UT offense influenced by Rich Rod

Idle thoughts from an idle mind, wondering just how many early-season NFL games will be adversely affected by replacement officials:

When Matt Campbell was offensive coordinator at Mount Union, he took his staff on two off-season visits to study the spread offense that was growing like a wildflower in college football.

"We went to Appalachian State because the staff there had just transitioned from the I-formation to the spread and we wanted to see what they were doing," Campbell recalled. "And, of course, we went to West Virginia."

Of course. Rich Rodriguez was the coach then in Morgantown and he will debut on the Arizona sideline Saturday when Campbell begins his first full season as Toledo's head coach with a game in Tucson.

"The spread as a passing offense was already out there, but the start of the spread running game and playing with that type of tempo, you can trace that to coach Rodriguez," Campbell said. "You can go back to when he was at Glenville State; he's probably the father of the spread run offense."

Rodriguez turned the program at little Glenville (W.Va.) State around with his option-style spread. It earned him gigs as offensive coordinator at both Tulane and Clemson and as head coach at West Virginia, Michigan, and now Arizona.

"We were at West Virginia for two or three days," Campbell said. "We saw how hard they were coached, how sound the scheme was, and the great opportunity the players were given to be successful. Now, we get to compare ourselves as a team that plays a similar style.

"Our defense is new; their offense is new to them. But I think Arizona had elements of the spread in place more so than when coach Rod arrived at Michigan. I think the style matches their players.

"It should be fun. It's a great opener and a great opportunity for us because we know the style and coach Rodriguez's dedication to it."

Campbell is no less dedicated - as UT's offensive coordinator a year ago, his team rushed 555 times and attempted 425 passes, a percentage that adheres to Rich Rod's philosophy -- and he makes no secret about studying it at the hand of the man who, at least outside of Ann Arbor, is considered the master of the genre.

■ Jamie Broce, the new men's golf coach at UT, didn't take long to introduce himself to the Northern Ohio PGA. A former tour pro, Broce finished tied for third in the NOPGA Professional Championship at Canterbury Club near Cleveland and qualified for the 2013 PGA Professional National Championship next June at Sunriver Resort in Oregon.

Tom Herzan of Findlay CC, Jaysen Hansen of Belmont CC, and Steve Stone were other area pros among the nine qualifiers advancing to the Oregon event. The top 20 finishers there earn spots in the 2013 PGA Championship at Oak Hill in Rochester, N.Y.

■ Congrats to local New York Life Insurance agents who turned their annual golf outing into $5,500 in proceeds for Racing for Recovery, a charity that fights substance abuse through fitness. The money will help sponsor a 5k run/walk and 10k run at Lourdes University on Oct. 21.

■ Finally, with all the focus on concussions and lawsuits aimed against the NFL, it seemed only a matter of time before a potential landmark-type case emerged at the college level. And, so, it begins at Bowling Green.

Cody Silk, a football player in 2010, has sued BGSU, the coach, and several ex-staffers for alleged violations of NCAA concussion and head trauma protocols.

We haven't heard from the defense, but this is a hot-button issue and should be interesting.

Contact Blade sports columnist Dave Hackenberg at: dhack@theblade.com or 419-724-6398.