I think the “Herschel vs. Gurshall” stat meme that’s popped up in the last week or so is silly, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a cool little story:
Murray recounted the start of a drive at Auburn, saying, “We get in the huddle before the series, and the offensive line is like, ‘Can we just get one big run to get this drive over already?’”
Three plays later Marshall scored from 62 yards.
If they’d known it was that easy, they would have asked for it a lot earlier in the season.
Get The Picture 
I find it significant that they didn’t say, “one big pass” (especially coming off the Ole Miss game). Maybe they said, “one big play” and Murray’s account has a revisionist element, but if they said “one big run”, I’m more impressed and encouraged.
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The article made me wonder how number 1 was doing with the Hornets. 7-3 and he leads the team in rushing for nearly 700 yards. Not a bad stat but a far cry from playing in the SEC and in Atlanta for a shot at it all.
““People tend to complicate their own lives, as if living weren’t already complicated enough.”
― Carlos Ruiz Zafón
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The comparisons are silly, and nobody should think Gurshall is better than Hershel. But, Gurshalls stats are pretty off the charts and I would argue that Bobo has to get mega bonus credit for finding the best way to employ those two and get them those yards.
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Herschel. iPhone got me.
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I often imagine a team with Hershel in the backfield, and Eric Zier throwing to Damon Gray
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Sp?
Damien Gary?
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He was mocking Spence’s iPhone issues, Hahira.
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ahh, gotcha, see the Zeier error now too, thanks SCD
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This is intended more as a nit to pick than bashing…
When you have a Stafford, AJ, Knowshon, Murray, Crowellm Gurley and Marshall, I expect most “decent” OC’s are going to look good/smart. I still contend the measure of an SEC Champion/BCS winning OC is how he adapts to adversity. How do you stop the USCe rush? Overcome a limping RB? Fool an all-out blitzing D-line in the Dome? Settle a “big game” jittery QB?
To be fair, I’m seeing a lot more of this post USCe from CMB. We had a fullback dive for a TD!! Hit some screen passes! Some interesting wrinkles in the passing game vs. “1st & Bomb”! All great stuff, and a sign of learning/growth. Hope he keeps improving…and obviously reading GTP for such brilliant and sage advice.
Be nice if he would just post a thank you every now and then…;-)
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Bobo throws right cross instead
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Did anyone else think the auburn defender was just tired at the end? He appeared close enough to dive and trip, but inclined not to.
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I thought he certainly could have made the tackle, but I think he just said screw it. If I tackle him I’m going to get a shoe in the stomach and we still lose. If he scores it won’t be my fault and I get to sit down.
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What a world of difference it makes having 2 hardworking talented kids at running back as opposed to 1 talented but maybe not so hard working kid and a few hard working but not so talented kids at running back last year. No disrespect to ‘Boo as I have no idea how good he is or isn’t. The article mentioned something that I’d forgotten: Gurley and Marshall are a threat to take it to the house from anywhere on the field, Crowell had the ability (the MSU run that was called back) but he never had the breakaway runs these guys have had. Come to think of it I don’t think I ever remember the other 3 and 4 ever being big time home run threats either.
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Until this year, I can’t remember us have a homerun threat back there in a long time. Nobody comes to mind since Garrison Hearst or Robert Edwards. We’ve have a number of guys that were effective back there, but nobdy capable of outrunning everybody on the field.
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i’d argue Knowshon was a home run threat.
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I wouldn’t. He was shifty sure and he got a lot of yards that he shouldn’t have by breaking tackles. But in terms of breakaway speed I only remember him having one long TD run and that was against LSU in 2008. Every other long run (that I can remember) ended with him getting tackled from behind or knocked out of bounds.
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Knowshon had an 80-yard touchdown run against Troy in 2007.
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Thomas Brown popped a couple while he was here. And to be fair King and Ealey had long TD’s against the Nerds in ’09. Samuel had an 80 yarder against Arky in ’10.
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On first down of that drive, I said to my wife “the only thing I’d still like to see from this game is Keith Marshall getting loose in the open field. I’d like to see him run away from their defense.”
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Please say that more often.
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Spence, he’ll get one against tech. It only takes one missed tackle/assignment and that’s been tech’s calling card on D this year.
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The thing I love about these guys is how they get up after a nice run and won’t even look to the sideline. They do not want to come out because they know they won’t be back on the field for the rest of that drive and maybe the next.
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