Not to be a Debbie Downer but prevent defense and ground game

[Newell]

Two losses by a total of 3 points isn't the end of the world so I don't want to be a drama queen but my observation of the Baylor game

1 - It isn't limited to Iowa State but I consistently see teams in the last couple minutes go to the prevent defense. That is the best way possible to allow the opposing team to move uncontested down the field. Add one more game to the long list of games lost when a team did exactly that.

2 - Lack of a ground game. No question Purdy is a rare high level qb recruit who doesn't come along every day but without the threat of a ground game opposing teams are going to defend the pass and Purdy will have trouble finding open receivers. Coaches are going to have to run the football. If they need to adjust to a power running formation then that might be the way to go. You can still pass out of those formations and more likely to have a receiver isolated. Can't pass into teams dropping 8 into coverage.

 

[madguy30]

Was ISU in prevent yesterday? I thought they were straight up mainly. Just didn't come through.

 

[IcSyU]

We didn't play prevent. We went with what surrendered 20 points and they happened to put a drive together after going nowhere earlier in the 4th.

 

[alarson]

Hard to blame our defense too much in general, especially considering the challenges they were facing (seemed clear the heat got to them in the middle parts of the game). Sure, wouldve liked to get a stop there, but our D held them to 23, which is more than adequate in the big 12.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

Great defenses win the game. We are good but not great. I've been pretty unimpressed with the pass rush from our line. Most sacks are coming off safety and linebackers blitzing. Sure they making the holes but the 3rd down conversion rate we are surrendering would be better if we could cause pressure with just our line. Also need to start spying the QB on 3rd downs at all times. Giving up way too many easy runs for conversions.

 

[dirtyninety]

Trust the process. Bend don't break. It is in the margins.

Or

Just Win Baby.

Ryan Day at OSU advancing so fast is more evidence to me that the super smart coaches are actually pretty rare, and when they do come along, they ascend fast. Not sure our guys know how to coach up a run attack.

 

[Rogue52]

Our defense was defending like we had a 1 point lead against a team that didn’t have a kicker dressed.

The problem was all of us life long Cyclones knew how that kicker was going to get his first career FG.

 

[RonBurgundy]

We have lost two games giving up 18 and 23. Our defense is outstanding. Purdy was disappointing most of the game yesterday, and rushing offense has been disappointing all year. Shame since this year could have been special.

 

[madguy30]

Trust the process. Bend don't break. It is in the margins.

Or

Just Win Baby.

Ryan Day at OSU advancing so fast is more evidence to me that the super smart coaches are actually pretty rare, and when they do come along, they ascend fast. Not sure our guys know how to coach up a run attack.

Have ISU and tOSU switch players and kazam!

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

Trust the process. Bend don't break. It is in the margins.

Or

Just Win Baby.



Ryan Day at OSU advancing so fast is more evidence to me that the super smart coaches are actually pretty rare, and when they do come along, they ascend fast. Not sure our guys know how to coach up a run attack.

Not even the same things. OSU gets the best of the best so you can take more chances because you have superior athletes.

 

[JM4CY]

Trust the process. Bend don't break. It is in the margins.

Or

Just Win Baby.

Ryan Day at OSU advancing so fast is more evidence to me that the super smart coaches are actually pretty rare, and when they do come along, they ascend fast. Not sure our guys know how to coach up a run attack.

This seems like a pretty unreasonable and borderline stupid take.

 

[Steve]

Great defenses win the game. We are good but not great. I've been pretty unimpressed with the pass rush from our line. Most sacks are coming off safety and linebackers blitzing. Sure they making the holes but the 3rd down conversion rate we are surrendering would be better if we could cause pressure with just our line. Also need to start spying the QB on 3rd downs at all times. Giving up way too many easy runs for conversions.

There was a spy on the crucial 3rd and 9 play from the Baylor 37 on the deciding drive. Unfortunately, the MLB committed too early to the wrong gap. He got caught up in traffic which allowed the 10 yard scramble. If he doesn't take himself out of the play, it's a short gain at best.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

There was a spy on the crucial 3rd and 9 play from the Baylor 37 on the deciding drive. Unfortunately, the MLB committed too early to the wrong gap. He got caught up in traffic which allowed the 10 yard scramble. If he doesn't take himself out of the play, it's a short gain at best.

Yes angles have been pathetic this year. Probably left 7 sacks on the field from bad pursuit and God knows how many extra yards.

 

[dirtyninety]

Not even the same things. OSU gets the best of the best so you can take more chances because you have superior athletes.

Oh...you are so right. Just tired of this. Kirk Herbstriet will always be right....we are just Iowa State until we prove we can beat Washington State or Baylor without excuses for about 4 or 5 years. And not lose our staff. Then you will have true culture change. It does happen..Wisconsin, Oregon. Ha, not often, but it can.
Just boring and monotonous losing these crappy games.

 

[MeowingCows]

Our offense can't beat teams only managing to score ~20 points on our defense. We deserve to lose in those circumstances, and will continue to do so until we establish a clear, effective identity on offense.

Our identity yesterday was mainly hoping Purdy can miraculously thrust a play together, usually after running away from broken pass coverage.

 

[jbhtexas]

We didn't play prevent. We went with what surrendered 20 points and they happened to put a drive together after going nowhere earlier in the 4th.

But should ISU's defense play the last possession the same way they had played the entire game? The circumstances surrounding that last drive were not like the circumstances for the rest of the game. The primary goal for the BU offense changed from taking as much time as needed to score a TD (knowing that there would be subsequent possessions to score), to securing field position position for the game winning FG in a relatively short 3:45. Certainly BU would take a TD, but that's not what they were primarily attempting to do.

Similarly, the goal for the defense has to shift focus to preventing BU from getting into range for that short-to-medium range game winning FG.

Whatever the strategy, BU pretty much got exactly what they wanted on that last drive. They moved the ball 54 yards in three and a half minutes. ISU didn't force a 4th down on that drive until BU was in range for a medium length FG and had bled the clock down. That is not the sole reason for the loss by any means, but it is a defensive failure.

 

[dirtyninety]

This seems like a pretty unreasonable and borderline stupid take.

You don't get what I was trying to say.....I was not comparing ISU to OSU. But then again- using a coaching analogy- you are more like Chris Ash than Bill Belichick. Try to hate post less.

 

[Cat Stevens]

This seems like a pretty unreasonable and borderline stupid take.

and you thought the Clemson take on here yesterday was the drizzling *****.

this guy says hold my beer

 

[madguy30]

Our offense can't beat teams only managing to score ~20 points on our defense. We deserve to lose in those circumstances, and will continue to do so until we establish a clear, effective identity on offense.

Our identity yesterday was mainly hoping Purdy can miraculously thrust a play together, usually after running away from broken pass coverage.

The hope is also the defense can figure out how to lock down when it's needed.

If this next game is a field goal fest right now the nod goes to TCU until ISU can get that stop.

 

[MeowingCows]

The hope is also the defense can figure out how to lock down when it's needed.

If this next game is a field goal fest right now the nod goes to TCU until ISU can get that stop.

I know that, but we still have to figure out the offense if we want to step forward as a team. It's not like we're gonna hold OU and TX to ~20 points, probably not OKST either. We need to find ways to not lean on our defense every single game.