Sep 16, 2023; Athens, Ohio, USA; Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht (3) runs the ball against Ohio University Bobcats safety Walter Reynolds (26) and defensive tackle Bralen Henderson (81) during the fourth quarter at Peden Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Lunsford-USA TODAY Sports
AMES — Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell talked of tweaks, not wholesale changes. Improved execution, not a shift in philosophy. That’s because as frustrating as last Saturday’s 10-7 loss at Ohio proved to be for the Cyclones’ beleaguered offense, opportunities for success dotted all four quarters. They simply went largely unmet — and that’s a situation that must change if the Cyclones (1-2) hope to beat Oklahoma State (2-1) in Saturday’s 3 p.m. Big 12 season-opener at Jack Trice Stadium.
“I don’t feel like it’s a lack of creativity,” said Campbell, whose team has won one of its last nine games decided by seven points or fewer. “Really, it was a lack of execution and I think if you go back to the first game and the second game, there are some positives, and yet there are things that are a hair off. And, again, I’m not saying this to be deflective. I’m saying this to be honest. There are a lot of guys playing for the first time in some of those critical spots. I wish that wasn’t the case (but) I’ve got great belief in our young men. We’ve got great coaches. I think part of it is you’re not gonna panic.”
Still, the trend in one-score games is alarming — and the angst that accompanies such setbacks can boil over. Take Saturday’s loss to the Bobcats. Campbell and his team were jogging to the locker room when a fan heckled them, shouting something about him being on “the hot seat.” He’s not, of course, but the catcall clearly rankled ISU’s second-most winningest coach all-time — as a video of the exchange that circulated widely on social media showed.
“I think emotion got the best of me and at the end of the day, I’m not perfect,” Campbell said. “You’ve got to have a better response from my end.”
The Cyclones certainly need to form a better response to adversity this week against the Cowboys, who are smarting from a 33-7 home loss to South Alabama. Oklahoma State ranks a lowly 110th in scoring offense (20.3 points per game) and ISU tumbles even deeper down the depths of that chart to 122nd (16.3 points per game). So something’s got to give and the Cyclones are convinced they’re on the cusp of fulfilling opportunities instead of misfiring on them on that side of the ball.
“When we watch film, we see that there are so many plays out there that are just an inch away,” said transfer wide receiver Jayden Higgins, who’s recorded a touchdown catch in each of the past two games. “So we’ve just got to put those together and we’ll be perfectly fine.”
That puts ISU’s offense squarely into Campbell’s often-cited “prove-it” mode and it’s unclear if that improvement can come without profound changes to scheme and/or or personnel. Cyclone offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase at least entertained the thought that more sweeping adjustments may eventually be made, but stressed that lack of execution, particularly in the running game, is the primary driver of his unit’s travails.
“There have been moments (where) you feel like,’ Man, we might have thought that this was more of who we were and what was best for us,’” Scheelhaase said. “But obviously that transitions and changes as the year goes on, and I feel like even three weeks in, with a lot of guys that you’re figuring out who they are on Saturdays, we for sure have a better feel now.”
What the Cyclones don’t have a firm grip on is how to field a productive running game. ISU ranks 123rd in rushing yards per game at 86.3. The Cyclones totaled just 38 rushing yards on 23 attempts against Ohio and they’ve scored just one rushing touchdown in their first three games.
“That’s something that we’ve got to have,” Scheelhaase said. “The way that we believe as an offense that we can be successful in the conference, it is (by) establishing the run game. Again, figuring out different ways to do that is going to be important week-to-week. Figuring out who our team is and how they do that best is going to be important, but we’ve got to be able to do that at the end of the day.”
