Folks, we’ve made it to the (first) dreaded bye week. Since Iowa State has no opponent this week, we will take a dive into a performance against a team the Cyclones no longer cross paths with: Texas A&M. Iowa State has an all-time record of 1-10 against the Aggies, which obviously is not great, but that one game the Clones did win, was one to remember while one man stuck out amongst boys that October afternoon. Todd “Calvin Johnson? Never heard of him” Blythe.
Before Iowa State had guys like Allen Lazard and Hakeem Butler that were straight up more athletic than whoever was covering them, Iowa State had a Todd Blythe. Blythe came in at a tall, lanky 6 foot 5. He might not have been the quickest or most athletic, but he made up with route running and his hands, and is up there with Lazard and Butler for being one of the greatest receivers to come through Iowa State. Let’s look into his incredible performance against the Aggies.
It’s the year of our lord, two thousand and five, October the 29th. Iowa State enters the game with a record of 4-3, losing 3 out of their last 4. However, the ‘Clones had high hopes coming into the season. They finished the 2004 season with a bowl win over Miami (OH), in good ole’ Shreveport for the Independence Bowl.
Quarterback Bret Meyer and wide receiver Todd Blythe are both coming off of some productive freshman seasons, Meyer throwing for over 1900 yards and 10 touchdowns, and Blythe hauling in 39 catches with 833 yards, along with 9 touchdown receptions, respectively. Coach Dan McCarney enters his 11th season, hoping to take the program to a possible Big 12 Championship game.
With wins over an 8th ranked Team Out East and 22nd ranked Army, things were starting to come together. Iowa State then dropped 3 straight to Nebraska (Double OT), Baylor, and Missouri (OT). Then after a thrashing of Oklahoma State, Iowa State goes into the last week of October at 4-3. Enter Texas A&M. Iowa State was 0 for 7 all time against the Aggies. Enter dynamic duo, Bret Meyer and Todd Blythe.
Todd Blythe came into the game on a 6 game scoring drought, only surpassing 5 receptions twice and not having eclipsed the 100 yard mark to this point. Midway through the first quarter, that 6 game scoring drought came to an end. Blythe was able to snag a one-handed grab from a Bret Meyer loft pass in the corner of the endzone.
After going on another touchdown drought (the ENTIRE second quarter), TB was right back to work. After a Bret Meyer scramble drill-type play, Blythe found his way to a perfectly thrown ball, splitting 2 defenders while making the catch, and then coasting from about 20 yards to put the Cyclones up by 2 scores, on a 54 yard touchdown. Later in the quarter, Meyer found Blythe once again for a Randy Moss esque touchdown grab from 19 yards out.
Onto the 4th quarter. Still up by 2 scores, and say it with me now, Meyer found Blythe down the sideline for a 63 yard score. For those of you keeping track, and in the words of Lebron James, that’s “not one, not two, not three,” but four touchdowns.
Iowa State would not only finish the day putting a beat down on not only the 12th Man, but the 13th, 14th, and quite possibly the 15th Man, by a staggering score of 42-14. They would finish with one of the greatest offensive games in Iowa State history: Bret Meyer surpassing 300 yards through the air, Stevie Hicks hitting the 100 yard clip on the ground, and Blythe hauling in over 200 yards receiving on 8 catches.
This would be the first game in Cyclone football history that they would have a 300 yard passer, 200 yard receiver, and a 100 yard rusher. And I haven’t even mentioned the defense yet; John Skladany and “Big Play” Brent Curvey led the attack for a truly underrated defensive squad, allowing no more than 27 points in a single game all season. They would shut down the Aggies and force 3 turnovers on this glorious day.
FF - Bret Meyer to Todd Blythe 4TDs vs. Texas A&M 200FF to 2005 - Bret Meyer and Todd Blythe hook up for four TDs in 42-14 win at Texas A&M.
Posted by Iowa State Football on Friday, June 29, 2018
Iowa State would go on to finish the season with a 7-5 record, coming oh-so-close to a Big 12 North Title and Big 12 Championship birth, losing a pivotal game to Kansas, 24-21, on a tough, you guessed it, wide right kick that would lead to an overtime loss. Texas went on to beateventual Big 12 North Champions Colorado, 70-3.
Iowa State was realistically about 13 points away from winning the north and will finish as one of the biggest what-ifs in Cyclone football history.