The Caleb Porzel Redshirt Burning
by Ben Broman on Oct 11, 2009 12:10 PM EDT
in Football
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PrintPerhaps lost among the disaster that was last night was the burning of speedy true freshman running back Caleb Porzel's redshirt. We had seen this coming, as Da'Rel Scott is out for at least another month with a broken wrist, but there's still a bit of controversy surrounding it.
Porzel had 3 carries for a total of -2 yards; not exactly the best of performances, but what else would you expect with this offensive line?
Unlike some other people, I'm kind of okay with this. Porzel's extremely talented, and if he can help this team, I'm okay with burning the redshirt. As a rule, if they make an impact, I don't care if they have the redshirt or not. However, I do have a few certain issues:
First, I don't think he'll particularly help the team. The issues here aren't with the skill players; it's with the line. Scott wasn't exactly racking up yards by the dozens before the injury. Burning the redshirt just wastes a year of eligibility when he could be behind a good line.
That said, I'm still not that upset with it. He's a good back and is extremely dangerous; I'm confident he'll make a game-changing play before the end of the year if he's given the chance. However, two things need to happen:
1) D.J. Adams can't burn his redshirt too. Burning both of them is pointless. Only one of them is needed; if both are burned, you know Ralph thinks his job is in jeopardy, because that's blatantly ignoring the future or any sort of roster planning - that's "right now" thinking. Even still, it does little to actually help right now anyway, and just screws over whoever comes down the line.
2) Porzel has to get reps. If he get two touches a game, then this was a waste. If he starts to get up to about ten touches a game - not just rushes, they can be screens, punt returns, whatever - then it won't be so bad. But he has to get experience if this is a success.
I've already said this, but it's a) a reminder, and b) something to serve for posterity.
What do you think about the decision? Okay with it, or an example of poor coaching?
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you still have douglass and meggett and a couple of fullbacks. so i wouldn’t have used porzel. not with this offensive line. jimmy brown and gale sayers in their prime would have trouble with no offensive line help. if they are going to use him, put him in the slot and let him match up with a linebacker and throw to him. or use him on reverses and screens. putting him the i formation and running him into the line is senseless because the d lineman are in the backfield in a heartbeat.
Redshirts
I don’t really like it. Douglas looks like a solid replacement for Scott, at least with this OL. I also don’t like the fact that Friedgen intended to play BOTH Porzel and Adams. Regardless, according to Pat Stevens, three carries for a third-string RB is about par for Maryland in recent history.
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