[FBALL]

Your right about the passing but everyone expected us to be a smashmouth football team this year. Returning over 1000 yards of rushing from last season I see why people expected this of us. Our line & our backs were supposed to be the strong point of our offense and if you read all pre-season previews you would have seen that.

I read them. But you don't go from being a spread team to a smashmouth team just like that.

Dixon, Locke, Smith. None are power backs. Dixon is steady when he doesn't have fumblitis. Locke can be spectacular in the open field but he is not going to break many tackles. Smith has speed to get to the cornor but is not a tough between the tackles kind of guy. Allen can be a power back but doesn't really have that burst from the start to get past penetration from the defense.

This brings us to the line. Last season this group had Woodson get them in the best play possible at the line of scrimmage. I like Hartline but he's not ready to do that.
The experience at the skill positions made that easier to do last year not to mention the talent that sometimes made unbelievable plays.

The line got used to quick screens and slants and defenses being spread all over the field. To expect them to go to dominating a loaded box and defense focussed on stopping the run was pretty naive IMO.