Have I ran out of ideas already?
Well, sometimes, even the brainiest among us hit a creative speed bump. But more importantly as a new writer it's important for me to take the temperature of my readers and get a sense of what type of content they looking for. So without further ado let's get into some of your questions! If you don't see your question here don't worry I have a spreadsheet ready to go for the next Q&A.
Is it just me, or does Allen seem to get stuffed at the line a lot? I was shocked to learn he was averaging over 7 yards a carry before the Rutgers game. It seems like he rips off a couple 15-20 yard runs a game, but the rest are all for like 3 yards or less.
Unfortunately what you have described is a typical carry spread for a high carry RB. I think a perfect example is Ron Dayne. He didn't become the NCAA's all time leading rusher because of his high yards per carry, but more because of his high volume of carries. It's like a boxer softening up his opponent with body shots before he goes in for the killer head shot. Braelon is no exception. I've gone back and look at some of his carry by carry numbers and he has a pretty even spread of carries from low (less than 3 ypc) to high (+10). For me as long as the results are there in terms of yards and TD's I don't care how he gets them!
With this new offensive philosophy, do we need to consider recruiting a different type of offensive lineman compared to the ones we've relied on for forever here at Wisconsin? You've been talking a lot about the struggles the struggles of the offensive line.
I think we are already seeing a different philosophy in terms of the type of player the are looking to recruit on the offensive line. They are looking for players with play now athleticism with play soon bodies. What I mean by "play soon" bodies is that gone are the days of the 245-270 lb high school offensive linemen hoping that in 3 years we can put on 55-70 lbs. They want 285 lb pound athletes who can spend more time learning the technique and the system instead of gaining size.
However I think our struggles this year have less to do with lack of talent it has more to do with adapting that talent to new environments. For years the Badgers' offensive line has operated in a phone booth looking to overwhelm the defense at the point of attack and letting an all world RB do the rest. Now we are asking those players to play in space and move with defenders being asked to cover even more space. It hasn't been an easy adjustment but there are promising signs in the run game that they are getting there. Pass blocking is going to come down to using better technique and not playing as top heavy. I don't know who has a harder task with that, Jack Bicknell Jr. or Brady Collins?
Thoughts on the "air raid" in bad weather (cold/wet). If we can’t throw the ball running out of shotgun is pretty useless, no?
Outside of the service academies all of the top rushing teams in college football are based out of the gun, and if you watch Army, Navy, and Air Force even they are running a lot of plays out of shotgun. The benefits of the gun in the run game far outweigh under center. You can actually get the ball in the ball carriers hand faster in the gun. It creates a faster and simpler system of reads for the QB, and when you add everything that can be tagged in the run game (RPOs, access throws, etc) you see that the teams who still run under center are doing almost more for pride and tradition then for actual football reasons...in my opinion.
Now what about bad weather? That can be a legitimate concern, however I would contend there are just as many chances for mistakes in bad weather under center as there are in the gun. There is still a snap involved, after which the QB has to 3-5 or more steps backwards to a RB who is also stepping to meet the QB. If we look at the modern gameday operations though the ball is less of a concern. The ball boys will be making sure that as much as possible the players have a dry, or at least a usable, ball at all times. Then it just comes down to game planning as it would be for any opponent. Remember they have to play in the same weather.
Unless I’m mistaken, Iowa plays a lot of zone defense, where they always have six or seven guys with a set of eyes on the quarterback. Is that going to limit the ability for Mordecai to run?
For my Iowa defensive preview video I watching the Hawkeyes against Penn State and Purdue as I felt their offenses were good comparables to Wisconsin's offense. Penn State's OC Mike Yurcich spent time coaching at Oklahoma State under Mike Gundy and you can definitely see the Air Raid influence while Purdue is helmed by Mike Leach protege Graham Harrell. After watching these games I have an idea of the approach that Iowa will bring to the game.
They will come out in a 4 high shell, but look for them to spin a safety down often. For the most part against Purdue he was essentially a spy and against Penn State he was looking to rob crossing routes, meshes etc. They play relatively loose on the slot receivers either with an overhanging OLB or a nickel. If you see the nickel type player in then it's likely cover 1, and if it's the OLB then we might see a split field coverage of cover 4 to the field side and man on the backside. To get Tanner more involved in the run game they need to take advantage of the loose flat defenders via screens, RPOs, and quick passes. If the defense is too worried about Tanner's running ability then that actually opens up a lot for the offense, and of course vis versa. That's the beauty of the Air Raid offense. The defense will tell us exactly how to beat them.
Since Fall 2019 the amount of players and coaches either transferring out or being dismissed is staggering compared to the historical trend in the modern era. If you could add any coach and any player back to bolster the current staff and team which one of each would you bring back?
Hindsight of course being 20/20 it would have been great to turn to Isaac Guerendo as the change of pace back after Chez Mellusi's injury. He was a player that during his time in Madison they never really figured out a good role for and it's a shame because with his speed and agility he could have been a hell of a player. If it was Phil Longo recruiting him back in the day I guarantee he would have been a killer slot receiver...by I digress. Without knowing that Chez was going to get hurt...no there is no player I would have wanted back and I'll tell you why. Players transfer for a lot of reasons that include, but are not limited to, football. Everyone who has left has left for a reason and they took their baggage with them and I wouldn't trade anyone's talents for additional baggage. I like how our roster is set up now and more importantly how it is set up for the future.
As for the staff part of your question I can read between the lines and I will say no I don't think Jim Leonhard still being here would have changed anything. Jim wants to be a head coach, and I also think he proved that he has a lot to learn by taking an analyst job instead of a coordinator job (yes I know he is recovering from surgery as well). Like it or lump it he was not ready to be the full time Head Coach yet. He is still very young in his coaching career and I'm not sure all of the added responsibility outside of the on the field X's and O's would have worked out in our favor. As for him still being on the staff would he have helped us? Doing what? Unless he was going to coach out of position I don't know how he would have fit in the make up of the staff. Paul Haynes and Colin Hitschler know the type of DB that Mike Tressell and Luke Fickell want and can coach them up the way that they want. I don't see where Jim fits other than as a brand ambassador and recruiter. I know that's not what Wisconsin fans want to hear but when the new guy comes in he wants to surround himself with his guys. Paul Chryst was a rare exception because he kept Dave Aranda, but I think that had more to do with his guy (Matt House) being a 4-3 guy and the transition back from the 3-4 would have been a disaster.
Thank you for all of the great questions. We'll do this again soon, but until then you can always ask me on Twitter, and in the comments on my videos.