It ain’t sexy, but Hall of Fame coach Urban Meyer believes high-level wide receiver blocking can double a team’s rushing yards.
“There’s not a receiver out there who says, ‘Man, I can’t wait to go block,'” Meyer said on his Urban Analysis segment this week on the Big Ten Network. “But it’s one of those skills that you need on your team and once they realize the value of it, it becomes very important. Say you have a good day rushing for 200 yards. Half of that yardage is a result of the receivers blocking.”
Like Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, Meyer was a college receivers coach before he became a head coach. He understands the art of receiver blocking as well as anyone.
And Meyer believes this particular edition of IU football — led by Nick Marsh, Shazz Preston, Charlie Becker, Tyler Morris and Davion Chandler — is elite.
“They’re the best group of receivers blocking I’ve seen in at least a decade,” Meyer said.
Cignetti was asked earlier this week if his transfer receivers Marsh and Preston arrived on campus with the ability and mindset to block.
“No, no. That’s something we emphasize,” Cignetti said. “(Offensive coordinator) Mike (Shanahan) does and me being an ex-receiver coach at Alabama where all we did was block when I was there, you know, I kind of drive that point home hard to the receivers as we get close to game day.
“I give them credit, they’ve responded.”
There’s a mantra within the IU receiver room — no block, no rock. So it only makes sense Marsh’s production as a receiver has picked over the last two weeks (12 catches, 133 yards) as he’s become a more effective blocker within the offense.
At 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, Marsh can be physically imposing. Indiana has asked him to learn all of the receiver positions in the offense, and with that, all of the blocking nuances that come with each spot.
Marsh, who just turned 20 this week, is taking it to heart.
“My job is to do the best I can for my teammates, and downfield blocking is one of the things I’m good at,” he said Saturday following the win over Northwestern. “So I’m really trying to elevate that in my game and build that into my character.”
The full Urban Analysis segment is below:
Video via Big Ten Network.
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