I caution anyone to draw meaningful conclusions from one run, one play. Who knows what would happen on 10, 20, 30 such matchups? Maybe Golden makes the tackle 80% of the time. When two good players square off, something's got to give. Both guys can't win. Greg Maddox gave up plenty of homers in his day. Imagine drawing a conclusion based on one of them.
I don't think you can really say that a runner should always do any one single thing. Cutting back isn't always better. Sometimes all that will do is run you into the pursuit. Sometimes getting the most yards means taking it down the sideline. Sometimes, slowing down is good to set up a block. We all know good running instincts when we see them. The trick is doing the right thing at the right time based on what is happening in a given play, and getting your body in position to do it. There are no absolutes. If what you mean is to be decisive instead of hesitant, then I agree.
To add to your argument, why has snoddy not been the next JD.
Why, if he's a more talented player and give us the best chance to win I don't see why he couldn't potentially start.
Is it usual to have so many players out for a scrimmage? If these guys are not participating due to injuries, is this considered just part of the process of getting back into practice mode or does it mean we are looking at possible on-going health issues?
Personally, I don't really care about who, in particular, wins the BB job (or any job for that matter). I will say this though. Young guys beating out old guys is a good sign for the program. If we see a bunch of newcomers on the field, we should all be happy. Most of us have all wanted to see the bar raised. That is one of the major ways it happens.
Exactly--if we can replace an very average performer with a better guy -fine