GOODHUE It would be understandable if Goodhue would look at the game tape from two weeks ago and cringe when they saw the damage being done against perennial state and southeastern Minnesota power Caledonia. It’s one guy in particular from that Class 2A state quarterfinal football game with Jackson County Central who’d make them nervous. That’s Roman Voss, the No. 1 recruit in the state who next year will bring his 6-foot-4, 230-pound package of athleticism and will to the University of Minnesota. He rushed for 245 yards and five touchdowns against Caledonia, annually one of the best defenses in the state. He’s a load. And he’s fast. And strong. And quick. And decisive. And he’s coming to the Class 2A Prep Bowl at 4 p. m. Friday at U. S. Bank Stadium with the idea that he will do to Goodhue what he’s done to pretty much everybody else he’s faced this year en route to rushing for 1, 534 yards and an absurd yards-per-carry average of 11. 6 as the Huskies’ run-first quarterback. “He’s a once-in-a-lifetime kid for the high-school level,” Jackson County Central coach Tom Schuller said. “It takes a lot of guys to stop him. And we are pretty decent up front. So it’s going to have to be a really good defense to slow him down.” Enter Goodhue and its really good defense. The Wildcats ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 2A with an average of 7. 4 points allowed per game are nowhere close to giving up on the idea that they can slow down Voss. Goodhue is a proven bunch of stoppers. In four of its last five games it has allowed a total of 14 points. That includes a 24-7 win over Holdingford on Friday, Nov. 14, in the state semifinals. In facing Jackson County Central, it must be admitted, though, that the Wildcats are facing a different kind of athlete. The Huskies are not only unbeaten and the defending state champions, but they are demolishing everyone in their way this season. In 12 games they’ve outscored their opponents 244-28. Their 51. 8 points per game average is the best in the state in Class 2A. “We haven’t had a close game all year,” Schuller admits. Well, Goodhue likes its chances of breaking that trend. The Wildcats believe they have the talent and the approach to do it. They do so all while knowing that Voss isn’t a one-man gang. He has a huge and athletic offensive line led by 6-7, 292-pound South Dakota State University recruit Weston Rowe in front of him, and some dangerous running backs to hand the ball off to. But yes, they especially have Voss, the guy who decided between national power Alabama and Minnesota as his future college home. The guy who’ll play tight end for the Gophers but is big and fast (runs the 40 in 4. 6 seconds) enough to play anywhere on a high school field (they’ve used him at defensive end and safety on defense). To all of those accolades, the Goodhue players and coaches have one response: “Bring it on.” “If you don’t want to go against the best players, then what do you want out of high school sports?” Goodhue dazzling quarterback/safety Luke Roschen said. “I am confident that we can do well against them.” The Wildcats do have a plan. It is pretty basic in its nature, even primal. It is to hit Voss like he’s never been hit before. To have one guy initially wrap him up, then send four others to rush at him and smack him to the ground. “He is a big dude, and we know he’s going to be the best player we’ll have faced all year,” Goodhue standout 6-2, 220-pound linebacker Jack Carlson said. “It’s a thing where it is going to take everyone to get him under control. We have to hit him hard. There can be no missed tackles. We can’t let him get outside and break free.” Roschen agrees. This has to be an entire team thing. “We’ve not seen anyone who is as good a runner as him, with the size and speed that he presents,” Roschen said. “So we have to gang tackle him every time he runs the ball. We need to punish him with a lot of people hitting him every time. If he runs it 50 times and gets hit by five people every time, that’s going to take a toll on him. We’re going to rally to the ball and hit him more than any team has hit him all year.” Schuller says that is a fine strategy, but has proven difficult to really make work. That’s because loading up the box to stop Voss will leave other areas and players open, and with a team loaded with speed, the Huskies can take advantage of all of that single-minded concentration in stopping Voss to burn teams, be it with the pass or by handing the ball to one of its fleet of talented running backs. Remember, Jackson County Central is the defending state champion and it did it with Voss not even in the lineup for the state title game last year, as he was injured. So, while this team has an undeniable leading man, it has balance, too. “You have to pick your poison, because it takes a lot of guys to stop (Voss),” Schuller said. Still, above all, it gets back to Voss. He’s that good. “He’s the real deal,” Goodhue coach Tony Poncelet said. “Not only is he strong, but he’s fast. We have to be disciplined and sound and have to pursue hard to get to the ball. It’ll be a team effort to slow him down. He is a horse.”.
https://www.postbulletin.com/sports/prep/goodhues-no-1-prep-bowl-assignment-slow-down-the-states-no-1-player
Tag: yards-per-carry
Mike Macdonald Tips 275-Pounder to Fix Seahawks’ Run Game
Mike Macdonald knows the Seattle Seahawks need a boost in their running game, and he is referring to beefy fullback Robbie Ouzts, who is expected to play against the Washington Commanders in Week 9. Ouzts has missed the last four games due to an ankle injury, but Macdonald believes the blocking back’s return is “great. It wasn’t a long practice, but got some good reps in,” according to The Tacoma News Tribune’s Gregg Bell.
Having Ouzts back in the lineup will lead to a shift in how the Seahawks deploy personnel in the running game. As Macdonald pointed out, “We’ve majored in 12 personnel, 13 personnel. We’ll see how the game plan shakes out, but Robbie provides more two-back flexibility than probably we’ve had.” These new, heavier formations could unlock the Seahawks’ so far unfulfilled potential when running the ball.
### Seahawks Need Changes in the Running Game
Despite the breakaway talents of Kenneth Walker III and the rugged dependability of Zach Charbonnet, the Seahawks’ running game is not intimidating opponents. They rank eighth in the league in rushing attempts but are 30th in yards-per-carry average (3.7), according to Seahawks.com Senior Reporter John Boyle.
These numbers are not what one would expect given offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s expertise with the famed zone-stretch system. However, that staple play hasn’t been yielding much for Walker and company. “Teams are dedicated to stopping it — the Seahawks face loaded boxes at the highest rate in the league,” notes Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic.
In response, Kubiak is attempting to diversify the run game by incorporating more counter, gap, and straight-ahead power runs. These plays were used with mixed results during the 27-19 win over the Houston Texans in Week 7. As Dugar explained, “The pivot would then be to gash teams between the tackles, which the Seahawks attempted with a little bit of success against the Texans. But is that the best use of the personnel? They have a light, athletic offensive line, which is why a scheme based on running off the ball was supposed to pop.”
Another challenge is that the tight ends have not been physical enough to hold their blocks consistently, meaning the Seahawks need to get bigger along the line of scrimmage. This is where Robbie Ouzts comes in.
### Robbie Ouzts’ Return Boosts One-Dimensional Offense
Though only a rookie and a 2025 NFL draft fifth-round pick, Ouzts has already made a positive impact. For example, in Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, he helped Kenneth Walker rush for 105 yards by delivering a series of crushing blocks. NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger highlighted some of his best blocks, showcasing the difference a fullback the size of a defensive lineman can make.
Adding Ouzts provides the Seahawks with more power and physicality up front, putting some much-needed “oomph” into their rushing concepts. This could be the key to moving the ball more effectively on the ground and making the run game a more threatening part of Seattle’s offense.
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/seattle-seahawks/mike-macdonald-robbie-ouzts-running-game/