Zenner - What's the deal?

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Zenner has had 20 carries or less every week since we played Missouri State.

He hasn't had over 100 since the UNI game, and had just 14 carries (3 the whole second half) in a 3 point NDSU game.

Anybody care to talk about this?

[joeboo22]

Re: Zenner - What's the deal?

I'm not going to disagree with you questioning it, but the NDSU game it at least sounded like it was more a problem with the line then anything else. If the D-line is beating Zenner to the handoff then well, there isn't a ton Zenner can do.

He better get 30 carries against USD though.

[goon]

Re: Zenner - What's the deal?

I think it finally came down to what I mentioned weeks ago. Lack of variety in the running game. Expecting zenner to run 90 percent of the time in an obvious running formation, after awhile teams catch on to it. Using the delay handoff helps but they need to change it up. unless the team isnt capable of changing things, which is a problem all its own. But I think using more then 1 formation for running plays. try to the power I, split backs, wishbone, sweeps. Line him up as a WR and Gandy in the back field and motion ZZ to the back field. just need to make the D guess a little what we are going to give them.

Plus the simple fact that if we get down early we are going to panic and every team that panics is going to abandon the run and go to the pass. Which has improved but the play calling is struggling IMO.

[discoDancinJackrabbit]

Re: Zenner - What's the deal?

Defenses recognized what he was accomplishing and then focused on stopping him, which is what they are doing. He took everyone off guard early in the year. Now the passing game is coming alive which is what we were all going crazy about early in the year. NDSU was impressive because they focused on stopping Zenner, and did, but also were pretty much really good in pass defense.

I do hope Zenner gets more carries though. And wow zenner only had 3 carries the 2nd half ?! I would never of guessed that. It seemed NDSU was anticipating the majority of his runs, which explains why he was met at the line so often. Gotta keep that D unsure. Somebody said leave Rollin in the slot. I hope they do because when the linebackers r running downhill towards the line like that I think it would give Rollin some good opportunities. Then if we are successful on those, Zenner gets some more room. It'll be a lot easier against USD

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: Zenner - What's the deal?

I'm not going to disagree with you questioning it, but the NDSU game it at least sounded like it was more a problem with the line then anything else. If the D-line is beating Zenner to the handoff then well, there isn't a ton Zenner can do.

He better get 30 carries against USD though.

I'm not really questioning it, more concerned there might be a nagging injury or some other factor playing in to his reduced carries.

He did get hit in the backfield a few more times against NDSU, but he has had plenty of <3 yard carries this year. The team stuck with the run and eventually he busted out a 30+ yarder.

IMO, Zenner is the kind of back that needs 20+ carries to be effective, 25+ and he could be lights out.

The first 5 games he averaged 27 carries and 215 yards per game.

The last 5 games he averaged 17 carries and 92 yards per game.

Its different to the point of me wondering what is going on.

I hope to all that is good he doesn't need to carry the ball 30 times against USD.

[SF_Rabbit_Fan]

Re: Zenner - What's the deal?

Defenses recognized what he was accomplishing and then focused on stopping him, which is what they are doing. He took everyone off guard early in the year. Now the passing game is coming alive which is what we were all going crazy about early in the year. NDSU was impressive because they focused on stopping Zenner, and did, but also were pretty much really good in pass defense.

I do hope Zenner gets more carries though. And wow zenner only had 3 carries the 2nd half ?! I would never of guessed that. It seemed NDSU was anticipating the majority of his runs, which explains why he was met at the line so often. Gotta keep that D unsure. Somebody said leave Rollin in the slot. I hope they do because when the linebackers r running downhill towards the line like that I think it would give Rollin some good opportunities. Then if we are successful on those, Zenner gets some more room. It'll be a lot easier against USD

I agree, but he has to have more than 17 carries no matter what the defense is doing, IMO. He has had 17 or less the last 3 games.

A comparison would be that defenses are going to be keying Wolters, so lets just have Carlson bring up the ball and White take the majority of shots.

[Nidaros]

Re: Zenner - What's the deal?

The big stopper of ZZ in Fargo was Levon Perry No 69 DT. On one play he flipped ZZ Like a pancake. Perry seemed to run free all day long. No one apparently was blocking him, but again that might be how the bison line up on D too. At any rate we finished the season for Perry with a knee injury. This guy reminds me a lot of Joe Mays, who now plays on Sundays. I don't know at what point in time Perry's injury occurred.

The number of carries seems to reflect the success with the passing game.

[jackrabbit1979]

Re: Zenner - What's the deal?

The big stopper of ZZ in Fargo was Levon Perry No 69 DT. On one play he flipped ZZ Like a pancake. Perry seemed to run free all day long. No one apparently was blocking him, but again that might be how the bison line up on D too. At any rate we finished the season for Perry with a knee injury. This guy reminds me a lot of Joe Mays, who now plays on Sundays. I don't know at what point in time Perry's injury occurred. The number of carries seems to reflect the success with the passing game.

Perry's injury occurred in the first quarter, I believe. So he only played, or ran free, about a handful if minutes.

[Nidaros]

Re: Zenner - What's the deal?

Perry's injury occurred in the first quarter, I believe. So he only played, or ran free, about a handful if minutes.

Thanks. The Fargo media had the one play in its package. Also they said that Perry played some in the second quarter, but not the second half. So its more than a handful.