IKM fumbles

guffus

guffus

Well-Known Member
I am rooting for Ivory Kelly-Martin to have a great super senior season, but he just can't seem to hang onto the ball.

Is it time to pull IKM from the regular rotation and let Gavin Williams become the new official #2 RB. Sounds like Gavin Williams is better at pounding the ball too.

Even if IKM gets demoted now, he will still be needed at some point in the season. So maybe the coaches should let him sit for a few games and use him later in the season.
 
The fumbles have been concerning and, while there are certainly things that can be done in the way of technique to mitigate the risk, I'd also hasten to point out that, as is the case with many statistically rare occurrences, fumbles can be quite freaky.

Put another way, if IKM were to go the rest of the season without fumbling, it wouldn't surprise me one bit.

If he were a young guy and maybe not quite acclimated to the speed and violence at the FBS level, I might be inclined to move him down the depth chart for a few weeks to give him more practice reps before sending him back out to face the lions. But an experienced player like IKM? I think I'd give him the benefit of the doubt and trust that statistical anomalies are a thing.

You can move him down the depth chart for other reasons of course, I'm just not sure I'd use the fumbles in the argument if I were in the coaches' meeting.
 
AreWeThereYet said:
I don't know about sitting IKM, but Gavin Williams needs more playing time.
Click to expand...

This is where I am. I know KF has benched or kept people out for turnovers. Hayden Fry if you remember with his psychology degree would put the fumbler right back on the bronco asap to see if they had the toughness to overcome the error.

One caller on Soundoff last nite said IKM has had 3 fumbles the last two games. Well he did not fumble in the ISU game. The play was over when he landed on his back so the ball coming out basically did not happen to him as a runner.

Yes, it seems to be a problem. He was really hit super hard and corkscrewed on the second fumble yesterday.

I hope he stays as the # 2 to get his carries but also really concentrates on superb ball protection.

I also want to see more of Gavin Williams to get him some experience. We all know how easy it is for a player, a RBack, to tweak an ankle or knee etc enough to miss time.
 
Luftgekuehlt67 said:
The fumbles have been concerning and, while there are certainly things that can be done in the way of technique to mitigate the risk, I'd also hasten to point out that, as is the case with many statistically rare occurrences, fumbles can be quite freaky.

Put another way, if IKM were to go the rest of the season without fumbling, it wouldn't surprise me one bit.

If he were a young guy and maybe not quite acclimated to the speed and violence at the FBS level, I might be inclined to move him down the depth chart for a few weeks to give him more practice reps before sending him back out to face the lions. But an experienced player like IKM? I think I'd give him the benefit of the doubt and trust that statistical anomalies are a thing.

You can move him down the depth chart for other reasons of course, I'm just not sure I'd use the fumbles in the argument if I were in the coaches' meeting.
Click to expand...
Idk, I don't believe the IKM fumbles have been freak occurances. He is fumbling for a reason, which i hope the coaches can help him figure out. But yeah, its weird somebody with IKM's experience is fumbling so much. If it was a true freshman, you would tell them to hit the weight room, build up their strength, and try again next year. But IKM is probably as strong as he will ever be. So is it technique? Is he carrying the ball too loosely. Does not look like it to me. So it makes you wonder what exactly is the problem.
 
guffus said:
Idk, I don't believe the IKM fumbles have been freak occurances. He is fumbling for a reason, which i hope the coaches can help him figure out. But yeah, its weird somebody with IKM's experience is fumbling so much. If it was a true freshman, you would tell them to hit the weight room, build up their strength, and try again next year. But IKM is probably as strong as he will ever be. So is it technique? Is he carrying the ball too loosely. Does not look like it to me. So it makes you wonder what exactly is the problem.
Click to expand...

The only thing I can think of is he tends to carry the ball a little low and to the side while in traffic. Opposing players have been putting their helmet on it.
 
Wouldn’t surprise me if he’s trying a little harder to get extra yards at the expense of security, he’s clearly the 2nd option with limited chances to make an impact.
 
In the past he would never see the light of day again. I wonder if the program has changed in that respect.
 
I don't know where I would go on the internet to back up this comment with data, but I seem to remember him fumbling quite a bit during his career. I do hope he's done at rb and stays on special teams.
 
Bordone said:
I don't know where I would go on the internet to back up this comment with data, but I seem to remember him fumbling quite a bit during his career. I do hope he's done at rb and stays on special teams.
Click to expand...
Looks like Goodson has 3 fumbles in 339 career carries.

IKM has 6 fumbles in 158 career carries.

So, roughly 4x as prone to fumbling.

If the numbers I'm looking at are correct, IKM has fumbled thrice in only 22 carries this year. Once every 7 carries or so, that's almost like Russian Roulette style odds.

I stand by my earlier assessment that it could be a freak statistic, but I'm sure it's being looked into and, if necessary, addressed by Coach Betts.

Just anecdotally, on that play he fumbled on against Kent State, dude was obliterated by a multi-direction gang tackle (with one guy getting his helmet on the ball, I think). Jim Fricking Brown might have coughed that one up.
 
Last edited:
Luftgekuehlt67 said:
Looks like Goodson has 3 fumbles in 339 career carries.

IKM has 6 fumbles in 158 career carries.

So, roughly twice as prone to fumbling.

If the numbers I'm looking at are correct, IKM has fumbled thrice in only 22 carries this year. Once every 7 carries or so, that's almost like Russian Roulette style odds.
Click to expand...
It's actually 4+ Xs more prone.
 
I was unhappy with the two fumbles and luckily the second one was recovered by one of our players. I know Kirk is a stickler when it comes to fumbles.

In defense of him both hits were very hard and by pretty good sized defensive players. We all know that is part of the game. I would still continue to use him along with other players. If he keeps fumbling the ball then Kirk could choose to play him less often. If he plays him less often but he doesn't fumble to ball anymore when he does play I would ease him back into the number two running back position. I think that would be the fair thing to do. If he keeps fumbling then he of all players should understand that Kirk has no choice but to not play him or play him but not give him the ball.

I'd leave him at number two but I would sit him down and tell him that if he continues to drop the ball then he will be dropped back to the third or fourth option behind Goodson. It would not be fair to the rest of the team to keep playing him if he can't maintain control of the ball. In some of these huge B1G games one turnover could mean the difference between losing or winning the game.
 
IKM's fumbles are not a freak accident. If I remember correctly he had a key fumble in a loss to NW a few years ago, and now that he's getting more carries for the first time in a few years he's fumbled 3 times in 3 games. He's not a younger player who needs more time in the weight room, or needs to learn a special 'technique' to help him hold onto the ball. What you see is what you get: a high character young man, a team leader in the locker room, who is talented on the football field but also regularly makes key mistakes. Gavin Williams got his chance yesterday and answered the call: made decisive, strong runs, caught the ball out of the backfield, and when tackled by the same team tackling IKM, did NOT fumble. IKM is a smart dude. It's time to shift him to special teams and move GWilliams to the #2 RB slot. To do anything less is to demonstrate that KF is playing favorites and going against his own words that players that produce will play & those that make major mistakes won't.
 
Grady said:
IKM's fumbles are not a freak accident. If I remember correctly he had a key fumble in a loss to NW a few years ago, and now that he's getting more carries for the first time in a few years he's fumbled 3 times in 3 games. He's not a younger player who needs more time in the weight room, or needs to learn a special 'technique' to help him hold onto the ball. What you see is what you get: a high character young man, a team leader in the locker room, who is talented on the football field but also regularly makes key mistakes. Gavin Williams got his chance yesterday and answered the call: made decisive, strong runs, caught the ball out of the backfield, and when tackled by the same team tackling IKM, did NOT fumble. IKM is a smart dude. It's time to shift him to special teams and move GWilliams to the #2 RB slot. To do anything less is to demonstrate that KF is playing favorites and going against his own words that players that produce will play & those that make major mistakes won't.
Click to expand...
So bench Goodson too? Yes he carries the ball a lot more than IKM but all the more reason for him to not fumble the ball at all.

I get what you are saying. I would start playing Williams a little more as some have stated. Not totally quit on on IKM.
 
Fumbles aside Williams is I believe a better combination to work into a game plan with Goodson. He is a very strong runner and his style gives the defense a different set of problems to deal with. He is an ideal back to use to run the clock. I just think IKM is at best an insurance policy for Goodson and needs to remain in the mix. BUT, that's contingent on not putting the ball on the turf for a long time. I do think he is trying too hard right now and isn't letting the game come to him. His not reading the cut backs and blocking well and trying to make something happen when he should go down and secure the ball. Just what I'm seeing out of him right now.
 
I'm not about just benching a 5th yr senior but up until we lose a game, I'd limit his carries or opportunities in games or situations that matter. A costly fumble could end a playoff run. It's just popping out. Some dudes go full seasons without putting it on the ground.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Share this page

Top