Coker speed

[travismullen]

I was at the game yesterday and two things stuck out to me that I've not heard mentioned in threads I have read. The first is that the whole team seemed to be operating in a slow gear and the second was that Coker seemed to be running in an ever lower gear than the rest of the team. Slow to cut, slow to get moving, and pretty slow once he did get moving. I understand he has never been the fastest of RBs but I don't recall him appearing this way last year.

We are aware that Coker was not taking hits in practice but I am beginning to wonder if he has a minor injury that is slowing him down.

 

[TheNebraskaHawk]

Um, Coker had well over 100 yards...I would not call that slow speed. I admit, he was tenative after the fumble (A fumble from a perfect hit by the Cyclone defender). However, after that he was a workhorse. He is a bruiser, not a speed type back, but by no means would I call him slow.

 

[DwayneTwill]

I wish his fumbling would slow down.

 

[tm3308]

Um, Coker had well over 100 yards...I would not call that slow speed. I admit, he was tenative after the fumble (A fumble from a perfect hit by the Cyclone defender). However, after that he was a workhorse. He is a bruiser, not a speed type back, but by no means would I call him slow.

He had 140 yards on 35 carries. He got most of his yards simply due to the fact that we rode him even when he wasn't giving us much. He averaged four yards per carry for the day, and he was running MUCH better in the 4th quarter. Which means he was averaging quite a bit less than 4 ypc before that.

 

[theantiAIRBHG]

He had 140 yards on 35 carries. He got most of his yards simply due to the fact that we rode him even when he wasn't giving us much. He averaged four yards per carry for the day, and he was running MUCH better in the 4th quarter. Which means he was averaging quite a bit less than 4 ypc before that.

This. It's really not all that difficult for a 230 lb. Big Ten running back to get 140 yards on 35 carries, that's like 4 YPC.. you can get that by taking the snap and falling forward at the line of scrimmage.

Marcus Coker is not fast.

 

[MedHawk08]

Coker is very slow to hit the hole and get going and was not making very many good reads either. Add to that his fumbles issues so far this year and it is discouraging to me to think that we don't have somebody that can do better (sans McCall). I know he had a lot of yards in the bowl game, but I didn't think he passed the eyeball test there either. He was running way too straight up I recall. ISU's RB looked much much better.

 

[DuffMan]

People thought Coker was Shonn Green, he's not. He's Mike Alstott with a slightly higher top gear.

 

[HawkeyeMHA]

He was falling forward with his hits and picking up positive yards with contact but he is slow side to side as he is waiting and/or finding a hole. He will give us yards when there is a lane to run through and be a physical back for us, but he isn't quick, the end.

 

[Rick1988]

Many times there wasn't a hole for him to hit and he had to make one. Our O-Line was not very good today in the run game. Until they start burning people deep and getting the other teams to respect the pass and get the 8th man out of the box, there is not going to be a great running game with many break out runs, whether it is Coker or anybody else.

 

[hawkfaninTX]

he'll be good. he needs a compliment back though in Big Ten play. ISU is always the closest example in non-conference of big ten play. losing McCall showed yesterday. why no deandre Johnson? we need to burn canzeri's redshirt to give another look in the backfield, or give bullock more attempts

 

[JonDMiller]

Coker does not have quick feet. He does has good vision and that is going to get better as these early games go along. But he was also running into a lot of eight man run blitz fronts in the second half yesterday...Iowa needs to do something else if teams are going to do that.

 

[JonDMiller]

Many times there wasn't a hole for him to hit and he had to make one. Our O-Line was not very good today in the run game. Until they start burning people deep and getting the other teams to respect the pass and get the 8th man out of the box, there is not going to be a great running game with many break out runs, whether it is Coker or anybody else.

It's tough to block eight with five.

 

[hawkfaninTX]

It's tough to block eight with five.

wasn't there two TE's on most of those plays? so that would make 7, add a crack back WR and you get 8 blockers.... Maybe you just forgot to add them into the equation.

 

[hawkfaninTX]

wasn't there two TE's on most of those plays? so that would make 7, add a crack back WR and you get 8 blockers.... Maybe you just forgot to add them into the equation.

thread ender?

 

[Hooper]

I thought Coker showed good patience which you need with zone blocking. Might have been a split second late making his cuts. It's a timing thing.

 

[TheNebraskaHawk]

I will take four yards per carry any day.... 3 downs x 4 yards = whole lot of first downs. The way he hits those in his holes, teams will get worn down. I agree with Jon, he will be a good one. As for two tight ends, yes sometimes, but not as much as you are insinuating.

 

[hawkfaninTX]

I will take four yards per carry any day.... 3 downs x 4 yards = whole lot of first downs. The way he hits those in his holes, teams will get worn down. I agree with Jon, he will be a good one. As for two tight ends, yes sometimes, but not as much as you are insinuating.

I'd be willing to guess without looking, that they had more than 66% of their sets with two TE's

 

[DesMoinesHawki]

I thought Coker did okay given the circumstances. It is true he simply does not take the ball and hit the hole ... Instead, he looks (sometimes) like he is trying to pick his hole. He showed he has decent breakaway speed (i.e. his long Insight Bowl run) but as Jon mentioned, he doesn't appear to have quick feet. ISU was geared to stop the run, and despite that, we were determined to continue running the ball ... Still scratching my head over why we didn't get the ball to McNutt more ... somebody had to be open with 8 guys scrunched in the box ... ISU can't cover everyone ...

 

[Hawks7]

Re: Cooker speed

I understand they were run blitzing 75 percent of the time !!!! Last year cooker seemed to hit the hole harder, i think he for some reason he seems to have lost a step, this could be due to the fumbling problems in the previous game and the beginning of the i state game. I just think he is thinking to much- i believe coke will be fine......I hope he will be fine..... I pray he will be fine.....

 

[CAARHawk]

The more I think about it, the more I think Coker has been messed up by coaching.

1) His natural running style is upright like Marcus Allen, Eric Dickerson, and Tony Dorsett. The coaches have pushed him to run with his pads lower, which is killing his natural form and I think messing up his fluidity and cutting.

2) they did this all Spring and Summer without letting him get hit. What happened on the fumbles? He was running with his pads low and guys are getting under his pads and hitting the ball as he is crouched over. You need to teach a guy to keep it high and tight in those situations. This doesn't come naturally. You learn it with practice of which he had none.

3) His vision is all messed up. Last year he glanced off guys by sliding at the last second. Running crouched over has taken this away and now he is just plowing into guys.

Let the freaking guy run if you haven't messed him up to much already. He has shown he knows when to lower his pads. Now let him stand back up and do his thing.