Todd Blythe

[jdoggivjc]

We saw some of this with Seneca Wallace in 2002, IMO. Seemed starting with that OU debacle, we tried to turn him into more of a pocket-passer, rather than allowing him to play using all of his true abilities. The staff knew if Wallace got hurt, we were toast (see 2003, the year after Wallace). So, they tried to protect him rather than let him play. Didn't work out so well for us - nor did it for Seneca.

I understood the reasoning, yet again - you gotta let your playmakers play their game and put the ball in their hands.

By protecting Seneca from injury by keeping him inside the pocket and not allowing him to run free as an end result nearly got him KILLED by an offensive line that wasn't geared to protect a pocket passer. I think Seneca actually was MORE prone to being hit when kept inside the pocket instead of being allowed to run. Compare what happened v. Texas Tech to what happened against Oklahoma...

 

[ISUFan22]

By protecting Seneca from injury by keeping him inside the pocket and not allowing him to run free as an end result nearly got him KILLED by an offensive line that wasn't geared to protect a pocket passer. I think Seneca actually was MORE prone to being hit when kept inside the pocket instead of being allowed to run. Compare what happened v. Texas Tech to what happened against Oklahoma...

Right on, it was an offensive passing philosophy change it seemed, mid-season. If it ain't broke...

 

[jdoggivjc]

Right on, it was an offensive passing philosophy change it seemed, mid-season. If it ain't broke...

...fix it before it becomes broken? :wideeyed: (or at least that what the philosophy seemed to be...)

 

[rd4isu]

We saw some of this with Seneca Wallace in 2002, IMO. Seemed starting with that OU debacle, we tried to turn him into more of a pocket-passer, rather than allowing him to play using all of his true abilities.

Some heads should've been rolling after that game. I've never witnessed anything close to the drubbing we took that day. After watching the OU defense run an overloaded blitz for the 1 billionth time in row, I turned the TV off. Wallace literally would've had more time to throw with 5 houseplants lined up in front of him.

 

[cycloneworld]

That really p*ssed me off last year when he had to go begging for the ball. When you are leading the conference in yards per catch the previous 2 years, you should not have to beg to get the ball thrown to you.

Blythe must not have been on the 1/3 of the field Meyer was allowed to throw the ball. :no:

 

[gwoodclone]

We saw some of this with Seneca Wallace in 2002, IMO. Seemed starting with that OU debacle, we tried to turn him into more of a pocket-passer, rather than allowing him to play using all of his true abilities. The staff knew if Wallace got hurt, we were toast (see 2003, the year after Wallace). So, they tried to protect him rather than let him play. Didn't work out so well for us - nor did it for Seneca.

I understood the reasoning, yet again - you gotta let your playmakers play their game and put the ball in their hands.

I agree about Seneca. Not to turn this into an anti-Mac thread, but that was really where my major doubts about Mac came up. I hope Gene Chizik and the new coaching staff are able to come up with someway of getting the ball to Blythe more this year. Some of the play calling last year left me looking like this::chatterbox::wideeyed:

 

[ripvdub]

Who is this TODD BLYTHE you all speak of? I doubt he's as good as Andy Brodell!

Maybe since the coaching staff cut Meyer down to only using one half of the field, they probably focused on the side w/o Todd on it.

Here's to Blythe being the #1 play on the top 10 Sportcenter plays Thurs night/Fri morning.

 

[Kyle]

I couldnt beleive how many times we were in a big spot and Blythe wasn't even in the game... It wasn't like we were dominating time of possesion and he needed a break... You could tell some times watching him on the sideline that he had no idea why he wasn't in the game.

This blew my mind as well. How in the world you don't have Blythe in the game when the team is in the red zone is beyond me. The fade to Blythe has worked every time I've seen them run it except for once (a pick).

 

[clonefan_80]

He's going to make himself A LOT of money this year.

 

[Clone_12]

One thing that will be interesting with Todd this year is to see if he is any better at running his routes...this is in no way an excuse for last year, and our inability to use him in our offense. IMO, if the new offense is anything like I think it will be, and Blythe improves at running his routes, he will really excel in this system. It will be tough for Todd to get open, with teams zoning in on stopping him, but if he ran a little crisper routes, with his frame, and leaping ability-he could be looking at a career year.

 

[Wesley]

Re: There were plenty of times where Blythe was wide open

It has been said that Meyer was handicapped by the previous staff by only giving him portions of the field to throw. So he was not allowed to scan the entire field and make a throw, hence, the reason Blythe would not even get a look on certain plays.

I expect a new and improved Bret Meyer this year. I think he is going to go out there and sling the freakin rock all around. Toledo does not know what they got comin! :yes:

The Big 12 had at least 4 meddler coaches last year who weighed in on play calling to make it more conservative: Mack Brown wants to run the ball more, Dan McC wanted to take no chances, and Pinkel of Missouri is plain out of sync and Bill Callahan either gets fixated on the run or the pass for the whole game. We fixed our problem. Did they?

 

[darts180]

Re: There were plenty of times where Blythe was wide open

The Big 12 had at least 4 meddler coaches last year who weighed in on play calling to make it more conservative: Mack Brown wants to run the ball more, Dan McC wanted to take no chances, and Pinkel of Missouri is plain out of sync and Bill Callahan either gets fixated on the run or the pass for the whole game. We fixed our problem. Did they?

It really will depend, for us, on whether Gene has a better feel for the game than Dan did. The biggest flaw that I could ever see with Dan was how poor his reactions were to what was happening on the field, and the flaw went staff wide, for whatever reason.

The thing with Gene's staff is that they have all been together for so long that it's not beyond the realm for me to hear one of the coordinators to tell Gene to shut up. I think that Gene will not take any offense as long as they were right. If they were wrong, then all bets are off.

Mac's staff was much like the man himself, afraid to verbalize anything that would be even remotely self critical. In watching them coach, and listening to comments, I got a real mutual admiration vibe to the point of paralysis during games.

 

[twojman]

If you look at Blythe's career (Jon Davis too) they were not on the field when it was first and goal, ever! They play a majority of the time was Hicks up the middle, even at the 9 or 10 yard line! Why would you sit a 6'5" and 6'4" guy that close to the endzone when they are taller and can out jump their opponents!?!?!?!??!

I still think back to when Blythe and Meyer said they had to beg for the ball against Toledo in OT, what is going on? Are you trying to save them for something? Sorry, I am just glad changes have come to Ames.

 

[CY ST8T]

Todd is the man, but he really became my hero when I was standing in line here in Waukee behind this smoking blonde girl who proceeded to tell the cashier all about how Todd was a "very close friend" who has spent many times this summer at her house here in Waukee. Two Thumbs UP from me Todd!!!