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re: What is your take on Ware's on comparison of Gurley and Moreno?
Posted on 6/26/14 at 11:21 am to WG_Dawg
Posted on 6/26/14 at 11:21 am to WG_Dawg
Stefon Johnson was the USCw guy the same year as Moreno. I was happy we didn't get that kid because I knew KnowMo would be the better back.
That being said, Gurley is the better back, and its really not worth debating. Knowshon did take himself out of a lot of games in 08. He had an ankle injury at the end of 07 that limited him a little but he also never had a guy roll him up on the sideline because he was trying to get all the yards he could instead of going out of bounds. There isn't a back out there that wouldn't have missed at least a couple of games under the same circumstances. Knowshon would just have missed the rest of the season instead of trying to come back before he was completely healthy.
That being said, Gurley is the better back, and its really not worth debating. Knowshon did take himself out of a lot of games in 08. He had an ankle injury at the end of 07 that limited him a little but he also never had a guy roll him up on the sideline because he was trying to get all the yards he could instead of going out of bounds. There isn't a back out there that wouldn't have missed at least a couple of games under the same circumstances. Knowshon would just have missed the rest of the season instead of trying to come back before he was completely healthy.
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Posted on 6/26/14 at 12:33 pm to DawgHolliday
...but can Gurley do the "Superman" dance? Soulja Boi off any hoe, wa me crank and wa me roll! 
Posted on 6/26/14 at 1:05 pm to adawgj
quote:
...but can Gurley do the "Superman" dance? Soulja Boi off any hoe, wa me crank and wa me roll!
KnowMo definitely has him beat there, I am sure.
Posted on 6/26/14 at 2:39 pm to AirDawg
quote:
Did Moreno have any injuries during that time and I think I remember he did not?
He had an ankle sprain a good part of his soph year.
Posted on 6/26/14 at 2:44 pm to DawgHolliday
Ware knows that Gurley is the better back, but he didn't want to talk down about Moreno. Knowshon was a great back with a crap OL. He probably has the better running technique in that he is better with spins, etc., and he is a much better pass blocker. Gurley is quicker, stronger, bigger, has a better stiff arm and that fifth gear that Knowshon was missing. He can run around, past, or through most any defender whereas Moreno usually had to run around them unless it was a DB he could run over. Todd is the closest thing we've seen to Walker since probably Walker himself, but at least since Hearst.
Also, are we really pretending that Lumpkin, Brown and Ware were even close to Knowshon? Moreno was on a completely different level from the rest of the backs we had and while I don't blame the coaches for thinking we had a solid set of backs, it should have been obvious, even in practice, that Knowshon was much better. Actually, if you remember reading any of the spring practice stuff back then, it sounded like he was showing he was on an entirely different level and the coaches just overlooked or ignored it.
I like Richt and will defend him in most cases, but the Knowshon redshirt is actually one where I think he dropped the ball. Lumpkin, Brown and Ware put together into a single running back would have still been backing Moreno up. And while I love Moreno, even he knows that Gurley is on yet again another level from him.
Also, are we really pretending that Lumpkin, Brown and Ware were even close to Knowshon? Moreno was on a completely different level from the rest of the backs we had and while I don't blame the coaches for thinking we had a solid set of backs, it should have been obvious, even in practice, that Knowshon was much better. Actually, if you remember reading any of the spring practice stuff back then, it sounded like he was showing he was on an entirely different level and the coaches just overlooked or ignored it.
I like Richt and will defend him in most cases, but the Knowshon redshirt is actually one where I think he dropped the ball. Lumpkin, Brown and Ware put together into a single running back would have still been backing Moreno up. And while I love Moreno, even he knows that Gurley is on yet again another level from him.
Posted on 6/26/14 at 3:02 pm to Nicolae
A couple of differences in this comparison of the two (I didn't read the link for what it's worth).
Moreno didn't play a down of college football until he was 20 years old.
Gurley still isn't 20 years old.
We're comparing them like their age and development doesn't matter.
Gurley is obviously the more capable back, harder runner, and has higher top end speed. He is the better blocker, but I don't think it's by much (probably negligible).
Moreno had a great escapability (Gurley's pretty damned good), and Knowshon shined best in the redzone (Gurley's pretty damned good).
Let's see what Todd can do as a 20 year old this season and compare the two backs.
Moreno didn't play a down of college football until he was 20 years old.
Gurley still isn't 20 years old.
We're comparing them like their age and development doesn't matter.
Gurley is obviously the more capable back, harder runner, and has higher top end speed. He is the better blocker, but I don't think it's by much (probably negligible).
Moreno had a great escapability (Gurley's pretty damned good), and Knowshon shined best in the redzone (Gurley's pretty damned good).
Let's see what Todd can do as a 20 year old this season and compare the two backs.
Posted on 6/26/14 at 3:08 pm to meansonny
hindsight is 20/20 as far as redshirting Knowshon.
I think the fans overhype the type of impact that he may have had in 2006. 18 years old is different than 19. 19 is different than 20. Maturity plays a huge part in this too, and he's had big question-marks about this well into his 20s.
Physically, I don't think he was more gifted than some of the backs ahead of him. I doubt that he had an equal grasp of the playbook. And I doubt that his blocking was anywhere up to par as a true freshman (we took JJ Green away from tailback for the sole reason that our offense was one dimensional with him in it... despite the fact that he's a better ballcarrier than Douglas or Turman).
Would I have redshirted Knowshon? No. I hate redshirts. Despise them, really. It's like wasted cap space or salary on a team. If you aren't good enough to contribute, you shouldn't be on the team. But I have a hard time proclaiming that 20/20 glasses would have yielded any improved results.
I think the fans overhype the type of impact that he may have had in 2006. 18 years old is different than 19. 19 is different than 20. Maturity plays a huge part in this too, and he's had big question-marks about this well into his 20s.
Physically, I don't think he was more gifted than some of the backs ahead of him. I doubt that he had an equal grasp of the playbook. And I doubt that his blocking was anywhere up to par as a true freshman (we took JJ Green away from tailback for the sole reason that our offense was one dimensional with him in it... despite the fact that he's a better ballcarrier than Douglas or Turman).
Would I have redshirted Knowshon? No. I hate redshirts. Despise them, really. It's like wasted cap space or salary on a team. If you aren't good enough to contribute, you shouldn't be on the team. But I have a hard time proclaiming that 20/20 glasses would have yielded any improved results.
Posted on 6/26/14 at 5:02 pm to WG_Dawg
Feel free to smack me in the mouth with a counter, but KM really made everyone around him better, the way he ran and jumped up before the tackler was even thinking about getting up, it seemed to pump atleast the offense up and sometimes the whole team.
I hope we don't get the Stafford syndrome now that Murray is gone. What I mean is when the game needs someone to step up they don't all start looking to Gurley to do it. That's the only knock I have on uber dominate player like Gurley, does he elevate or does he get the stare from everyone when we need a miracle?
That being said, I would take Gurley any day of the week, I don't remember any analyst in the country talking about KM being the no.1 back in the nation. And the potential heisman winner. And the first back taken in the draft whenever it is he plans on making the jump. Damn I'm ranting! Go Dawgs!
I hope we don't get the Stafford syndrome now that Murray is gone. What I mean is when the game needs someone to step up they don't all start looking to Gurley to do it. That's the only knock I have on uber dominate player like Gurley, does he elevate or does he get the stare from everyone when we need a miracle?
That being said, I would take Gurley any day of the week, I don't remember any analyst in the country talking about KM being the no.1 back in the nation. And the potential heisman winner. And the first back taken in the draft whenever it is he plans on making the jump. Damn I'm ranting! Go Dawgs!
Posted on 6/26/14 at 10:07 pm to Crowknowsbest
I would take Gurley over Moreno any day!
Posted on 6/27/14 at 2:50 pm to Spaceman Spiff
This RB talk gots me all reminiscent. Here's a little something some of you younger fricks have probably never seen before:
1988 UGA v. UT Game: The Dawn of the Original Four UGA Horsemen
Lot of talent on the field that night for Georiga - Rodney Hampton, Tim Worley, Scott Adams, Kurt Mull, Lamont Tellis, Troy Sadowski, Ben Smith, Bill Goldberg, Richard Tardits....that '88 team, with just a little better passing game OR a better defensive scheme wins the SECC going away, IMO.
This is about as dominant a run blocking performance as you'll ever see from an OL.
1988 UGA v. UT Game: The Dawn of the Original Four UGA Horsemen
Lot of talent on the field that night for Georiga - Rodney Hampton, Tim Worley, Scott Adams, Kurt Mull, Lamont Tellis, Troy Sadowski, Ben Smith, Bill Goldberg, Richard Tardits....that '88 team, with just a little better passing game OR a better defensive scheme wins the SECC going away, IMO.
This is about as dominant a run blocking performance as you'll ever see from an OL.
This post was edited on 6/27/14 at 2:52 pm
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