Meyer's Punches Pulled Last Year? (limited to 1/3 of the field discussion)

**mapnerd** · 03-26-2007, 11:30 AM

I would have thought that Meyer would have just stopped listening to the coaching staff after a while. Of course, I don't like running laps either...

**mwitt** · 03-26-2007, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by crash_zone

Would this have been a timing issue? Maybe the line couldn't hold long enough for him to look more - and as a precaution, the staff only gave him a limited range to throw to. ?

Even if that were the case, the staff is responsible for the quality of our offensive line.

**cydsho** · 03-26-2007, 11:37 AM

Not sure why anyone is surprised. How many times did you see a reciever line up UNCOVERED and still was not even looked at. Must not have been in the "approved" 1/3 of the field. This just makes me upset when I think about the 2005 season and how that ended up...........so let's look to the future.
I think/hope we have some proven coaches that show us something we haven't seen before. I think with this coaching change, we will not be as bad as people think and we will surprise people. Not saying we make a bowl but win more than we would have and throw a wrench in someones season. All this just make me more excited for next year.

**ISUFan22** · 03-26-2007, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by crash_zone

Would this have been a timing issue? Maybe the line couldn't hold long enough for him to look more - and as a precaution, the staff only gave him a limited range to throw to. ?

Somebody stayed after class and did their homework.

The staff is responsible for the offensive line, so their horrible play goes on them and the staff. I will say, I felt our scheming for run blocking was the biggest deficiency. We had a smash-mouth group that wanted to block straight-up, not a group that was capable of zone blocking and such.

So I'm not sure what other schemes our staff could've put in place for pass blocking. Although, running the ball well helps your pass protection, so if the staff could have utilized our linemen better in running schemes, we could've been more effective all the way around.

All these things are connected. In a world of "someone must be to blame", if I had to assess our ineffective passing game I'd break it out like this...

Staff - 40%
Offensive line - 35%
QB - 15%
Receivers - 10%

**acody** · 03-26-2007, 11:42 AM

I recall game after game where Meyer seemed to lock in on one receiver and never look elsewhere. Any well coached d-back would be taught to watch Meyer's eyes.

**jay moe** · 03-26-2007, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by crash_zone

Would this have been a timing issue? Maybe the line couldn't hold long enough for him to look more - and as a precaution, the staff only gave him a limited range to throw to. ?

Very good point. I would say this had a lot to do with it. It probably made the offense even more predictable than we could ever imagine. It would also explain the lack of throwing the ball to Blythe down the field. Hopefully that changes this year.

**rte4st8** · 03-26-2007, 11:49 AM

When I hearch Gene speak he said his offensive style was one that SCORED EVERTIME THEY HAVE THE BALL!

Anybody seen Brent lately..........the offseason workouts helped him. He looks bigger that last year.

**247cy** · 03-26-2007, 11:57 AM

It was maddening to watch Meyer the last two seasons not go through any progression and find a TE/RB on a check down route. I gave him a pass his freshman campain, because he was a freshman. Sophomore year, we were winning, so it didn't bother me too much, and he was able to find open guys. Last year, I figure if he wants a shot at an NFL job, he'd better learn to check down - WRONG!

I had suspected the coaches/offensive schemes were limiting what he could do, but I had no idea that the plan was this crippling. Come on!! This is D-1 COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!!! Limit the QB to thirds of the field on a particular play???!!

I understand that the O-Line was poor and he was running for his life most of the time, but the scheme probably didn't help. Especially if teams scouted well and there was any possibility of us tipping our plays. If that was the case, it'd be easy to bring pressure or rotate help to the side the play was going to. That may have contributed somewhat to the perception that the OL couldn't block!

I hope Meyer & Blythe & company have a stellar year this year. And for that matter, the pressure is off the OL a bit.

**mike4cy** · 03-26-2007, 12:19 PM

Maybe, but I am pretty sure that the O-line was just plain bad.

**woodie** · 03-26-2007, 12:47 PM

maybe that is why blarney totten is still drawing his unemployment check.
a good iowa high school coach could have done more with the cyclones than cotton did. i see that he son is sure trying to get out of dodge.

**Kyle** · 03-26-2007, 12:55 PM

Yeah... Any smart defensive coordinator would just roll his safeties to the side of the field Meyer looked at first. I want to watch some old tape now and see how often that happened.

**BryceC** · 03-26-2007, 01:02 PM

All these things are connected. In a world of "someone must be to blame", if I had to assess our ineffective passing game I'd break it out like this...

Staff - 40%
Offensive line - 35%
QB - 15%
Receivers - 10%

I agree to a certain extent, but the last game of the year showed we had the personell and the ability to run the ball effectively that would have given Meyer more time to be effective on the offensive end. When a staff has the players on the roster that have the ability to make things happen and they don't give those players the opportunity, that is a mistake by the coaching staff and I think last year really put an exclaimation point on the complaints people had about Mac. I was really happy he went out on top like that, but in hindsight it makes me happier that he's gone.

**URBCLONE** · 03-26-2007, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by twojman

This is a classic and major example of playing NOT TO LOSE!

I had said previously that I lost faith in the previous coaching staff after the UCONN debacle. I wonder what Mac backers have to say now?

Same here. Do you remember what the UCONN players said after the game? "It was easy playing them, we knew exactly what they were going to do!"

Unreal.

**HILLCYD** · 03-26-2007, 01:11 PM

Originally Posted by URBCLONE

Same here. Do you remember what the UCONN players said after the game? "It was easy playing them, we knew exactly what they were going to do!"

Unreal.

I have brought this up before. My little section of season ticket holder friends used to sit in the stands and call the plays prior to snap. One of the more memorable games was Nebraska last year where I swear we were batting .900 for the game.

My comment then was, "Here we are, a bunch of drunk yahoo's in the stands, ya think Nebraska's D-Coordinator knows what is up?"