Slade
- Thread starter 4INSBU
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He keeps fumbling. He won't be the starter soon/ next week.
I think he fumbled twice tonight, at least once last week and I think he had some issues last year.
RB is a very crowded position. My guess is at least one heads to the portal after the season.
My guess is Cain eventually takes over as RB1, with Brown at RB2. Ford redshirts and Slade eventually transfers.
But that’s just my guess.
To respond to the OP, Slade may have an edge in pass protection at this stage. That’s a very important skill that doesn’t show up in the statistics.
RB is a very crowded position. My guess is at least one heads to the portal after the season.
My guess is Cain eventually takes over as RB1, with Brown at RB2. Ford redshirts and Slade eventually transfers.
But that’s just my guess.
To respond to the OP, Slade may have an edge in pass protection at this stage. That’s a very important skill that doesn’t show up in the statistics.
Slade will never transfer because he'd drop his transfer papers before he got them in the mail!
That’s colder than the ice cream at the creamery.
Very weird. Almost like they were using him as a deke the last two weeks. Can’t temper a single series where a play to him seemed to be a feature. We’ll see I guess.
Well.....that can be said about all of them. All four ran the ball 11 times combined. I guess when Franklin or Rahne said PSU was going to get the RB’s more involved in the passing game this year, they meant the RB would be on the field while we pass.
11
I'm rooting for the young man, but you can't make an impact at this level if you keep fumbling the football. 5* or not. This backfield is too talented to tolerate that. The talent dropoff from Slade to the others is minimal -- if at all.
Hopefully he fixes this, because he's got a world of potential.
I'm a bit more surprised in how we haven't even tried to really establish the run game. Even when up 25 last night, we throw the ball 3 times deep inside our own territory, and punt. That's the scenario in which you'd want to run the ball, grind out the yards, and eat clock. But I guess this staff is more interested in accelerating Clifford's development by maximizing his reps? Or, alternatively, do they have no faith in establishing our run game? If not, why not?
Hopefully he fixes this, because he's got a world of potential.
I'm a bit more surprised in how we haven't even tried to really establish the run game. Even when up 25 last night, we throw the ball 3 times deep inside our own territory, and punt. That's the scenario in which you'd want to run the ball, grind out the yards, and eat clock. But I guess this staff is more interested in accelerating Clifford's development by maximizing his reps? Or, alternatively, do they have no faith in establishing our run game? If not, why not?
He had fumbling problems last year, too. And now he fumbled in the second game on what looked like a weak tackle. As soon as he fumbled last night, which was the their first drive of the second half, I said he was done for the night. He never went back in.
I'll even say he's done at PSU. James Franklin has a low tolerance for fumbling. He won't start next week because of it and all of the other guys are going to get carries before him if they don't fumble. Our RB depth is way too deep and way too good for anyone to be the guy that fumbles. I think we all think SOMEONE is transferring out after this year and that guy will be Ricky Slade because he's not going to get carries moving forward.
I think we were passing because that's what we were supposed to do in our scheme. IOW, unless Clifford was making some poor reads, he was just running our offense.
I hope CJF moves RS down a notch on the depth chart. This will be interesting. First, he has to keep coaching Slade up. His issues are correctable. Second, he may have to burn the shirts of both Ford and Cain. I don't know what his plan was for those two, but he has the option of playing one or the other in six more games. Maybe Coach has been thinking all along that there's no reason to red shirt either one and this is all moot. But if Ricky is going to see the bench for a while, I would think both freshmen would play.
Rushing Stats:
Clifford. 11 for 51
Brown 6 for 28
Slade 3 for 8
Caine 1 for 2
Not much chance for any of the RBs to build momentum.
Slade needs to work on how he holds the ball. Franklin made reference too it during the week -- the backs are holding the ball too high. Was probably referring to Slade.
Really Slade could take a few pointers from the Buffalo backs who are about the same size he is. They held the ball textbook and ran up the middle all day and didn't fumble.
But no, Slade is not done. He's got a bright future. Really I don't think Slade was recruited to be a between-the-tackles type tailback. His strength is speed and receiving ability. He's better in space. They forgot swing passes and screens in this game and I don't know why because they could have beaten Buffalo to the edge.
Really Slade could take a few pointers from the Buffalo backs who are about the same size he is. They held the ball textbook and ran up the middle all day and didn't fumble.
But no, Slade is not done. He's got a bright future. Really I don't think Slade was recruited to be a between-the-tackles type tailback. His strength is speed and receiving ability. He's better in space. They forgot swing passes and screens in this game and I don't know why because they could have beaten Buffalo to the edge.
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Actually, a Buffalo fumble set up PSU’s first TD.
+100. That was a horrible series. I also thought they should have taken Clifford out sooner. He took some shots last night.
Was it just me or did our defensive guys look gassed?
Forgot about that. Not that you excuse a fumble but that was a really exceptional defensive play that just barely dislodged the ball as the tackle was being made.
Slade's fumble -- the way he was holding the ball a fumble was almost inevitable. You just can't trust him to run the ball in traffic until he cleans that up. (and who knows, maybe it was partly an exchange problem with Clifford -- maybe the handoff was too high so it wasn't entirely Slade's fault)
unless he gets hurt, Cain is not redshirting
not sure about Ford, but it doesn't look like he will RS either
Agree on Slade. Won’t play if he doesn’t eliminate fumbles. In addition, I think Brown looks like a quicker, more decisive runner thus far. Pass blocking is important too though, and I haven’t been paying enough attention to that to render an opinion.
Absolutely no point in red shirting these players anymore. They aren’t staying five years if they’re any good, and more players are coming in every year to replace them.
None of the backs got enough carries and nowhere to run when they did get the ball. Obviously, the blocking and scheme have to improve for us to have a viable run game. The one thing that I feel strongly about is that 4 guys are too many at the position. The 2 freshmen should be relegated to blow-out duty, Journey Brown should start and get most of the carries with Slade maybe playing about 1/3 of the time. You just can't get a rhythm going when alternating 4 players at one position.
He didn’t fumble against Idaho. His fumble yesterday ended the first drive of the second half just as the announcers were talking about how important it was for Penn State to have a good opening drive if they were going to get back in the game. The timing of Slade’s fumble made it seem much worse than it turned out to be.
Interesting that Ford got only one carry. I think adapting to the RS rule is a work in progress and case-by-case basis. (I say this without criticism)
Feel bad for Slade. Hope he gets another shot.
Brown seems to stand up when he gets hit.
Buffalo sold out on the run. Yet and still, it’d be nice to see a CJF offense that forces the run against a team when it has the lead, and succeeds at doing it. Last night would’ve been a good opportunity to at least test and learn that.
Feel bad for Slade. Hope he gets another shot.
Brown seems to stand up when he gets hit.
Buffalo sold out on the run. Yet and still, it’d be nice to see a CJF offense that forces the run against a team when it has the lead, and succeeds at doing it. Last night would’ve been a good opportunity to at least test and learn that.
Just as bad was of the TV guys calling Hamler, “Hankler”ESPN box score says it was Oweh that got that carry.
So far Brown looks best and the others are difficult to distinguish from one another. They all have ability and show promise but the coaches have to decide if they want a punishing running game or not. Of course, the game has changed drastically our offense is one dimensional--long passing. I have yet to see a short passing game in the Franklin era.
He's not done at Penn State nor is he going to stop getting carries. I feel like people forget Miles had issues with holding onto the ball as well.
Noah Cain is not going to redshirt. He gave an interview when he committed that said he was promised by Franklin and that he wanted to play for 3 years and get to the NFL, no redshirting. Ford may or may not redshirt, that remains to be seen. If Slade or Brown fumble or struggle, then Cain and Ford will get a lot of the carries.
Go to any clinic and they all give data and physics behind carrying the ball "high and tight " compared to how all of us were taught. I didn't have a chance to see the fumble but interesting that the claim is he carries it too high.
CJF already stated before the first game that both Cain and Ford are green-lighted to play every game. Regardless of what happens to Slade due to his ball security issues.
Ricky Don’t Lose That Fumble
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anon_xdc8rmuek44eq
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Nah - Sanders killed us last year with his fumbles and he wasn’t benched (likely cost us the OSU game). Slade will continue to play - but he has three guys ready to take his place if he doesn’t learn to hold onto the ball.
There's been smaller backs that have figured it out. We're overreacting here. It may end up being a problem that he can't correct and he doesn't end up getting carries in a few weeks but after 2 games we're making something out of nothing (or very little).
Sorry that I was so hard on Slade in an earlier post. I watched Saquon put the ball on the deck twice today but only the 1st one was called a fumble. As we all know Saquon was not only the GOAT as a PSU running back he did not fumble his last year at PSU and his first NFL season. That is pretty freaky for a running back that took the hits and is keyed on almost every play. I guess if it can happen to the best I'll cut Ricky, who is obviously talented, some slack and hope he corrects what is his liability so far as a ball carrier.
Slade reminds me of a worker we had in Kansa in the 1980s. She was absent a lot so I asked her supervisor why he kept her at a critical job. “She’s a great worker when she’s here”.
Slade is a good RB when he doesn’t fumble. Both statements are oxymorons.
Slade is a good RB when he doesn’t fumble. Both statements are oxymorons.
