YAC

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hoosman

Well-Known Member
Sep 4, 2006
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This year, we are striving for better yards after contact. I think that ISU's previous coach downplayed YAC because it was an opportunity for turnovers - and we did have a lot of fumbles after contact. Even in the NFL, you see guys like Jerry Rice who catch and fall down before getting hit. Is there a double-edged sword involved with YAC? How does someone know when an extra defender might go for a strip? Is there judgement involved by the ball carrier (mainly one-on-one situations)? Or is a safer technique taught for holding on after contact?
 

Steve

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
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This year, we are striving for better yards after contact. I think that ISU's previous coach downplayed YAC because it was an opportunity for turnovers - and we did have a lot of fumbles after contact. Even in the NFL, you see guys like Jerry Rice who catch and fall down before getting hit. Is there a double-edged sword involved with YAC? How does someone know when an extra defender might go for a strip? Is there judgement involved by the ball carrier (mainly one-on-one situations)? Or is a safer technique taught for holding on after contact?

The best way to get YAC is to hit a receiver in stride. In the past, the approach was more for a receiver to get to a spot, turn, and wait for the ball. This gives the defender time to react and close on the ball which limits YAC.
 

cyclonefan59

Member
Jul 3, 2006
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Clarksville, Tn
Steve hit the nail on the head. Hitting a receiver in stride wan not evne given a thought apparently during Mac reign. It use to **** me off no end. That the jump ball in the endzone. every team had to know if we were throwing inot the end zone, it would be a fade.
 

kurecabinboy

Active Member
Apr 22, 2008
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Hitting a receiver in stride seemed to be a difference in schemes between offensive coordinators and assistant coaches than with Mac himself. I remember the slant being a regular part of the ISU offense when Steve Loney was offensive coordinator. Under Barney Cotton, it seemed to be more about having our receivers find a soft spot in the zone or throw up a jump ball, and in man coverage, we seemed to look for the tight end - linebacker matchup mor than anything else.

As for YAC with running backs, we had a four-year running back in Stevie Hicks who would go down if anyone touched his ankle. So, it's been quite some time since we've seen Hiawatha Rutland, Michael Wagner, Ennis Haywood, Darrin Davis, and Troy Davis, all of which had good YAC...some better than others, obviously.

With all that said, I love how Chizik is calling YAC "Cyclone Yards" and he's emphasizing mental and physical toughness. With the stable of running backs we have right now, we SHOULD be running people over and getting good Cyclone Yards.
 

isuno1fan

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Mar 30, 2006
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Just hold on to the darned ball. Nothing more frustrating than a player giving it that 'extra' we all cheer for and want to see only to have it end with him getting stripped.
 

Clone9

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Nov 12, 2006
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Boston, MA
How does someone know when an extra defender might go for a strip?

They will ALWAYS go for the strip. Always assume you are gonna get hit and someone will be going after the ball. Make moves and hold on to the ball with all you've got. Anyone can run through a giant hole created by the O-line, and anybody can catch a little 7 yard button-hook. The great ones can turn those plays into much more.
 

scottie33

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Nov 25, 2006
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They will ALWAYS go for the strip. Always assume you are gonna get hit and someone will be going after the ball. Make moves and hold on to the ball with all you've got. Anyone can run through a giant hole created by the O-line, and anybody can catch a little 7 yard button-hook. The great ones can turn those plays into much more.

I don't know about running through a huge hole...It seemed a few times we'd block a huge hole for Hicks and he'd be kind of slow to the hole and the hole would close up and only get a 1 or 2 yard gain. And I don't think anyone can catch a 7 yard button-hook given that the ball is in the air before you make your hook and its in your face right as you turn your head and look for the ball. Many of people would get clocked right in the face or the ball would be by them before they got their hands up to catch the ball
 

Phaedrus

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Jan 13, 2008
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Another thing that the Mac era brought us: Talented runners who coughed up the ball a few times, and were never seen again.

Note to self: Players can be coached not to fumble. Oddly enough, some of those very players went on to have better careers at some place other than ISU. I think that speaks volumes about prior coaching regimes.
 
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woodie

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Apr 10, 2006
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hicks spent more trying to juke behind the line of scrimmage.did he think our offensive linemen was the defense??
 

ISUAlum2002

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Apr 11, 2006
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Seemed like there were a lot of square out patterns run by Barney's offense, a lot of them were run too close to the first down marker and many resulted in not getting past the marker. Our YAC was darn near non-existant because our receivers were always running out of bounds as they were catching the ball.

Not saying that this didn't happen in Chizik's first year here, but it just was something that annoyed me with Mac's last few teams because I noticed it happening a LOT.
 

Aclone

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Dec 14, 2007
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I think that ISU's previous coach downplayed YAC because it was an opportunity for turnovers - and we did have a lot of fumbles after contact.

:biglaugh::biglaugh::biglaugh:

Any excuse to insult McCarney? Whst, you don't even remember Todd Blythe breaking tackle after tackle against Texas A&M on his way to all of those touchdowns? I suppose then that I shouldn't expect you to remember either of the Davis brothers, let alone Ennis Haywood... :wideeyed:
 
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Aclone

Well-Known Member
Dec 14, 2007
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Another thing that the Mac era brought us: Talented runners who coughed up the ball a few times, and were never seen again.

Note to self: Players can be coached not to fumble. Oddly enough, some of those very players went on to have better careers at some place other than ISU. I think that speaks volumes about prior coaching regimes.

Umm...and how many times did you see Jason Harris run the ball last seaon under Chizik?
 

Bobber

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Apr 12, 2006
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Ennis Haywood was really good at this. The Davis brothers were fun to watch too, but Ennis would pretty much run through people. He'd turn what looked like a 1 or 2 yard gain into 4 or 5.
 

Aclone

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Dec 14, 2007
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Ennis Haywood was really good at this. The Davis brothers were fun to watch too, but Ennis would pretty much run through people. He'd turn what looked like a 1 or 2 yard gain into 4 or 5.

Darren just loved to spin off guys, and Troy would turn four or five yard gains into thirty. Just ask Missouri about YAC.

Two bad he didn't have real breakaway speed. :wink:
 

CarolinaCy

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Apr 18, 2008
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Whst, you don't even remember Todd Blythe breaking tackle after tackle against Texas A&M on his way to all of those touchdowns?

I remember the first catch was a fade into the corner that he caught one-handed with a defender all over him. I think the second one was a long pass where Meyer scrambled to the right, hit Blythe on a sideline route, the DB fell down, Blythe turned upfield and waltzed into the endzone. And the last one, I believe, was the bomb down the sideline where the DB had fallen down again and Blythe was uncontested for the catch and the subsequent run. I don't remember the third, perhaps this is where he broke "tackle after tackle" en route to the endzone.

Actually I think Blythe probably led the country in career catches of 40+ yards that didn't result in TDs. That's not all his fault though, Meyer really hung up a lot of those throws, resulting in jump balls and immediate tackles.
 

bstegs

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Apr 11, 2006
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Off topic, but Hiawatha may potentially be my least favorite cyclone ever (as well as a mediocre running back at best). Talk amongst yourselves.
 

D UP Clones

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Oct 25, 2006
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Any excuse to insult McCarney? Whst, you don't even remember Todd Blythe breaking tackle after tackle against Texas A&M on his way to all of those touchdowns?

I'm not sure Todd Blythe broke a tackle in his entire career. He was incredible down the sideline and jumped to make some great catches. He was a terrible route runner across the middle unless it was really shallow. He had crocodile arms more than once.

Why we ever threw the ball to him on bubble routes is beyond me. He tripped over his own feet most of the time.

Still a great receiver, but running after the catch was not his deal.
 

kurecabinboy

Active Member
Apr 22, 2008
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Off topic, but Hiawatha may potentially be my least favorite cyclone ever (as well as a mediocre running back at best). Talk amongst yourselves.


Hiawatha Rutland or Stevie Hicks? Which would you take on your team?
 

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