[BostonCard]

As far as I can tell, Stanford's run game problems are not so much that they RBs don't fit the system but

1. that the OL is not allowing the system to work well enough (see CI and others), and

2. our coaches, surprisingly, don't seem to trust the system.

We have our three main RBs averaging 5.5 yds/carry.
2013 Gaffney averaged 5.2 yds/carry.
2012 Taylor averaged 4.8 yds.carry.
2011 Taylor averaged 5.5 yds/carry (Gaffney more, Wilkerson less).
2010 Taylor averaged 5.1 yds/carry (Gaffney and Wilkerson less).
2009 Gerhart averaged 5.5 yds/carry.

But we are only averaging about 21 carries per game from the RBs.

That compares to about 32 carries per game last year, 2012=29.5, 2011=33.3, 2010=30.3, 2009=33.7.

I'm not quite sure what to take from this, but I am leaning towards thinking that we are not using our RB-based run game enough this year based upon the actual production it has had.
[And no, I don't expect that will be a popular position.]

Two caveats to that analysis, CTCard.  The first is that in prior years, Gerhart, Taylor, and Gaffney had to run against defenses that stacked eight in the box on rushing downs.  Now, most defenses are playing us straight up to counter the fact that we are passing more than in the past.

The second caveat is that the running stats are heavily influenced by our two games against clearly overmatched opponents, Army and Davis.  Now, we have overmatched opponents every year, but they don't typically make up 40% of our schedule, and Davis, remember is not FBS.

BC

[BostonCard]

As far as I can tell, Stanford's run game problems are not so much that they RBs don't fit the system but

1. that the OL is not allowing the system to work well enough (see CI and others), and

2. our coaches, surprisingly, don't seem to trust the system.

We have our three main RBs averaging 5.5 yds/carry.
2013 Gaffney averaged 5.2 yds/carry.
2012 Taylor averaged 4.8 yds.carry.
2011 Taylor averaged 5.5 yds/carry (Gaffney more, Wilkerson less).
2010 Taylor averaged 5.1 yds/carry (Gaffney and Wilkerson less).
2009 Gerhart averaged 5.5 yds/carry.

But we are only averaging about 21 carries per game from the RBs.

That compares to about 32 carries per game last year, 2012=29.5, 2011=33.3, 2010=30.3, 2009=33.7.

I'm not quite sure what to take from this, but I am leaning towards thinking that we are not using our RB-based run game enough this year based upon the actual production it has had.
[And no, I don't expect that will be a popular position.]

Two caveats to that analysis, CTCard.  The first is that in prior years, Gerhart, Taylor, and Gaffney had to run against defenses that stacked eight in the box on rushing downs.  Now, most defenses are playing us straight up to counter the fact that we are passing more than in the past.

The second caveat is that the running stats are heavily influenced by our two games against clearly overmatched opponents, Army and Davis.  Now, we have overmatched opponents every year, but they don't typically make up 40% of our schedule, and Davis, remember is not FBS.

BC