Tre Benson had 49 forced missed tackles last year, including a 17.2% broken tackle rate – best in the ACC. His .32 forced missed tackles/rush trailed only Bijan Robinson & Bucky Irving among P5s. His 4.41 yd after contact/rush led ACC by nearly 1 full yard.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
Among backs with at least 50 carries last season, no ACC RB had a higher rate of explosive runs than Duke's Jaquez Moore (17.7%, 14 explosive on 79 carries). Moore avg 7.23 yards/rush in ACC play.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
Duke posted a 58% successful play rate on designed runs in the red zone last year, fourth-best nationally. Clemson ranked 10th at 55.7%. Tigers actually had the ACC's best overall designed run success rate at 50.3%.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
No ACC team had a lower rushing EPA last year than NC State (-42.88), good for 125th nationally. Only 4 teams nationally averaged fewer yards/designed run on 1st down than the Pack's 3.6.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
With seven or more defenders in the box last year, Virginia Tech managed just 2.41 yards/designed run. Only air-raid Mississippi State was worse nationally. Hokies averaged just 0.77 yards before contact against 7+ in the box.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
NC State (123), VT (124), Wake (127) and BC (131) finished among the 10 worst teams in the country in yards/designed run between the tackles last year. BC was only team to avg less than 1 yard before contact between the tackles. Welcome back, Christian Mahogany.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
FSU averaged 7.45 yards/designed run outside the tackles last season. Only USF(!) was better nationally; 19 of Noles' 33 rushing TDs came on outside runs.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
GT's offense has been bad since end of CPJ era. OL has been awful. And yet… GT has avg more rush yds/game and yds/rush since 2019 than BC, WF, Cuse, Pitt, NCSU, Miami and UVA. Partly Gibbs was amazing. But even last year, they ran well.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
UNC's successful play rate on first down runs last year was just 35.5%. Only BC was worse in the ACC. More than 26% of UNC's rushing yards last year came from QB scrambles. That's sub-optimal.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
The Heels do return 100% of their rushing attempts from last year (Michigan is the only other P5 to do so, h/t @ESPNBillC). New OC should help the ground game, too. I think this is a big area of likely improvement for UNC.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
Pitt had 13 fumbles on designed runs last year — but lost just four.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
From Nov. 1 on, UNC's Elijah Green led all ACC runners in carries (112) but averaged just 3.99 yards per. Rodney Hammond was third with 85 and averaged just 3.93 per. Will Shipley was in between them (87 carries) and averaged 5.09 yards per rush.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
Pitt ran on 1st down 62.2% of the time last year — highest rate in the ACC and trailing only Wisc, Rut, UK, Ill, Minn & Auburn among P5 schools.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
Panthers avg 5.7 yd/designed run w/Izzy on field vs P5 last year; 3.99 w/Hammond… BUT w/Hammond averaged nearly a yard more per dropback vs P5 than they did with Izzy. Better 3D/4D conv% too.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
Miami had 174 rushes with TVD on the field and 177 without. Canes avg more yards/rush (4.9 vs 4.5), fewer stuffed runs (16.9% vs 19.5%) and more explosive runs (20 vs 14) without Van Dyke at QB.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
Miami in ACC play last year…
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
Knighton: 74 carries, 5.82 yd/rush
Parrish: 74 carries, 4.03 yd/rush
FWIW… PFF's top-graded returning runners in the ACC:
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
Tuten, VT*
Benson, FSU
Parrish, Mia
Mafah, Clem
Shipley, Clem
Green, UNC
Jordan, Lou
Waters, Duke
*was at FCS NCA&T last year
How did PFF arrive at that grade for Parrish given lack of production? They're smarter than me.
Only teams Wake avg 5+ yards/designed run against last year were VMI & Army. Avg < 4 yd/designed run 8 times. Over his final 7 games, Justice Ellison avg just 3.4 yds/rush w/only 5 going for 10+ yards.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
Virginia had a designed run on first down 39.5% of the time last year — lowest rate in ACC and 8th-lowest nationally. For Brennan Armstrong fans… NC State was at 50% and Syracuse at 50.1% (under Anae).
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
Syracuse's 45% success rate on first-down designed runs is the best in the ACC over the past two years. What will it look like without Tucker (and maybe Allen) and 3rd OC in 3 years? Answer may define Cuse's season.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
Just 13.5% of Clemson's designed runs were stuffed for a loss or no gain last year. Only option teams AFA & Army had a lower rate. It was the lowest rate of the Dabo era for the Tigers. Solid job by Austin in Yr 1 as OL coach + Ship & Mafah are not to be trifled with.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
Phil Mafah was PFF's highest graded ACC pass blocker among tailbacks.
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
Clemson overall yards-per-play & success% in 2022
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
w/Shipley on field: 5.93 & 49%
w/Mafah on field: 5.49 & 43%
w/neither: 4.41 & 45%
Tentative RB rankings (breaks for tiers)
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
1. FSU
2. Clemson
–
3. Lville
4. Duke
5. Pitt
–
6. UNC
7. Cuse*
8. Mia
9. GT
–
10. WF
11. NCSU
–
12. BC
13. VT
14. UVA
*If Allen plays
Early All-ACC ballot
— 💫🅰️♈️🆔 (@ADavidHaleJoint) July 5, 2023
1st team
RB: Trey Benson, FSU
RB: Will Shipley, Clemson
2nd team
RB: Jawhar Jordan, Lville
RB: Jordan Waters, Duke
by David M. Hale 