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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2010 14:05:50 GMT -8
I didn't get to see Marshall much since he arrived just after I graduated and was living hand to mouth around that time in Fresno.
Soooo... I'm wondering really how close our running game could be to having a break out season. And my question for you guys is, how good was our offensive live when Marshall was running up and down the field. Were they really that good, or did Marshall make an average line look great?
My hope is that one of our RB will step up.. not to Marshall's level of course, but better than average.. enough to break a few and give the line some breathing room.
If our line goes from a 2 to 5 this year (out of ten) and our RBs go from a 4 to 7 this year.. could that be enough to open up the ground game which will then open up the passing game even more with will then open up the running game even more. Are we close to cresting that hill where suddenly everything becomes a little easier.
Thoughts?
Or are we still pretty miserable on the line and pretty avg or below at the RB position?
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Post by sancarlosaztec on Jun 17, 2010 14:20:54 GMT -8
Well the RBs are hard to evaluate with some new guys in this year. There is Hillman and that transfer from AZ plus a few others. If Sullivan can be used primarily for blocking and we have a running back with some break away speed we should do better.
Offense Line? I think most are waiting to see (hoping) that a few of last years starters get challenged and even beat out for starting. That would give us depth and hopefully a boost in capability.
Really we need to see them in games that count before we'll know. I think there is renewed hope though. We don't need a Marshall like running game to have a very positive impact on our winning pct.
Since you weren't around during Marshall's years on the mesa you may not remember we were often very frustrated with the offense even though it was amazing to watch at times.
The play calling was questioned by some and the defense was often a joke. Thus we never won as much as we all thought we should.
Its all relative. Wouldn't all of us trade the last 10 years of Aztec football for more of the Marshall Faulk Aztecs?
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Post by steveaztec on Jun 17, 2010 14:25:41 GMT -8
Just my opinion.
I don't think we are close to having a good running game, but I think we will be better than the last two years. I expect to be much better in the run game in the 2012 season.
I just feel the OLine is so young that they will get it half way thru this season and flourish next year.
As for Faulks days. I don't think we had a great offensive line at that time. I think it was average, maybe a little better than avg.
It was hard to tell though. After Dave Lay left (after Marshalls frosh year), the play calling with imagination went with him.
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Post by Fred Noonan on Jun 17, 2010 14:38:27 GMT -8
I would not say we had a "great" offensive line when Marshal was with us but it was a line that was good enough for the competition we faced. It held up decently for the passing game and for the run. Yes, Marshal made his line look good, he would make anyone look good. By way of comparison, he would have done better with our line last year than our running backs did, but it wouldn't make you remember the Marshal Faulk of old. I don't think even he would have cracked a 100 yd. avg. behind last years line. Which, of course, is the question for this coming season. We have the same guys back so we are all wondering what to expect. There is the school of thought that says they have had one year in the system so they will be better and the other school that says you can't make a purse out of a pigs ear. Add to that the fact that the JC transfer that is "supposed" to start wasn't here in the Spring and you have an "unsettled" question. I'm thinking the line has to get better as I'm hoping last year was the bottom of that particular barrel. We'll know better after the Fall practice and first couple games. As for RB, that's still not decided but reading between the lines it looks like Sullivan at FB and Hillman at RB. That should be a serviceable duo, whether they can light it up or not I'm not sure we know. The Fred Noonan School of Navigation.  |
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Post by jcljorgenson on Jun 17, 2010 15:43:02 GMT -8
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Post by Old School on Jun 17, 2010 15:50:27 GMT -8
Refresher.
Oldie Out
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Post by acctgdweeb on Jun 17, 2010 15:52:37 GMT -8
My memories are of a dog pile at the line and then a streak emerging from the pile and running 80 yards to the end zone.
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Post by Frantic on Jun 17, 2010 16:21:13 GMT -8
Unfortunately, I feel a sense of sadness when I watch highlights Marshall's three years in an Aztec uniform. Just one bowl game...it came in his freshman year and it was a loss. Just one winning season. The BYU tie at home on national TV for the Holiday Bowl...up 45-17 at half. The USC tie on national TV. To close out his final year, we had four straight losses where we gave up 196 points yet still lost by a combined 9 points in three of them. Closing out his final year with home losses to BYU and Wyoming by a combined six points. Robbed of the Heisman. Losing to UCLA twice and Cal once. The turmoil of firing of Dave Lay. It's really sadness at the utter failure to capitalize on Faulk's success. It all went for nothing - except us old men can think back about what could have been. |
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Post by cacique on Jun 17, 2010 17:02:37 GMT -8
I think too many fans are over looking Kazee.Last year he had a couple of 100 yard games and showed a good burst.He will be bigger and more experienced this year and will have a good year.
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Post by sdsu1975 on Jun 17, 2010 17:16:43 GMT -8
I really think our OL is going to improve dramatically with the new talent and more time with the current staff, including Coach Wellman. I think having a good strength and conditioning coach will really pay off. I think we have some RB talent now that will have a pretty good year.
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Post by McQuervo on Jun 17, 2010 20:40:04 GMT -8
ok I watched all 9 minutes again. THANK YOU OLD SCHOOL for saving me from the HORROR of Trackless... Ugghhh the chokemaster extrodinare...
Marshall is and will always be one if not the best ever in D-1. BTW FU Corso you heinous loser.
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Post by RiffelBooks on Jun 17, 2010 20:57:24 GMT -8
The thing to remember about Marshall's days is the WAC defenses were all terrible at the time, so our offensive line was able to dominate them. Against the bigger conference teams, our line generally got dominated, and some of Marshall's greatest runs were simply fighting to get back to the line of scrimmage. The exception was the USC game put up by Old School. Our line was pounding the Trojenz defense into the ground that entire second half, but never seemed to find that magic against a major non-conference opponent again.
For this year, I think if major progress were likely, we'd have seen it in the spring. It wasn't there.
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Post by texasaztec on Jun 17, 2010 20:57:50 GMT -8
I was at every game during the Faulk era. It was so exciting because of the feeling that on any play he could go all the way. He was that good. Super fun to watch. He was and is a class act all the way. And yes, he was absolutely robbed of the heisman.
I have no clue about this year's line and our running backs. Only what I've heard on the board. I'm hoping Hillman is the man!
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Post by aztecgold on Jun 18, 2010 8:35:32 GMT -8
Marshall was one of the best RB's in the history of the NFL so a comparison to our running game right now is not very fair. His OL was not that great at State back then but the defenses he faced were not that great either. The running games should be improved over last year and I am looking forward to seeing how the newcomers look. However, it is our passing game that we will really shine.
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Post by AztecBill on Jun 18, 2010 9:05:09 GMT -8
One thing to rememeber that the Faulk years were sandwiched by some other pretty good backs. So our O-Lines couldn't have been that bad.
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Post by azterick on Jun 18, 2010 9:44:29 GMT -8
I only recall the big Samoan guard that Marshall would run behind. I don't remember his name, but he was huge. He may have been the only one to get drafted from that line. I don't think he played much in the NFL. Anyone remember who I'm talking about? Once Marshall got past the line of scrimmage it was game on. Couldn't be touched. He had power and speed. The best part of watching those Aztecs play was not only waiting for Marshall to break free, but also watching David Lowery throw a rainbow about 50 yards and thinking he threw it too far and then seeing Darnay Scott run under it for a huge gain. That passing threat might have helped Marshall a little bit, but he was special. Should have been the Heisman winner. The year after he left the Aztecs he was still taking classes at SDSU. I had him in a Jazz class. The instructor kept calling him Marvin.
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Post by E31-Aztec on Jun 18, 2010 12:11:14 GMT -8
I only recall the big Samoan guard that Marshall would run behind. I don't remember his name, but he was huge. He may have been the only one to get drafted from that line. I don't think he played much in the NFL. Anyone remember who I'm talking about? Once Marshall got past the line of scrimmage it was game on. Couldn't be touched. He had power and speed. The best part of watching those Aztecs play was not only waiting for Marshall to break free, but also watching David Lowery throw a rainbow about 50 yards and thinking he threw it too far and then seeing Darnay Scott run under it for a huge gain. That passing threat might have helped Marshall a little bit, but he was special. Should have been the Heisman winner. The year after he left the Aztecs he was still taking classes at SDSU. I had him in a Jazz class. The instructor kept calling him Marvin. Marvin? ;D |
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Post by RiffelBooks on Jun 18, 2010 12:14:25 GMT -8
Rick: Carlson Leomiti. He was fast and powerful as a freshman. The following three years he could barely get out of his stance.
Bill: Refer to my earlier post. The o-line wasn't bad at all. Far better than what we've had here lately. They dominated WAC defenses and U$C. They didn't do well against other power conference opponents.
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Post by azterick on Jun 18, 2010 12:50:37 GMT -8
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Post by aztecpop on Jun 18, 2010 15:29:09 GMT -8
The freshman tackle that played next to Carlson was my son. On away games he was Carlson's roommate. The food Carlson ate was watched very closely. Carson would have my son (Chris Finch)go down to hotel restaurant and buy him pizza. Of course Chris being an underclassmen never said no till he was caught by the coaches LOL.
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