Williams & Blum: Big time pain, but some definite gain

[ChrisMWilliams]

Enjoy.

Williams & Blum: More pain, but some definite gain

Williams & Blum tackle Iowa State's 24-21 loss to Texas from every angle. From the controversy at the end to major improvement from the offense, the guys break it all down. Plus, our weekly Big 12 breakdown and a look-ahead to next week in the league. Williams and Blum is always presented by our

cyclonefanatic.com

 

[shadow]

Enjoy.

Williams & Blum: More pain, but some definite gain

Williams & Blum tackle Iowa State's 24-21 loss to Texas from every angle. From the controversy at the end to major improvement from the offense, the guys break it all down. Plus, our weekly Big 12 breakdown and a look-ahead to next week in the league. Williams and Blum is always presented by our

cyclonefanatic.com

Hassel forgot to talk about his Michigan State arrest. I'd really like to hear that story on Iowa Everywhere.

 

[NATEizKING]

Quote of the pod is only 6 seniors played yesterday.

 

[shadow]

Since @brentblum asked; here are CMC #'s coming off a bye and in close games.

I show CMC's record coming off 7+ day byes at 6-6.
What is remarkable is how close all of those games were other than the K-State COVID game in 2020. If you remove the K-State 2020 game, the point diff is 312-299.

2016: Lost to K-State 31-26 and beat Kansas 31-24
2017: Lost to Texas 17-7 and beat OU 38-31
2018: Beat Tech 40-31
2019: Lost to Iowa 18-17 and lost to OU 42-41
2020: Beat TCU 37-34, Lost to Okie St 24-21, beat K-State 45-0, and lost to OU 27-21 (title game)
2021: Beat K-State 33-20

Close game record (games decided by 10 or less) for CMC is 20-30.
2016: 1-5
2017: 4-4
2018: 4-4
2019: 4-5
2020: 4-2
2021: 2-6
2022: 1-4

 

[brentblum]

Quote of the pod is only 6 seniors played yesterday.

Started, technically, but point is similar.

 

[ChrisMWilliams]

Since @brentblum asked; here are CMC #'s coming off a bye and in close games.

I show CMC's record coming off 7+ day byes at 6-6.
What is remarkable is how close all of those games were other than the K-State COVID game in 2020. If you remove the K-State 2020 game, the point diff is 312-299.

2016: Lost to K-State 31-26 and beat Kansas 31-24
2017: Lost to Texas 17-7 and beat OU 38-31
2018: Beat Tech 40-31
2019: Lost to Iowa 18-17 and lost to OU 42-41
2020: Beat TCU 37-34, Lost to Okie St 24-21, beat K-State 45-0, and lost to OU 27-21 (title game)
2021: Beat K-State 33-20

Close game record (games decided by 10 or less) for CMC is 20-30.
2016: 1-5
2017: 4-4
2018: 4-4
2019: 4-5
2020: 4-2
2021: 2-6
2022: 1-4

The sheer number of one score games in that time frame explains a lot about my current mental health State and hair loss

 

[twojman]

The sheer number of one score games in that time frame explains a lot about my current mental health State and hair loss

Yes and is also a reason the special teams needs much more emphasis. ST is literally winning in the margins. I think @cfbmatrix (Bartoo) is great and knows teams without ST coaches perform worse. I feel like each week there is a goof by ST for ISU. With that many close games you are now behind the 8 ball on a minimum of 1 possession each game which you can't have with a razor thin margin of error.

 

[Torks Pub]

Yes and is also a reason the special teams needs much more emphasis. ST is literally winning in the margins. I think @cfbmatrix (Bartoo) is great and knows teams without ST coaches perform worse. I feel like each week there is a goof by ST for ISU. With that many close games you are now behind the 8 ball on a minimum of 1 possession each game which you can't have with a razor thin margin of error.

While I hate giving credit to anything related to the EIU football program, their emphasis on special teams has won numerous games and should be emulated.

With the talent level being so evenly distributed throughout most of the team (save the blue bloods) the margins for victory are slim and FGs and field position are winning games. Lots of them.

 

[Daserop]

You know what would help win more of these one score losses. Good special teams, which ISU doesn't have.

• Blocked Kicks Allowed: Tied @ #129
• Blocked Punts Allowed: #130
• Punt Return Yards: #110
• Punt Return Defense: #6
• Net Punting: #89
• Kickoff Return Yards: #108
• Kickoff Return Defense: #63

 

[NoCreativity]

Quote of the pod is only 6 seniors played yesterday.

That sounds great until you realize X and McDonald are both seniors. We are 0-4 with them, surely won't miss them much next year.

 

[NATEizKING]

That sounds great until you realize X and McDonald are both seniors. We are 0-4 with them, surely won't miss them much next year.

Also lost how many seniors last year and yet only lost those 4 games by a combined 14 points. Not too far off, have to replace studs every year in cfb.

 

[CloniesForLife]

I'm with @ChrisMWilliams . I wonder if Heacock thinks this is his best D. The LB corps is probably a little down from it's peak but solid. D Line is great again (Rasheed is the man) and the back end might be the best it's been with Tampa and Purchase on the corners and Johnson and Freyler at safety. Plus lots of good depth

 

[shadow]

While I hate giving credit to anything related to the EIU football program, their emphasis on special teams has won numerous games and should be emulated.

With the talent level being so evenly distributed throughout most of the team (save the blue bloods) the margins for victory are slim and FGs and field position are winning games. Lots of them.

Let's look at Iowa in 10 point or less games under LeVar Woods who became special teams coordinator in 2017.

2017: 3-4
2018: 3-3
2019: 5-3
2020: 1-2
2021: 6-1
2022: 1-2

So Iowa is 19-15 (56% wins) in games decided by 10 points or less since 2017 when LeVar Woods was made special teams coordinator. If you take out 2016 from CMC's #'s above, he is 19-25 (43% wins) in the same time period. If CMC had the same win % as Iowa during the time period, it would results in ~6 more wins in the period or 1 more win per year.

 

[JM4CY]

I'm with @ChrisMWilliams . I wonder if Heacock thinks this is his best D. The LB corps is probably a little down from it's peak but solid. D Line is great again (Rasheed is the man) and the back end might be the best it's been with Tampa and Purchase on the corners and Johnson and Freyler at safety. Plus lots of good depth

Agreed. But TJ got juked out of his shoes on Texas last TD.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Agreed. But TJ got juked out of his shoes on Texas last TD.

Worthy is one hell of a receiver, so that's going to happen. I think that play mostly came down to youth- pretty sure he had help to the inside from Anthony Johnson that should have led him to bite on that move less.

 

[Cloneon]

Agreed. But TJ got juked out of his shoes on Texas last TD.

More importantly he 'inside help' thus not requiring him to play the inside move like he did. That, I'm sure, was just adrenaline in him to make a play. Coaching will fix that.

 

[AuH2O]

I'm with @ChrisMWilliams . I wonder if Heacock thinks this is his best D. The LB corps is probably a little down from it's peak but solid. D Line is great again (Rasheed is the man) and the back end might be the best it's been with Tampa and Purchase on the corners and Johnson and Freyler at safety. Plus lots of good depth

This defense is amazing. It is easily the best on the back end ISU has been.

Remember when people were freaking out about Young leaving?

 

[AuH2O]

Agreed. But TJ got juked out of his shoes on Texas last TD.

It's less about getting juked out and more of a major execution mistake most likely. It definitely looked like he had Johnson squatting on a zone inside on slant, so TJ absolutely needed to play outside leverage on that. If that's the case, that was definitely one of those big execution mistakes that goes largely unnoticed.

It's hard to say for sure what the coverage was, but it sure looked like TJ played it like a true 0 man when he in fact had some zone help that should've dictated outside leverage. I would be shocked if that wasn't the case, not only because that sure looked like the case, but also because playing straight man with Worthy without zone to help you play leverage would be suicide.

edit: @Cyclonepride and @Cloneon beat me to it.

 

[stewart092284]

There was growth - no doubt but here's what I don't get about our offensive philosphy. We know that we struggle creating explosive plays. We know that we don't have 8 track stars at the skill spots. And yes, it would take some outside of the box thinking -

but why can't we do what some teams do and find ways to get Eli Sanders the ball? And I don't just mean on traditional runs. Like if he really is our fastest player as I've heard said a few times - can we not run a jet sweep or flare him out with the receivers just blocking and it turns into a long toss? Sure, maybe he's not great running between the tackles but get him on the perimeter and let him be a one cut and go guy where there's not 7-8 bodies around him.

We saw a little of that in the play calling but I think we need more. That's what makes a good offensive scheme IMO - is how good you are at maximizing what you have. X can catch passes if we were running the triple option. Noel could be involved in any number of schemes as well. But how we get - or at times don't - get other players involved or scheme them into the game is one of my biggest gripes.

Look at the ground game - none of these guys are Breece. But yet we're running the same plays essentially we ran with Breece. Why?

 

[ForbinsAscynt]

Question for either @ChrisMWilliams or @brentblum.
I know you guys didn’t talk too much about Texas getting calls because they’re Texas which as a sports blogger I don’t expect you to. I do wonder if you think we will see a noticeable difference in the new big 12 with regards to favoritism or if this hasn’t been an issue and fans will just find something else to complain about.