Horvath injury

[SCBoiler1]

Who could have saw this coming?

We now have one scholarship running back ready to play. Our backup is a preferred walk on who had zero P5 offers out of HS and had 5 touches on an 0-6 UNLV team last year. Our third option is either a receiver or a lightly recruited freshman (athlete)..

I like King D. but if he goes down, no chance for a balanced attack.

 

[Tommaker]

Ugh.

 

[Beorik]

Who could have saw this coming?

We now have one scholarship running back ready to play. Our backup is a preferred walk on who had zero P5 offers out of HS and had 5 touches on an 0-6 UNLV team last year. Our third option is either a receiver or a lightly recruited freshman (athlete)..

I like King D. but if he goes down, no chance for a balanced attack.

Step away from the ledge. If we lose 2 more rbs we can all panic together. Brohm clearly thought Horvath, King, and Downing were good as a top 3 rbs. From what I have seen so far, I am inclined to agree. If 2 more rbs go down and Cross isn’t ready then we can all yell about Brohm not having 4 rbs ready to start.

 

[BCfanatic2020]

Who could have saw this coming?

We now have one scholarship running back ready to play. Our backup is a preferred walk on who had zero P5 offers out of HS and had 5 touches on an 0-6 UNLV team last year. Our third option is either a receiver or a lightly recruited freshman (athlete)..

I like King D. but if he goes down, no chance for a balanced attack.

If I was scouting doerue and downing on handoff vs Horvath I’d do it this way…

doerue - cumbersome and stumbles out of the gate .. but if he gets a hole he’s faster than Horvath but then at the third level lacks breakaway burst and slows to Horvath speed. Much more likely that Horvath gets to the second level than doerue on the same exact play.

downing - looks just about as likely to stay on his feet, not be slowed down and get through the hole as horvath, but slower than Zander at the second level. If ND is intent on paying extra attention to bell and Durham .. downing seems like the kind of back who can eek out that 2nd and 4 or 3rd and 3, but you’d be looking at 20 carries for 60-90 yards vs athletes of that caliber.

it takes a lot of what downing AND doerue bring to stack up to Horvath simply as a runner, let alone a receiver (where he’s significantly better than anything either have shown) or blocker.

I hope mockabee and cross are realizing that their time could be coming sooner than they think.. could be.

 

[bonefish1]

Yet, I am pretty sure that you cannot find more than three running backs in the BIG better than Horvath. He passes the eye test and the stats test. Hope he is back in 5 weeks.

Sorry, but the guy is not a featured back on most B10 teams.

 

[Beorik]

If I was scouting doerue and downing on handoff vs Horvath I’d do it this way…

doerue - cumbersome and stumbles out of the gate .. but if he gets a hole he’s faster than Horvath but then at the third level lacks breakaway burst and slows to Horvath speed. Much more likely that Horvath gets to the second level than doerue on the same exact play.

downing - looks just about as likely to stay on his feet, not be slowed down and get through the hole as horvath, but slower than Zander at the second level. If ND is intent on paying extra attention to bell and Durham .. downing seems like the kind of back who can eek out that 2nd and 4 or 3rd and 3, but you’d be looking at 20 carries for 60-90 yards vs athletes of that caliber.

it takes a lot of what downing AND doerue bring to stack up to Horvath simply as a runner, let alone a receiver (where he’s significantly better than anything either have shown) or blocker.

I hope mockabee and cross are realizing that their time could be coming sooner than they think.. could be.

I agree with your assessment. I think Horvath is a marginally better runner than King and Downing. Horvath has been exceptional at knowing and executing pass protection assignments and catching the ball out of the backfield. I hope King is at least serviceable in those areas and I am sure Downing and Cross will be getting crash courses over the next few weeks on knowing those assignments.

Brohm will probably have to be creative in both pass protection and generating quick outlets for Plummer.

 

[Beorik]

Sorry, but the guy is not a featured back on most B10 teams.

Disagree. Both coaches and media had him as all big ten 3rd team last year behind only 4 rbs. I don’t think the coaches would have voted that way if he wouldn’t start on most teams.

 

[BCfanatic2020]

I agree with your assessment. I think Horvath is a marginally better runner than King and Downing. Horvath has been exceptional at knowing and executing pass protection assignments and catching the ball out of the backfield. I hope King is at least serviceable in those areas and I am sure Downing and Cross will be getting crash courses over the next few weeks on knowing those assignments.

Brohm will probably have to be creative in both pass protection and generating quick outlets for Plummer.

We will know all about what we have in doerue in very short order

 

[BCfanatic2020]

Sorry, but the guy is not a featured back on most B10 teams.

He may not be what you think of when you think of a really good running back, and he’s about the farthest thing from Tony Dorsett that there ever was, but
Much like so many athletes that don’t fit into the cookie cutter.. the Chris dolemans, Paul pierces and Ed mccaffreys (random but just guys who came to mind) of the world .. he makes it happen

 

[bonefish1]

Disagree. Both coaches and media had him as all big ten 3rd team last year behind only 4 rbs. I don’t think the coaches would have voted that way if he wouldn’t start on most teams.

There's a reason very few (if any) P5 teams have a 6'3, 240lb, 4.6 40 fullback featured as a tailback (unless his name is Derrick Henry)

Don't get me wrong, I like what he brings to the field, but I'd rather see him as an H-back type where he get's 5-7 carries and catches 5-7 passes as opposed to tailback lining up in the i.

 

[Beorik]

There's a reason very few (if any) P5 teams have a 6'3, 240lb, 4.6 40 fullback featured as a tailback (unless his name is Derrick Henry)

Don't get me wrong, I like what he brings to the field, but I'd rather see him as an H-back type where he get's 5-7 carries and catches 5-7 passes as opposed to tailback lining up in the i.

I don’t disagree completely with you about that. I think specifically at the next level (if he could get there) Hback/short yardage rb would be how he makes it. But at the next level they have a combination of elite size and speed at almost every position.

At the college level he does well as a rb. And like I said, coaches and media both ranked 4 rbs ahead of him in the big ten last year.

It is my opinion that Horvath outright starts or at least splits reps as a starter on all but a few big ten teams. Unfortunately we will never know now but I genuinely thought Horvath had a shot at 1st or 2nd team all big ten this year at rb.

 

[Matt Tiger]

One thing is for sure about Purdue fans.Some of us will argue about anything.But thats what these boards are for,so lets band together,root our Boilermakers on this Saturday vs.the Fighting Rocknes,and always Boiler Up!!

 

[Beorik]

One thing is for sure about Purdue fans.Some of us will argue about anything.But thats what these boards are for,so lets band together,root our Boilermakers on this Saturday vs.the Fighting Rocknes,and always Boiler Up!!

Agreed. Unfortunately Horvath is down now. Let’s all hope King snd Downing pick up right where Horvath left off and surprise everyone with the level at which they perform!

Boiler Up.

 

[FirstDownB]

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Anthrop in the backfield on 3rd downs

 

[Matt Tiger]

Agreed. Unfortunately Horvath is down now. Let’s all hope King snd Downing pick up right where Horvath left off and surprise everyone with the level at which they perform!

Boiler Up.

Yes that would be great to see.

 

[Beorik]

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Anthrop in the backfield on 3rd downs

I wouldn’t either. Didn’t he rush for like 2000+ yds at like 10 ypc his senior year of high school? Pretty sure Brohm has talked about using him in the backfield for a couple years now so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him there some.

 

[BCfanatic2020]

I wouldn’t either. Didn’t he rush for like 2000+ yds at like 10 ypc his senior year of high school? Pretty sure Brohm has talked about using him in the backfield for a couple years now so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him there some.

I don’t like that idea. When you need to get tough yards against players with size and speed, you don’t want a slot receiver back there unless it’s like a rondale moore or maaaaybe Wandale robinson. If ND doesn’t have a dumb game plan, you’re talking about more than a few plays where the Back is going to be met 1-2 yards into needing 3-4 yards and he’s going to have to go through contact to get those yards.

anthrop has a role and doesn’t suck, I just don’t think that that’s it. But brohm may come out with some good stuff we haven’t seen to get into that 21-28 point money zone against ND

 

[bonefish1]

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Anthrop in the backfield on 3rd downs

Running the ball?

Maybe as a pass catcher out of the backfield, but Anthrop doesn't have the speed or power to run behind this OL.
If you're going to use Anthrop, might as well put Moore back there. At least then you have a shot at a big play.

 

[BCfanatic2020]

Running the ball?

Maybe as a pass catcher out of the backfield, but Anthrop doesn't have the speed or power to run behind this OL.
If you're going to use Anthrop, might as well put Moore back there. At least then you have a shot at a big play.

I agree .. anthrop on third might make sense if he could beat a ND linebacker badly.. but the player I see may have been robbed by injuries or something of the ability to do that

 

[Beorik]

I don’t like that idea. When you need to get tough yards against players with size and speed, you don’t want a slot receiver back there unless it’s like a rondale moore or maaaaybe Wandale robinson. If ND doesn’t have a dumb game plan, you’re talking about more than a few plays where the Back is going to be met 1-2 yards into needing 3-4 yards and he’s going to have to go through contact to get those yards.

anthrop has a role and doesn’t suck, I just don’t think that that’s it. But brohm may come out with some good stuff we haven’t seen to get into that 21-28 point money zone against ND

Agree on short yardage. My apologies. I was thinking more 3rd and long passing downs when you could slide him to rb and perhaps get him matched up on a lb.

 

[FirstDownB]

I wouldn’t either. Didn’t he rush for like 2000+ yds at like 10 ypc his senior year of high school? Pretty sure Brohm has talked about using him in the backfield for a couple years now so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him there some.

Jackson acknowledged in an interview during fall camp that he was spending time with the RB room.

 

[FirstDownB]

Agree on short yardage. My apologies. I was thinking more 3rd and long passing downs when you could slide him to rb and perhaps get him matched up on a lb.

Yes. That is the traditional '3rd down back' role. Come in on passing downs and provide a passing outlet. Potential downside is his pass blocking, but it won't be for lack of effort, and I'm not sure you're any worse off in that regard than with King or Downing. Third and 1 you stick with those guys.

 

[Riveting]

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Anthrop in the backfield on 3rd downs

I would like to be surprised and see James back there. Any news out there?

Then, in a double back set, we could have King James.