Serious Question about "up the middle"

[SuspectZero]

Can someone explain to me the thought or advantage to sending a back up the middle. It seems to me that it has never really been effective. I mean, sure, every now and then someone will bust loose but for the most part, you just hit a wall. I don't just mean MSU, but any team. Going to the outside on the corners seems to be the more successful option. Also, if anyone could recommend any reading on football offensive theory I would appreciate it. I never played organized football and want to understand formations and strategy a bit better.

 

[11thEagleFan]

You nailed it, the thought process is that if your OL can open a hole, the back can get to the second level easier, make one cut to make a linebacker miss, and split the safeties to score. I'm with you though, anytime my team needs 5-7 yards, I'd much rather the halfback run off tackle.

 

[CoastDawg18]

Cool story bro

 

[Bulldogg31]

Running to the outside is a great plan if you have the faster player. In Pop Warner, you can just give it to the fastest kid and let him run around the end. Nobody's gonna catch him.

However as you get farther up the ladder it gets harder and harder to get to that edge. In college, you really need a WR to make a block out there and try to free a back or receiver to run around the edge.

In the pros even the linebackers are fast enough to beat a back to the edge unless he is lightning fast.

Part of the theory behind the spread offense is that is spreads out the defenders, creating lots of one-on-one matchups where a quick offensive player can make a defender miss, then have open field ahead of him.

If a defense is spread all across the field and a back can slip through a hole in the D-Line, he should only have to beat a LB or a safety to take it to the house.

The thinking with Holloway may be that if that one guy misses him, he gone. Unfortunately, it doesn't take much to knock him down, so that hasn't worked out too well.

A good example though is Dak Prescott. Two years ago, we would spread out a defense so when Dak broke through the line he only had one man to beat. In his famous run against LSU he beat a safety and made him look silly.

The next year, LSU left their LB Beckwith in the middle shadowing Dak and he wasn't able to beat him very often.

My favorite plays are when a back breaks through the line in the middle, makes one cut, and takes it to the house. That's how it's supposed to work.

 

[KeyserSoze1999]

Just for comparison I watched my recording of the 2014 game against LSU...Josh Robinson scored a TD on an "up the middle run" or "dive play". Also most of Josh Robinson's big runs in that game against LSU were "up the middle run" or "dive plays".

My gripe with Mullen / "up the middle" this year is the personnel. There is no way that Hollaway should ever run up the middle---every other Football Coach in America would agree and so would every Physics Teacher in America (5'8 162lbs. RB vs. 6'4 315lbs. DT. what do you really expect to happen).

 

[vandaldawg]

Can someone explain to me the thought or advantage to sending a back up the middle. It seems to me that it has never really been effective. I mean, sure, every now and then someone will bust loose but for the most part, you just hit a wall. I don't just mean MSU, but any team. Going to the outside on the corners seems to be the more successful option. Also, if anyone could recommend any reading on football offensive theory I would appreciate it. I never played organized football and want to understand formations and strategy a bit better.

Fastest point of attack. Negates elite edge rushers and linebackers with sideline to sideline speed, which almost all sec teams have. You can't beat most sec linebackers to the edge without a sub 4.4 running back, and you still may not get there. If you can open a hole - even small holes - against the d-line, if you make one guy miss, you can get to the second level in a hurry.