This week is our “Rock the Vote” Edition. Like the campaign trail, college football is entering the final stretch of the regular season. We have a jam-packed Pulse to get us through this bye-riddled week. There are so many byes, apparently, that we don’t even get a late-night slate. What’s the point of paying for YouTube TV if I can’t even multiview CFB at 10 p.m. on a Saturday night?
Savion Williams, the TCU RB?
Mad props to Sonny for assessing the situation at the season’s midpoint and making a major change. He realized that his run game was about as successful as a Green Party progressive running for office in rural Oklahoma.
So, what’s the fix? You turn your freakazoid athletic WR, Savion Williams, into the primary option out of the backfield. 18 carries for 144 yards and a TD over the last two weeks. He also had a long receiving TD on an angle route out of the backfield. Not only has it opened up the run game, but it has allowed increased opportunity for Eric McAlister to see reps on the boundary, thus allowing the Frogs to get their top four playmakers on the field at once.
The Ultimate Bellcow in Memphis
Many of us beat the drum for Mario Anderson this offseason after his transfer to Memphis, but I’m not sure anyone expected this. Injuries to Sutton Smith, Brandon Thomas, and Greg Desrosiers has left this Tiger backfield depth thinner than a crackhead on Ozempic. Anderson has 64 touches over his last two games, resulting in 376 yards and five TDs. Last week, Anderson got every single RB touch, outside of the one series he went out with an injury (when 17-year-old freshman Makari Bodiford got seven carries for 73 yards and a TD in Anderson’s absence).
Look for this volume pig (trademarked) to stay fat and happy the next few weeks (as long as he doesn’t spit on anyone again) against UTSA, Rice, and UAB. Don’t look now, but Ryan Silverfield is close to earning my VOTE for Kingmaker status with his RBs.
A Grassroots Campaign – The FCS Running Back Movement
Speaking of Mario Anderson, an alarming amount of successful CFF RBs have come from the FCS (or even lower) level recently.
2023 gave us Cody Schrader and Jacory Croskey-Merritt
Never underestimate a grassroots movement. It is comprised of motivated people. All of these players were very successful at their previous stops. I won’t discount the productive and ambitious RB looking to level up next year. This movement has momentum.
Platform Flip-Flop at Colorado State
Matt Mumme is the Rams’ offensive coordinator, and if there is one thing we can expect from his offense, it’s using the Air Raid system to the fullest. His dad, Hal, is literally the architect of the Air Raid. But like a politician who doesn’t like the way the winds are blowing, Colorado State has flip-flopped the platform on which it is running.
The Rams’ neutral game script rush rate is 66.2%, which is the 17th highest in the country. For comparison, they ranked 107th for that same stat just a year ago. Jay Norvell and crew have recognized that Fowler-Nicoolosi’s $600K arm doesn’t have quite the same ROI without Tory Horton on the receiving end.
They know their strength lies in the backfield and have adjusted the system accordingly. Avery Morrow had four straight games of 20+ carries before he and Justin Marshall combined for 30 carries last week. They are a smash-mouth team now and expect that to continue as the weather changes in the Rocky Mountains the rest of the way.
Where I Was Wrong – The Colorado Buffalos
On the Week 3 Pulse of the CFF Nation, I prognosticated that Shedeur and Hunter could shut it down for the season on their Week 10 bye, assuming they would be below .500 as a team.
Well, here we are, and boy, was I dead wrong! The Buffs are 6-2 on the backs of their dynamic duo. Shedeur has made huge strides as a QB and Hunter has my vote for the Heisman. They are thriving and very much in the mix of the B12 race. Like any good politician, I must admit when I have been defeated and concede.
Bonus Random Thought
We need food trucks at polling locations. Some of the early voting lines here in KC, especially on the Missouri side, have been two or more hours long. What a great spot for a food truck while people wait. Let’s bust out a jockey box with a tap serving drinks at beer events and make a party out of it!
(Editor’s note: I will be DJing at several polling locations in Jackson, Michigan. I endorse the food truck idea!!)
Cheers to Week 10. Good luck, everyone and please go vote!
