Malik made the Cowboy roster. Has some talent, but agree DP was significantly better option. Billy rotates RBs as well. I don’t like when Etienne leads us down the field and then we don’t see him the next time we have the ball
Well Nay’quan ain’t getting any carries, so Napier’s rotation makes more sense. I know it was based on Nay’quan knowing his assignments and helping the other players on the field. I’m really curious as to what happened to him.
Hey, don't confuse anyone with facts. It's fun to say that Mullen never used Pierce- even though I remember Pierce being used quite a lot. Some might say it's a good and healthy thing to spread out the carries among backs, so they don't get worn down in college. Especially if both average about as many yards per carry. IMO Pierce should gotten 15 carries per game, instead of 10, but to act like that is some kind of underutilization crime is absurd. But it's another stick to beat Mullen with, so let's go. After all, I'm quite sure Mullen is reading every post on here as he counts his money.
I remember there were posts back then excusing it saying we weren't talented on offense and muschamp is just trying to make do with what he has. Ugh, how we were all wrong. You could give muschamp mahomes, randy moss and Larry Fitzgerald with Marshall Faulk at rb and he still wouldn't know what to do.
There wasn't a "great difference" between Pierce and Davis while they were here, though, which is why both played but even still Pierce got the bigger share.
Yep, our leading rusher in carries and yardage for two years. You could say Wright's rushes could have been given to Davis or Pierce more, that I could buy.
You are underplaying the “great difference” thing. RBs usually get better the more carries they get and we rotated RBs for the sake of rotating them. There was no going with the hot hand, etc. Pierce could have gashed the defense the previous drive and he would still sit on the bench the next drive. Stats don’t tell everything because some of the yardage Davis got could/would have also been gained by Pierce, and maybe even more yardage. Pierce was our best overall back and he had to share the ball with two other RBs. Times may be changing, but you need to put your best players on the field.
See, I don't think you can play this hypothetical game. Does he also average ~ 10YPC against Bama if he gets those touches (even though he averaged ~ 3.5)? Or could you argue that Davis could have had as many as Pierce (or more) if he had taken his carries? It's not a useful exercise. I do agree that the previous staff (and this one!) is not great at sticking with a runner, particularly if they get some good runs.
As Empire points out, Davis average ypc was close to Pierce. It was .4 yard per carry. So 5 carries at .4 yard per carry is 2 additional yards per game. That is something, but is it the "worst crime in the history of football." Hardly. Does it win us the Bama, UK or Mizzou games? I doubt it. Again, I agree we should have used DP more. I love love love the guy. But it wasn't like he left him on the bench. He got some touches. A far better example was our 2012 back- Gillillisse?? He languished on the bench for years before finally getting the chance, and then he tore it up. As someone pointed out, Muschamp was far worse in his offensive personnel use, yet some on here think Mullen was worse? What a short memory!
Just watching him run, you could see the vast disparity in talent between Pierce and our other backs. He was bigger, stronger, shiftier, and harder to bring down than Davis, Wright, et al.
In Mullen's defense, Pierce was by far UF's best blocker. The other RBs were more likely to get the ball when they on the field. Pierce was more likely to provide pass protection. Don't think Trask would have had the season he did without Pierce picking up blitzes. Still not an excuse for underutilizing the best ball carrier UF has had in years.
