 4.3

2009
Dwyer = 5.9
Lyons = 4.6

2008
Dwyer = 7.0
Cox = 7.7

I had forgotten Dwyer had such high you in 08. And Lyons for all the grief we gave him had the highest ypc after 08. Crazy

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I had forgotten Dwyer had such high you in 08. And Lyons for all the grief we gave him had the highest ypc after 08. Crazy

In 08 Dwyer really was helped by the offense being new to the ACC coaches. And for the names listed second or third in years prior to 2012 their avg per carry is helped by having a much lower number of carries than the main BB.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Dwyer was deceptively fast AND he was often racing against players without an angle.

Exactly this. I remember a discussion of his speed several years ago on another site and I pointed out that if a football field were120 yards long he would be caught from behind more times than not but as it was by the time a defender gets close from a "bad angle" there was usually only about ten yards or less of field for him to run.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

We need someone to emerge who can move the chains. 4 or 5 yards a pop and I will be happy.

LOL, yep, that's all we would need.

 

[Skeptic]

This is a "system" position.

2014
Days = 5.9 avg yds/carry
Laskey = 5.0

2013
Sims = 5.5
Laskey = 5.8

2012
Laskey = 5.2
Sims = 4.5

2011
Sims = 5.2
Lyons = 6.0

2010
Allen = 5.5
Lyons = 4.3

2009
Dwyer = 5.9
Lyons = 4.6

2008
Dwyer = 7.0
Cox = 7.7

This is a "system" position.

2014
Days = 5.9 avg yds/carry
Laskey = 5.0

2013
Sims = 5.5
Laskey = 5.8

2012
Laskey = 5.2
Sims = 4.5

2011
Sims = 5.2
Lyons = 6.0

2010
Allen = 5.5
Lyons = 4.3

2009
Dwyer = 5.9
Lyons = 4.6

2008
Dwyer = 7.0
Cox = 7.7

Good work and I always admire research. But what I had specific reference to was "a pop", which I interpret every time he touches the ball. I have to stick with my skepticism that is going to happen.

 

[vamosjackets]

Dwyer was still the best we've seen of any BBack at breaking the long one, beating the angles of the defenders, or whatever you want to call it. He had better speed on the football field than any back I've seen while watching GT football outside of Tony Hollings

 

[Skeptic]

I interpreted his comment as referring primarily to Tech plays over the last 60 years. In which case I would say this one ranks up there with Nesbitt against Virginia Tech, Bell against Nebraska and Cunningham against Clemson. (That last one, by the way, caused a retired Bobby Dodd to declare Cunningham the best running back to ever play at Tech).

Days run was impressive to me because the first real hit he took was at the knees. Earlier attempts were at the waist and feet and virtually missed. A good back might not go down with a shot to the knees but to recover from that and immediately be hit high is usually enough to bring even a good back down. After that he was perpetually (it seemed) on the verge of losing his balance as he walked the sideline before and after having someone gave him that shove while still recovering from the other hit.

I had never heard that. The back I always read about as "the best" was Clint Castleberry, who played as a freshman in 1942 before enlisting in the Air Corps and disappearing over North Africa as a bomber pilot. 3rd in Heisman voting as a freshman. Dodd, I believe, told Furman Bisher a great deal about him and Castleberry became folklore. Reading back now and looking at YouTube his situation is somewhat similar to Justin Thomas: same position, quickness, speed, running and passing skills. Wish I had seen Cunningham. Castleberry too, for that matter. Thomas will have to do.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWTO985SVRk

 

[Boomergump]

Dwyer was still the best we've seen of any BBack at breaking the long one, beating the angles of the defenders, or whatever you want to call it. He had better speed on the football field than any back I've seen while watching GT football outside of Tony Hollings

Well said, "speed on the football field". Every so often a guy comes along who is just as fast with full pads on and carrying a ball as he is in track shoes, empty hands, and shorts. Dwyer was that guy. I remember, at least a decade back now, I think, a guy at BC who was a great runner too. He broke a ton of runs to the house etc and only ran a 4.6 at the track. I can't remember his name and I am too lazy to research it, but it was BC for sure. I have no idea what Dwyer's good 40 times were, but I know he was very rarely caught without a substantial angle.

Two things I think Dwyer gets too little credit for are his great vision and ability to accellerate out of cuts. He got himself into great position on runs better than most anybody I can remember. It was a ton of fun watching DBs chase him in futility or fall to the ground with a broken ankle (so to speak).

 

[Techster]

FWIW...Dwyer was a very good track sprinter in HS. Came in second in 100m state championship in GA's largest classification. You saw it in the open field when he got past the first and second level...dude would just blow by people. Not so much his last year at GT, but in 2008, if he had daylight, he was gone.

 

[Skeptic]

FWIW...Dwyer was a very good track sprinter in HS. Came in second in 100m state championship in GA's largest classification. You saw it in the open field when he got past the first and second level...dude would just blow by people. Not so much his last year at GT, but in 2008, if he had daylight, he was gone.

Is it true that he was a lot overweight his last year?

 

[danny daniel]

Well said, "speed on the football field". Every so often a guy comes along who is just as fast with full pads on and carrying a ball as he is in track shoes, empty hands, and shorts. Dwyer was that guy. I remember, at least a decade back now, I think, a guy at BC who was a great runner too. He broke a ton of runs to the house etc and only ran a 4.6 at the track. I can't remember his name and I am too lazy to research it, but it was BC for sure. I have no idea what Dwyer's good 40 times were, but I know he was very rarely caught without a substantial angle.

Two things I think Dwyer gets too little credit for are his great vision and ability to accellerate out of cuts. He got himself into great position on runs better than most anybody I can remember. It was a ton of fun watching DBs chase him in futility or fall to the ground with a broken ankle (so to speak).

I played HS football with an AllState caliber halfback who was not fast enough to run track sprints but with the ball under his hand in the open field was never caught from behind. He just had a knack for running all out with the football under his arm. I could run windsprints (and I was slow for a back) even with him for 30 yards but when he had the ball it was a different race. Something I know to be fact but something I cannot rationally understand.

 

[Techster]

Is it true that he was a lot overweight his last year?

I don't know...he was definitely bigger than he was as a sophomore.

I just remember an article about how CPJ said JD's optimal weight should be X, and Dwyer said CPJ told he needed to gain weight to optimally play the position. For some reason I remember there was a little friction between the two about it.

 

[Techster]

I played HS football with an AllState caliber halfback who was not fast enough to run track sprints but with the ball under his hand in the open field was never caught from behind. He just had a knack for running all out with the football under his arm. I could run windsprints (and I was slow for a back) even with him for 30 yards but when he had the ball it was a different race. Something I know to be fact but something I cannot rationally understand.

In HS, my good buddy ran track during the spring and I didn't. In a straight race, he would always pull away from me in the last 10 yards or so (the famous track kick sprinters have). On the football field (he played defense, I played offense) I would easily dust him when I had the football. Never could explain it...but I saw the same thing a lot with other guys. I think it's adrenaline and not wanting to get tackled by guys that want to hurt you...kinda like outrunning someone that wants to kill you.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Is it true that he was a lot overweight his last year?

He got heavier for sure. By the time he went to pro camps he was over 255 or some such nonsense. It slowed him down in lots of ways and he always seemed to have a weight problem after that and was never as fast.

 

[Boomergump]

In HS, my good buddy ran track during the spring and I didn't. In a straight race, he would always pull away from me in the last 10 yards or so (the famous track kick sprinters have). On the football field (he played defense, I played offense) I would easily dust him when I had the football. Never could explain it...but I saw the same thing a lot with other guys. I think it's adrenaline and not wanting to get tackled by guys that want to hurt you...kinda like outrunning someone that wants to kill you.

Yeah, how fast are you......then how fast are you being chased by a bear. I get it.

 

[deeeznutz]

Yeah, how fast are you......then how fast are you being chased by a bear. I get it.

In that situation it's not important to be faster than the bear, just be faster than your friend!

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

Thread derailed a bit. To get back on track, I think the Skov pickup is just what the doctor ordered for us this offseason. Does a lot to diminish my concerns about Bback depth. My primary concern now for the offense is at WR.