After having seen Marco take off and run from the pocket in the bowl game, what would be your guess or opinion of to answer the thread title question?
My gut feeling is there might have been 2-3 times per game where Marco might have been back to pass and been able to scamper for a first down on 3rd down or gain good yardage on 1st or 2nd down.
And there could have been more opportunities to make 3rd and short yardage by faking a handoff and keeping the ball or just running a counter naked bootleg. So maybe he picks up another 1 or 2 1st downs.
I have always heard football analysts say the QB is the only unaccounted for player on most offensive snaps. Just Marco's legs and running ability might have been good for 5 or so 1st downs per game and definitely more points. Now it might not have made for wins versus PSU, MICH, or Tenn but those games could have been much closer. And just having two good drives in the 2nd half against Minny makes that probably an easy win.
Plus I love sweep type running plays, wide running plays to the wide side of the field because it makes the fatboy defensive linemen run a lot of yards while trying to fend off blocks. It tires them out for the last 20 minutes of the game.
So how many 1st downs via the run do you think Marco could have made? Are you ready for at least a decent running QB?
My gut feeling is there might have been 2-3 times per game where Marco might have been back to pass and been able to scamper for a first down on 3rd down or gain good yardage on 1st or 2nd down.
And there could have been more opportunities to make 3rd and short yardage by faking a handoff and keeping the ball or just running a counter naked bootleg. So maybe he picks up another 1 or 2 1st downs.
I have always heard football analysts say the QB is the only unaccounted for player on most offensive snaps. Just Marco's legs and running ability might have been good for 5 or so 1st downs per game and definitely more points. Now it might not have made for wins versus PSU, MICH, or Tenn but those games could have been much closer. And just having two good drives in the 2nd half against Minny makes that probably an easy win.
Plus I love sweep type running plays, wide running plays to the wide side of the field because it makes the fatboy defensive linemen run a lot of yards while trying to fend off blocks. It tires them out for the last 20 minutes of the game.
So how many 1st downs via the run do you think Marco could have made? Are you ready for at least a decent running QB?