🏈 Why won’t Bryce run? Tuscaloosa News snippet talking about Bryce and running the ball when pressured.

[1CrimsonTider]

College football contenders and pretenders started to truly reveal themselves this past week, and Alabama football made clear it belongs in the contender category.

The top-ranked Crimson Tide defeated No. 12 Ole Miss 42-21 on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Let’s get right to your questions: Why won’t Bryce run? – Alan B.

Hey Alan. Believe it or not, Young actually had a season-high in rushing attempts against Ole Miss with five. Sure some Alabama fans would like him to tuck it and run more instead of holding out for a pass, but that’s partly what makes Young an early Heisman favorite. He’s looking to make the best play, not just a play.

Of course, the decision to pass instead of run doesn’t look as smart when the pass doesn’t work. But when he does hit that 40-yard throw instead of the 8yard run, that decision looks brilliant.

I asked Young after the Ole Miss game how he decides when to throw and pass. Here’s what he said in full: “It’s a bit of a feel thing,” Young said. “You have to try to make the best decision for the team, for the offense. When you get out there, it’s a little more reactions. You’re trying to find someone downfield but also trying to gauge if running would be the better option. Each situation is different. You can’t pre-determine, ‘I’m going to roll out and throw’ or ‘I’m going to roll out and run.’ You have to gauge each decision. That’s something in my game I’m still working on, still trying to improve, still trying to master. You have just got to take each play and each situation differently.”

This answer tells me that Young knows he isn’t perfect in that decision making just yet, and that will likely come with more time. Remember, Saturday was only his fifth start. That’s a split second decision a quarterback has to make. The more experience he gets, the more he’ll know when the pass just isn’t there.

He’s a mobile quarterback, but he’s not a running quarterback. His strength is his passing. He’s wise to focus on using his arm more than his legs.

Young looks for best play; Georgia no pushover - The Tuscaloosa News

 

[OldPlayer]

When there are at least ten yards of uninhabited space in front of you, and the receivers are still not open, it makes more sense to run. Just my opinion.

 

[bamanc50]

That is the very question I ask during the Ole Miss. game.

 

[NickelDoubleDog]

Bryce should not run more - there were no other instances vs. OM when he should've run. There was one in the red zone vs. Florida. Bryce seemed to learn from that and hit a great scramble, evading a sack, and ran it to the 1, allowing for a 4th down TD run from 1 yard out vs. a FG attempt.

Bryce is too valuable to run a lot - if he gets hurt the season is toast.

 

[jlabit]

The thought of Bryce getting injured terrifies me. In my opinion, we do not have a strong backup quarterback. If Bryce gets injured our season goes down the tubes. I would much prefer he avoid the run unless absolutely necessary and avoid injury-producing situations.

 

[mando]

Bryce is too valuable to run a lot - if he gets hurt the season is toast.

This x 10000. Need this guy healthy. Makes me nervous seeing those big guys closing the pocket on him much less running. We will survive with him misreading a run/pass occasionally. May not if he misses extended playing time due to an injury.

 

[#80]

You have to take what the defense is going to give you if you have open field take it just be smart and get down or get out of bounds.

 

[OldPlayer]

Bryce should not run more - there were no other instances vs. OM when he should've run. There was one in the red zone vs. Florida. Bryce seemed to learn from that and hit a great scramble, evading a sack, and ran it to the 1, allowing for a 4th down TD run from 1 yard out vs. a FG attempt.

Bryce is too valuable to run a lot - if he gets hurt the season is toast.

There have been situations in every game this year when he COULD have run to pick up needed yards but he either threw an errant pass or was tackled behind the line of scrimmage. I don't want him to be a running QB, but there are situations in each game when we need the yards. Third and three is better than third and ten.

 

[NickelDoubleDog]

There have been situations in every game this year when he COULD have run to pick up needed yards but he either threw an errant pass or was tackled behind the line of scrimmage. I don't want him to be a running QB, but there are situations in each game when we need the yards. Third and three is better than third and ten.

That's not true. There have been situations in every game where he could have run to pick up some yards, but threw the ball for a much better result while also eliminating any injury risk. He's made maybe one bad decision on when to throw instead of run. He's scrambled a few times when needed, effectively.

 

[OldPlayer]

That's not true. There have been situations in every game where he could have run to pick up some yards, but threw the ball for a much better result while also eliminating any injury risk. He's made maybe one bad decision on when to throw instead of run. He's scrambled a few times when needed, effectively.

There were a few when he completed a pass, but at least the same amount when he didn't. I don't want him to try and be Johnny Manzell, but take the yards available.

 

[Secondand26]

There were a few when he completed a pass, but at least the same amount when he didn't. I don't want him to try and be Johnny Manzell, but take the yards available.

Remember Tua against UT & Miss. St.?
Live to play another play. Tua not knowing when to give up on a play costed a lot more than just throwing the ball away.

 

[BamaFan334]

Remember Tua against UT & Miss. St.?
Live to play another play. Tua not knowing when to give up on a play costed a lot more than just throwing the ball away.

You gotta let guys play football. That's also what made Tua so good. He helped win the Natty because he ran the ball for first downs a number of times. Can't play scared or "what if", it's football.

I do agree with a big regression at the position if he gets hurt. We gotta let Bryce be Bryce rhough. We recruited his skill set, not a different plan for him.

 

[UAgrad93]

I’m good with BY’s decision making to be honest. You guys recall the bitching and moaning that went on when Jalen was in his first year and even second year, look read one or two and then bail to his right without keeping his eyes down the field and missing wide ass open receivers. I think most of us here heard back in our day that it was throw it if a guy is open and tun if you have green in front of you. I know I heard it as a HS QB back in the day. At BAMA, Coach Smith tried to break all of us of that notion. Keep your eyes downfield, avoid as many collisions as possible, slide when we did run and live to see another play.

 

[Secondand26]

You gotta let guys play football. That's also what made Tua so good. He helped win the Natty because he ran the ball for first downs a number of times. Can't play scared or "what if", it's football.

I do agree with a big regression at the position if he gets hurt. We gotta let Bryce be Bryce rhough. We recruited his skill set, not a different plan for him.

I agree big picture. The point I was making is that Tua never learned to give up on a play - and the costs were very high.
Bryce needs to play smart. The team’s goals are highly affected by his health.

 

[rick4bama]

I asked Young after the Ole Miss game how he decides when to throw and pass. Here’s what he said in full: “It’s a bit of a feel thing,” Young said. “You have to try to make the best decision for the team, for the offense. When you get out there, it’s a little more reactions. You’re trying to find someone downfield but also trying to gauge if running would be the better option. Each situation is different. You can’t pre-determine, ‘I’m going to roll out and throw’ or ‘I’m going to roll out and run.’ You have to gauge each decision. That’s something in my game I’m still working on, still trying to improve, still trying to master. You have just got to take each play and each situation differently.”

Well said, I think a lot of us got to get use to the way he been doing it. But 5-0 is a good start.