What Does Losing Castille Mean?
10 comments so far
August 24, 2009 by
The announcement that Quentin Castille was dismissed from the team was not welcome news. He might have been one of the ten to fifteen players you’d least want to lose for 2009. But how much of the enthusiasm over Castille for this season was based on the Clemson game and how much of it was about what he could be versus what he’d been?
Look at the numbers from Castille’s first nine games a year ago and you see some pretty modest production. He had 65 carries for 251 yards and four touchdowns with four lost fumbles. Over half of his production came against New Mexico State and Iowa State. He then had a pair of nice games against Kansas and Kansas State where he tallied a total of 100 yards rushing on 11 carries and scored a touchdown. Then against Colorado he had just 12 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown.
Statistically speaking, those aren’t hard numbers to replace. People may tout him as a short yardage specialist but it’s not hard to find short yardage situations where he was stopped for no gain, for a loss, or fumbled the ball. It wouldn’t be hard to match what he did in 2008 or for that matter, to improve on it. It brings to mind the Ron Dayne/Tiki Barber combination for the New York Giants.
The Giants thought Dayne would be a better option as short yardage specialist due to his greater size. They even persisted with him in the role in part to give Tiki a rest. But in the end they realized they were better off with the better runner even in short yardage situations. Roy Helu only got four carries when Nebraska needed one yard for a first down or touchdown last year. And he converted every single time. He could easily be an upgrade from Castille in those spots.
So in many ways, Quentin Castille’s greatest value (Clemson aside) might have been as middle relief. He “ate” 106 carries that might have otherwise gone to Helu or Marlon Lucky. While that still could have been a valuable role for Castille in 2009, it might not have been an essential one. Marcus Mendoza, Collins Okafor, Lester Ward, and Rex Burkhead can all contribute. And Mendoza and Burkhead probably each bring a dimension that Castille can’t match. For that matter, Okafor and Ward each posted better numbers than Castille in the Spring game. Is the marginal difference going to be that big?
If instead you view it threw the lens of what Castille was becoming or what he could have been, who’s to say? Was Clemson an aberration or the start of a new trend? There are a bunch of backs that can put up good numbers against New Mexico State, Iowa State, or Kansas State. But against a good defense like Clemson, you couldn’t help but be impressed by the day he had. Minus the fumbles he could have been a dangerous complement to Helu. He might have been the best receiving back (aside from Helu). If he was the best blocker, then he might be the guy you want on the field in critical third down situations.
But the Huskers will move on and replace Castille with shiftier, speedier, though admittedly less powerful and experienced options. It would be better if he’d stayed, but it’s not the end of the world for this team that he didn’t.
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M.T.Husker Aug 24 09
1st of all, wanted to say I've been watching this site for months and you guys do great work. 2nd, for my 1st post ever (getting brave) I had to comment on this one and just say ultimately who knows???? You can't replace experience, but you might also say you can't teach talent. Meaning until we see the guys that are replacing him we really don't know the extent of the loss. You hate to see any budding prospect leave in this fashion, but I'm wondering if a majority the RB's behind him are Pelini recruits? I'm eager to see the transition if they are. If not, eager still.
cvldfg Aug 24 09
While I hate to lose an experienced RB, would you guys be able to post for me/and others the statistics such as: Height, weight, speed, year, etc.. of the RB's that we have left on the roster? Just curious? Also, since you guys are way more on top of it than us, what do you guys think the pecking order will be? Please and Thank you.
Shark Aug 24 09
cvldfg you can find all the information on the I-Backs etc. at: www.huskers.com. Click on Teams, then Football and then Roster.
AS I understand the pecking order is: Helu, Burkhead, Ward and Okafor. Mendoza is just back in the mix as of Friday so hard to tell where he will fit in at this time.
Shark Aug 24 09
cvldfg you can find all the information on the I-Backs etc. at: www.huskers.com. Click on Teams, then Football and then Roster.
AS I understand the pecking order is: Helu, Burkhead, Ward and Okafor. Mendoza is just back in the mix as of Friday so hard to tell where he will fit in at this time.
Shark Aug 24 09
cvldfg you can find all the information on the I-Backs etc. at: www.huskers.com. Click on Teams, then Football and then Roster.
AS I understand the pecking order is: Helu, Burkhead, Ward and Okafor. Mendoza is just back in the mix as of Friday so hard to tell where he will fit in at this time.
James Moore Aug 24 09
I wish him the best, but man we play in 12 days and as much as we were looking forward to seeing him play the fact that we are less than two weeks away from REAL, LIVE football I'm just too excited to be down!!!
Good luck Mr. Castille and stay focused. You can still get your degree and have a chance at playing football on Sunday's if you stay straight, and work hard. . .
What does it mean? Pass blocking from IB's can't help but be affected and the loss of experienced depth is not too easy to replace. We got the team we got. We gotta keep it moving. Big 12 too good to feel sorry for yourself. . .
KW Aug 24 09
After reading this article, I have to say I feel much better about the situation. I was bummed when I heard the news Saturday. But you're right...we're all remembering the Castille from the Gator Bowl. There were a lot of other games, including the close TX Tech game when he got stopped on short yardage situations. As it has been mentioned in a couple other articles about Castille, I think the issue is going to be pass blocking.
The other Matt Aug 24 09
I know Castille would have been a good compliment to Helu but I think we can find positives in this situation. This gives players like Burkhead more playing time and chance to be a big part of the offense because as much as we would like Helu can't play the whole game so we need a good second back.
Josh Aug 24 09
Great analysis, Steve. I must admit, I was glued to all the Husker website message boards on Saturday with the Castille saga. Your article has eased some of my anxieties regarding his departure. For me, I was in awe over Castille's athletic physique. As Darren would say, "sure the guy is on the all-bus team, but potential never put groceries on the table." I believe Darren also mentioned that Asante is on the "all-bus" team as well. For that matter, so was Andre Jones and we all know how his career with NU ended (not even a starter). Granted, Asante and Jones played completely different positions. But, my point being, just because one looks the part, doesn't mean they will deliver. I'll probably get blasted for this next comment; but, here goes. Remember Dan Alexander? The guy was a physical phenom. 6'0, 245 lbs., and chisled like an art sculpture. But, Dan was what I refer to as a "thumper." Sure, he was solid between the tackles, but he had average lateral speed and was not all that elusive. With the exception of the time big Dan outraced Colorado's Ben Kelly, Dan really wasn't that much of a break-away threat. Castille reminded me of Dan. A ripped physique, decent between the tackles, and not much of a break-away threat. I think we'll be fine with Rex, Ward, and Mendoza. Let's just hope we can stay "injury free" from this point forth during the 2009 season.
Bill Kerr Aug 24 09
I remember Dan Alexander blasting through the line of scrimmage only to trip on his own feet or be knocked down by hardly any contact.
His balance was crap.
I can't help but wonder how many yards we left on the field by not giving most of his carries to Buckhalter that year.