2-2 start - Content or disappointed?
- Thread starter ISUFan22
- Start date
Not often will we be able to survive 21-point first half deficits, I'm guessing. We DO need to become better early on. It seems to be on the coaches' minds, too, I'm guessing, since a team goal is to score on the first possession of each half.
Play competitively and soundly in the first half AND have the ability to make helpful halftime adjustments will make us a much better football team, it seems to me.
If I were a betting man, I'd wager Saturday's 21-0 deficit sickened Gene, I'd wager that he finds that sort of deep hole resulting from a dismal start unacceptable. But, I'm only guessing. . . .
I don't see that at all. Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma State are games I feel we will lose. After watching Baylor, I don't like our chances a ton there.
This isn't about expecting to be perfect - it's about expecting what Chizik has set out to do - win. Not in a few years...not tomorrow...but now.
I don't care that Vegas picked us to lose. And I've tired of the road game excuse - time to break that streak - and we had 2 fantastic opportunities to do such. If we had played SDSU or Kent State on the road - should we have lost those games too? I'd certainly hope not.
This team will get better, but I'd certainly hope they feel as I do - that they missed excellent opportunities to start 4-0 and are motivated to mitigate those errors in the future.
I'd be quite concerned if they were employing the "we're young", "it was a road game" or "it's only Gene's 2nd year" attitudes. I understand those things and as a fan don't disagree with them. However, even in spite of that, we should still be 4-0 today.
Here's the key to taking that next step up in 2009, huh?
I was fervently hoping, though, for 3-1 so that we'd have a better chance to make a small bowl. I don't care about the bowl game itself as much as about the additional practice time, which would be so valuable for our young football team.
Bowl-game practice preparation is such a disadvantage for those teams not earning a bowl invite; I've heard too many coaches talk about how valuable such practices are to discount the importance of them.
Geez, now we're gonna have to go 4-4 in conference play to become bowl eligible. Hefty task. . . .
Lets learn from this and move on.
A-settle in on one QB, this way we can get them into a pattern starting into the first quarter and not third. Alternating doesnt cut it. If needed use play calling to get them warmed up and to get first downs (short passes)
B-cut these dam personal fouls out, some were bogus but others not. We were one the least penalized teams last year to 3.5 personal fouls or 50+ yds a game this year (field position). Use the bye week to get this ironed out, anger management if needed. Leonard Johnson can stay on the team-suspend him necessary time, mail idiot UNLV coach an appology and move on.
C-keep working on tackling
D-keep improving the Oline, I think this is a bright spot, not sure if the QBs were sacked saturday night or not, they were not at Iowa
E-play communication did not seem to be a problem Sat night.
Iowa is not a good team and we should have beat them, UNLV was too hungry but at least we came back. We have several winnable games ahead, we just need to do it.
A-settle in on one QB, this way we can get them into a pattern starting into the first quarter and not third. Alternating doesnt cut it. If needed use play calling to get them warmed up and to get first downs (short passes)
B-cut these dam personal fouls out, some were bogus but others not. We were one the least penalized teams last year to 3.5 personal fouls or 50+ yds a game this year (field position). Use the bye week to get this ironed out, anger management if needed. Leonard Johnson can stay on the team-suspend him necessary time, mail idiot UNLV coach an appology and move on.
C-keep working on tackling
D-keep improving the Oline, I think this is a bright spot, not sure if the QBs were sacked saturday night or not, they were not at Iowa
E-play communication did not seem to be a problem Sat night.
Iowa is not a good team and we should have beat them, UNLV was too hungry but at least we came back. We have several winnable games ahead, we just need to do it.
I'm in for disappointed... Logically looking at the schedule one could predict 2-2, "We are Iowa State" and the growing pains continue to haunt us.... I could see the ideas of a 4-0 start too but kept in mind the potential for a slip up... when you play 2 home/2 on the road to begin the season odds are good that we end up 2-2... UNLV came out ready to play/ We failed to move the ball. Unfortunately we did not... With a good coaching staff we can learn from losses and take forward strides. I see potential with maturity and on-field experience.
It is what it is. Let's make the most of our poor offensive production (2-2 record) and finish drives with 6+1 instead of a an attempt at 3. It would be nice to see our place kicker attempting extra points more frequently...
It is what it is. Let's make the most of our poor offensive production (2-2 record) and finish drives with 6+1 instead of a an attempt at 3. It would be nice to see our place kicker attempting extra points more frequently...
Yup, and I forgot to mention those benefits of making a bowl game that you listed. Would have been huge.
I'll be shocked, and elated if we go 4-4 or better in the Big 12. It means we either beat both KU and Mizzu - or conquered our road losing streak.
Both very good things and I'd gladly take either.
Disappointed. With our rather weak non-conference schedule, we needed to at least be 3-1, either winning at Iowa or at UNLV. We had a shot at both, but unfortunately went 0-fer between them. 4-0 would have been awesome. 3-1 would have been great. Now we are 2-2 and fans are going to get restless (even though we're young). We need wins to come to keep up the excitement!
Disappointment. I don't believe 4-4 in conference is impossible, but we have to prove we can win on the road. You can't take any road game as a win right now.
That's a rather odd expectation. Chizik has been a head coach here twice as long as Briles, who is in his first year. Baylor has always finished in the cellar. If we lose to a program like Baylor, that would invite a natural Briles/Chizik comparison.
It is logical to expect a win at Baylor.
Disappointed, because the two losses could easily have been, and probably should have been, wins. Opportunities presented themselves, and were not taken advantage of. Young teams need to do that to build confidence.
ISU needs post season appearances to happen in the top two revenue generating programs (FB and MBB). Those two programs, particularly FB, pay for everything else in the AD. Not seizing the opportunity to be 4-0 (or at least 3-1) may have cost a chance at a desperately needed post season appearance.
ISU needs post season appearances to happen in the top two revenue generating programs (FB and MBB). Those two programs, particularly FB, pay for everything else in the AD. Not seizing the opportunity to be 4-0 (or at least 3-1) may have cost a chance at a desperately needed post season appearance.
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You are looking at the game from one angle: head coaching experience. Have you seen Baylor play this year?
Also, I don't know if we can expect any road game to be a win at this point. I'd like to think we can, but I don't know if we can.
I watched the broadcast of the UConn game and was less than impressed with the Baylor defense - especially against a QB with the arm limitations of Lorenzen.
Yes, I have seen Baylor play this year - and that was my point. The previous coach was fired because he couldn't recruit talent and could not win. How has Briles catapulted that program right off the bat - in a job that was thought to be the worst in the Big XII?
Disappointed...we shouldn't have lost to a bad Iowa team and UNLV, but were Iowa State you come to expect that
Not disappointed by a 2-2 record, but disappointed by the level of play thus far. Poor playcalling, poor decisions, not smart football, poor tackling, things you expect to be fixed by this level of competition.
I'm not disappointed since this is a rebuilding year...If this were Chizik's 3rd or 4th year I would be disappointed.
Heck boys this team has to learn how to win at home before we can expect to win on the road.
There will be better days ahead...I HOPE!!!:wink:
Heck boys this team has to learn how to win at home before we can expect to win on the road.
There will be better days ahead...I HOPE!!!:wink:
It's no secret you seek out reasons to go after Gene. It's no different than the all-out Dan haters. Simply put - this group will win and lose as a team. It's Gene's job to win yet he can't execute the plays. Give it a rest.
I can't see how it would open a comparison between the two coaches - well a logical one that is. I didn't think Baylor was that bad of a team last year.
Our former staff (and experienced one, mind you) managed to lose to Baylor a few years ago.
At home.
Kent State's QB gave us fits. Baylor's true freshman QB plays a very similar game. I think that one ends up being a high scoring affair. I'm not saying we will lose. I'm just putting caution there - as many here seem to think all we have to do against Baylor is show up and collect a win.
Not disappointed. The team is noticeably better and I only expected 4-5 wins this year.
We are right on plan as far as I'm concerned.
We are right on plan as far as I'm concerned.
Before the season started I thought we would go 4-0 to start the season. At this point I think we should be at least 3-1. UNLV outplayed us so I would still chalk that up as a loss. The only reason we went to OT is because UNLV's coach pulled a McCarney and decided to run it up the gut 3 times because he had a 7 point lead in the middle of the 4th quarter, but I digress...
I am disappointed at the start, because the team is too erratic. Consistency on lines, both offensive and defensive, is what we need to turn these close games into wins.
I am disappointed at the start, because the team is too erratic. Consistency on lines, both offensive and defensive, is what we need to turn these close games into wins.