I love Adam Robinson's play....

[Ronco]

He's not the fastest. He's not the biggest. There's really nothing spectacular about his play. however, He's a darn good RB though. Sure he'll get tackled for a loss occasionally, but the next thing you know he's moving the pile, getting yards where none are to be had, or making a shoe lace catch.

He reminds me of some of the players Tom Davis would get. Nothing really stood out about them, but at the end of the night the kid had 9 pts and 6 rbs with some steals and charges to boot.

We all know what Adam isn't so why can't we appreciate him for what he is, which is a darn good FB player?

 

[MoseSchrute]

Yep. Very glad he's one of the good guys.

 

[Saginawbay]

A-Rob is a very solid RB who is only going to get better he has really improved out of the backfield catching passes he is well on is way to 1000 plus yards this season.

 

[MidnightBlueSix]

There are 2 really outstanding things about ARob on the field.

1. He NEVER fumbles. He's currently at 310 rushing attempts and 0 fumbles. That's almost unheard of in this conference, especially for someone who first saw action as a backup RS freshman pressed into duty because the guy ahead of him got hurt, and the other guy ahead of him couldn't get the job done.

2. He's almost always falling forward. I can't remember how many times ARob has been stopped by a defense, dead to rights, only to spin a little, keep his feet moving, and tack on an additional 2 or 3 yards. Once in a blue moon, he actually gets away from what appears to be a solid wrap up and picks up another 10-15 (he had a play or two like that against Michigan).

These are two things that are very easy to overlook. Casual fans (or those who STILL claim Wegher was a better back last year) may not notice these two things, but they're central to ARob's game. How many times have his heroics turned a 3 yard gain on 3rd and 4 into a 6 yard gain for the first down? When was the last time you had to cross your fingers and pray that the RB wouldn't fumble it when all we have to do is run out the clock in a close 4th quarter game? Bottom line, ARob is a killer, and when all is said and done he may go down as one of the greatest Hawkeye RBs ever.

 

[JohnnyDakota]

There are 2 really outstanding things about ARob on the field.

1. He NEVER fumbles. He's currently at 310 rushing attempts and 0 fumbles. That's almost unheard of in this conference, especially for someone who first saw action as a backup RS freshman pressed into duty because the guy ahead of him got hurt, and the other guy ahead of him couldn't get the job done.

2. He's almost always falling forward. I can't remember how many times ARob has been stopped by a defense, dead to rights, only to spin a little, keep his feet moving, and tack on an additional 2 or 3 yards. Once in a blue moon, he actually gets away from what appears to be a solid wrap up and picks up another 10-15 (he had a play or two like that against Michigan).

These are two things that are very easy to overlook. Casual fans (or those who STILL claim Wegher was a better back last year) may not notice these two things, but they're central to ARob's game. How many times have his heroics turned a 3 yard gain on 3rd and 4 into a 6 yard gain for the first down? When was the last time you had to cross your fingers and pray that the RB wouldn't fumble it when all we have to do is run out the clock in a close 4th quarter game? Bottom line, ARob is a killer, and when all is said and done he may go down as one of the greatest Hawkeye RBs ever.

I'm sure I will get killed for this but whatever....

I think he runs the ball a lot like Emmitt Smith. Breaks a ton of tackles, but not overly fast. There, I said it.

 

[tm3308]

I'm sure I will get killed for this but whatever....

I think he runs the ball a lot like Emmitt Smith. Breaks a ton of tackles, but not overly fast. There, I said it.

A comparison that won't get you killed around here, but fits perfectly: Mike Hart.

 

[ICHawk24]

ARob's greatest skill is that he is above average at everything. Running, blocking, receiving, ball security, durability, and a postgame give-credit-to-teammates machine. He barely caught the ball last year, and suddenly this year he is a huge factor in the passing game. Is there anything he can't do?

 

[roetbombaaa]

I still think A-Rob is faster than what people give him credit for... No validity to this statement whatsoever, but I bet he breaks one soon. I thought he looked fast against Michigan when he had room to run.

 

[tm3308]

I still think A-Rob is faster than what people give him credit for... No validity to this statement whatsoever, but I bet he breaks one soon. I thought he looked fast against Michigan when he had room to run.

I don't feel like he's slow, he's just lacking that elite burst, that extra gear to break away from everyone, like a C.J. Spiller, Trent Richardson, etc. But, breakaway speed like that is overrated. It's a very useful tool, particularly if you have all the other tools that Adam possesses, but it's one that he lacks. BUT, it seems to be the ONLY tool he lacks, and I think it's the least important tool for a back to have. It's nice to have, but you can still be a very good to great back without it. It's tough to be very good to great if you have the speed, but lack one of the other tools that Adam has.

 

[BQuastU]

I'm sure I will get killed for this but whatever....

I think he runs the ball a lot like Emmitt Smith. Breaks a ton of tackles, but not overly fast. There, I said it.

Couldn't agree more, which is not the same thing as saying he is as good as Emmitt Smith. Basically, the college version of what Smith did in the pros.

 

[iHawk]

I don't feel like he's slow, he's just lacking that elite burst, that extra gear to break away from everyone, like a C.J. Spiller, Trent Richardson, etc. But, breakaway speed like that is overrated. It's a very useful tool, particularly if you have all the other tools that Adam possesses, but it's one that he lacks. BUT, it seems to be the ONLY tool he lacks, and I think it's the least important tool for a back to have. It's nice to have, but you can still be a very good to great back without it. It's tough to be very good to great if you have the speed, but lack one of the other tools that Adam has.

I guess this is a terminology thing, but BURST is exactly what he does have; and that's why you see him get into that second level so often when he pops through the middle.

While he's certainly not slow, his top speed is not real high - but he gets to his top speed very quickly. That's burst. My son and I were just talking about that this morning.

This is also the reason you see him running end-arounds pretty effectively. His quick acceleration allows him to beat the DL and LBs to the corner, and the angle of LB pursuit (in order to protect against him getting loose) usually makes for a pretty nice gain.

Keep in mind he's just a sophomore, and his top speed should increase over the next couple years.

 

[tm3308]

I guess this is a terminology thing, but BURST is exactly what he does have; and that's why you see him get into that second level so often when he pops through the middle.

While he's certainly not slow, his top speed is not real high - but he gets to his top speed very quickly. That's burst. My son and I were just talking about that this morning.

This is also the reason you see him running end-arounds pretty effectively. His quick acceleration allows him to beat the DL and LBs to the corner, and the angle of LB pursuit (in order to protect against him getting loose) usually makes for a pretty nice gain.

Keep in mind he's just a sophomore, and his top speed should increase over the next couple years.

You're right, that wasn't quite the right term to use. He gets to top speed quickly, his top speed just isn't elite like some of the backs we've seen in college football the past few years.