Now that I've calmed down...

[Candide]

Terrible hang time on a couple of his kicks and a couple real clunkers to go along with some good pubts. But Milton failing to fair catch their one bad punt at the 50, which completely flipped field position was a our biggest single mistake.

The crazy part of that play is that they thought he touched it and ran and downed the ball while it was still rolling. That thing had another 10-15 yards on it.

Also, the missed open field tackle on Jones when he didn't call fair catch and ended up with his biggest return of the day could have been a big moment if he would have been lit up like he should have.

 

[MeowingCows]

The offensive stats from Iowa don't speak quite as much to me because we gave them very short fields to work on multiple occasions. You won't out up gaudy stats taking over well inside the 50 every drive.

That's said, observations for each team. ISU has offensive problems. Lot of plays and some players that were visibly out of sync. Many of the same issues this week as last week (except the turnovers). Defense was awesome given how much they were on the field and how often they were given short fields to defend. They shaved many points from Iowa.

For Iowa, Petras is a glaring weak spot. Later in the game there was called plays designed for him to throw long balls downfield, back shoulder throws, back of the endzone, etc. and he missed practically all of them. Conference teams will notice and adjust for this. Two weeks in a row now Iowa has not had to depend on their offense to really create much due to the defense scoring and producing. That's not gonna stay that way forever, and that offense struggled to drive and produce on its own. I feel like their run game is lacking threat as well, but that could be a result of how well our D played.

I left the game thinking we're clearly not as good as I expected us to be, and right now, I still believe that to be true. We've got a few weeks of easier games all in a row coming up and we need to see some major progress during them offensively. Iowa is good apart from the offense, if that gets going, they have a good chance to win their division.

 

[nrg4isu]

Haven’t gotten an answer on this and I’m curious if anybody does know. What was the penalty flag for on the scoop and score. I don’t remember any announcement on it but there was a flag laying in front is the side judge.

It wasn't a flag. The ref is supposed to throw a marker (black not yellow) on the field to spot the fumble yardage. He threw his flag instead

 

[BCClone]

It wasn't a flag. The ref is supposed to throw a marker (black not yellow) on the field to spot the fumble yardage. He threw his flag instead

The flag wasn’t at the spot though, it was at the line of scrimmage. Immediately in front of him and a couple yards in front of the fumble.

 

[cyphoon]

I also blame execution over play calling. Brock's first INT should have been a touchdown or a huge gain. Good play call, safety bites, and Hutchinson has his man beat.

But.... a late throw plus a little jersey tug by the cornerback to close the gap, and the whole thing works out to a Hayden Fry punt on first down.

H

 

[nrg4isu]

The flag wasn’t at the spot though, it was at the line of scrimmage. Immediately in front of him and a couple yards in front of the fumble.

Refs aren't good at throwing? As long as the yard line was close (which I think it was) I have to assume that's what happened.

 

[nrg4isu]

I also blame execution over play calling. Brock's first INT should have been a touchdown or a huge gain. Good play call, safety bites, and Hutchinson has his man beat.

But.... a late throw plus a little jersey tug by the cornerback to close the gap, and the whole thing works out to a Hayden Fry punt on first down.

H

I agree with everything above, but you also have to credit Iowa's dB. He could have gotten PI, but also put himself in a perfect position to intercept. Of all of the turnovers, I feel like this was was created by Iowa's defense and least to do with luck.

 

[cyclone1209]

"Fact of the matter is" that we turned the ball over 4 times. Stats below...

Total yards: Us 339 to their 173
Passing yards: Us 252 to their 106
Rushing yards: Us 87 to their 67
Yards per play: Us 4.9 to their 2.9
First downs: Us 21 to their 11

FUMBLES LOST: Us 1 to their 0
INTERCEPTIONS THROWN: Us 3 to their 0

That was the problem. Not play calling.

Yes - Manning was not the epicenter of the problem. In 2021 I don’t see the big 12 as an incredibly deep league either, should bode well for us. But Brock has about two more quarters to show us he can do this, he sucks in the first half against UNLV? Campbell will have a difficult decision to grapple with

 

[AuH2O]

I agree with everything above, but you also have to credit Iowa's dB. He could have gotten PI, but also put himself in a perfect position to intercept. Of all of the turnovers, I feel like this was was created by Iowa's defense and least to do with luck.

In the end if you play sound assignment football you are always around the ball, tackling with multiple players and creating tipped balls. People think your defense has to be ripping the ball out jumping routes and making incredible strip sacks to create turnovers. Make the offense throw into tight windows and have guys around the ball. That’s how you create turnovers Consistently.

 

[BCClone]

Refs aren't good at throwing? As long as the yard line was close (which I think it was) I have to assume that's what happened.

Just checking, you aren’t positive and just using your best guess? Because it was more of a dropped flag than thrown. It was right in front of the ref.

 

[usedcarguy]

He didn't lose the ball. He's scared to catch it. It's a pattern.

Agreed. And it's not just Milton. It's as if punt returns are something this staff is just trying to survive rather than exploit. There is zero confidence instilled in the returners and it's been this way since he's been here.

 

[allfourcy]

For those more knowledgeable, was it the scheme Iowa used? Does their defense have more speed that our receivers didn't get open as much as we want? (didn't think they did against UNI either). Was their line tough for Purdy to throw over or were they getting more penetration than I could tell in my far away seat? Reason I ask, I just can't believe Purdy just had that bad of a game and/or Breece fumbles cuz it just didn't click. I mean, while we want to believe some of the interceptions were self-inflicted, I don't know what it looked like from a qb's eyes on the field.

 

[BCClone]

For those more knowledgeable, was it the scheme Iowa used? Does their defense have more speed that our receivers didn't get open as much as we want? (didn't think they did against UNI either). Was their line tough for Purdy to throw over or were they getting more penetration than I could tell in my far away seat? Reason I ask, I just can't believe Purdy just had that bad of a game and/or Breece fumbles cuz it just didn't click. I mean, while we want to believe some of the interceptions were self-inflicted, I don't know what it looked like from a qb's eyes on the field.

Purdy has started working forward in te pocket more. At his height, and tendencies, that is negative for both.

 

[Wally86]

Coming in at 9 to play 10 at home hosting GameDay in front of a national audience to regress in our execution as we always do in September? Iowa or not, there was going to be a meltdown. We might go on to beat the crap out of some really crappy big 12 teams now but all that non-isu fans will remember is this crappy performance.

To this point, my nephew who attends CSU had a Facebook post about Iowa State being good at giving the ball away.

 

[SolarGarlic]

For those more knowledgeable, was it the scheme Iowa used? Does their defense have more speed that our receivers didn't get open as much as we want? (didn't think they did against UNI either). Was their line tough for Purdy to throw over or were they getting more penetration than I could tell in my far away seat? Reason I ask, I just can't believe Purdy just had that bad of a game and/or Breece fumbles cuz it just didn't click. I mean, while we want to believe some of the interceptions were self-inflicted, I don't know what it looked like from a qb's eyes on the field.

They didn't really get home on Purdy, but they forced him to move early, which is going to mess up timing and rhythm. They have two corners who are comfortable in coverage, which isn't always a given with Iowa. But the big thing is they now have linebackers or hybrid guys like Belton and Jacobs who shore up the problems they've had in the past, which is covering RBs and slot guys with slower linebackers. Then you have Campbell who is a beast in the middle and can cover as well, and Koerner at safety always in the right spot. There aren't a lot of holes in that defense. They don't need an elite pass rush when they have their back 7 playing like that.

I don't know specific Xs and Os, but it's the same defense they've always played, just with better athletes at linebacker and experienced guys at DB.

 

[2forISU]

When you give Iowa 20 points off TO's you aren't going to win, just that simple. Iowa knows it's a matter of time before ISU TO's the ball over, so they are happy with punting the ball and playing very conservative ball. KF knows that MC will flinch when things aren't going their way.

90% of things that MC and staff do is the right thing, but football games in September are brutal.

 

[WhoISthis]

"Fact of the matter is" that we turned the ball over 4 times. Stats below...

Total yards: Us 339 to their 173
Passing yards: Us 252 to their 106
Rushing yards: Us 87 to their 67
Yards per play: Us 4.9 to their 2.9
First downs: Us 21 to their 11

FUMBLES LOST: Us 1 to their 0
INTERCEPTIONS THROWN: Us 3 to their 0

That was the problem. Not play calling.

Okay great. If this were 2016. Just an anomaly of a young program

when you continually lose the margins because of execution on offense and ST it’s time to evaluate things. We’ve pissed away wins because we’re not good at winning the margins.

Where would this program be if our ST and offense utilized talent as well as Heacock? Offense and St is much more about coaching than defense, yet it’s holding the program back.

Conversely, where is the program without Heacock and his staff?

Manning has such poor feel for calling these games, and the players also were not focused.

 

[chuckd4735]

The difference in field position was almost entirely due to the difference in punters, and our abysmal punt return unit. Their punter was incredible, and ours was below average.

Even though our defense drastically outplayed Iowa's offense, we still ended up starting almost every drive within our own 20. I'd love to see someone with access to all the analytics show the average starting field position for both teams; I'd guess that we were around our own 20, and they were probably around the 50. Our offense was able to move the ball, when Brock wasn't busy throwing it to the other team.

Our scoring drives tended to be the drives where we started at the 25+.

When we're on our own 10 yard line, our team plays scared and doesn't try to push the ball down the field. We were on our 10 it felt like half the drives.

 

[WhoISthis]

Agreed. And it's not just Milton. It's as if punt returns are something this staff is just trying to survive rather than exploit. There is zero confidence instilled in the returners and it's been this way since he's been here.

Whatever we’re doing, or not doing, it needs to stop.
It reminds me of Purdy. Playmaker as a freshman, now just fear of making mistakes reducing him to his weaknesses as a pocket passer.

 

[Yellow Snow]

Okay great. If this were 2016. Just an anomaly of a young program

when you continually lose the margins because of execution on offense and ST it’s time to evaluate things. We’ve pissed away wins because we’re not good at winning the margins.

Where would this program be if our ST and offense utilized talent as well as Heacock? Offense and St is much more about coaching than defense, yet it’s holding the program back.

Conversely, where is the program without Heacock and his staff?

First I'll answer, then a question back at you. OK?

Our offense doesn't look good. Out of sync if you will. I agree. I believe the players are not being coached to fumble the ball, etc. But **** happens. Much of what happened yesterday is on them.

Special teams is where I agree with you totally. Catch a freaking punt? Right? I bet Milton wasn't told to not catch it. Players either make the plays or they don't. Unless you think that the coaches told him not to?

Question now...

What do you propose we do?