There’s something of a disconnect between coaches/film people and fans about what makes a running game flourish. The coach brain typically gravitates toward the blockers. After all, even Barry Sanders needed space to run into. The designs and technique up front feel the most determinative of your success, as many of the same running games produce year after year with seemingly random RBs (Kyle Shanahan’s teams, Ole Miss, etc). The fan brain, however, is focused on the guys putting up the stats themselves.
The truth is somewhere in the middle, but nobody can deny that LSU’s running game is very different when Caden Durham carries the ball.