Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht (3) gets sacks by Texas Tech Red Raiders’ linebacker Jacob Rodriguez (10) and defensive line Trevon McAlpine (95) during the fourth quarter in the week-10 NCAA football at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
No one ever said being a Cyclone fan was easy.
Iowa State finally suffered its first ‘L’ of the season to a good Texas Tech team after matching the best start in program history at 7-0.
There are far worse spots to be in, and we’ll get to that, but let’s dissect Saturday a bit more.
Starting games & finishing drives
For the fourth straight game, Iowa State’s defense allowed a touchdown on its opponent’s opening possession.
For the seventh straight game, the Cyclone offense failed to score a touchdown on its opening drive.
What once was a trend has become a trademark.
“I think it’s just coming out slow,” defensive lineman Joey Petersen said. “I don’t really know the answer to that, but I think it’s just us coming out slow, maybe not fully prepared.”
There’s no easy explanation for it, because if there was, it would be fixed.
But this team has got to get out of the gates better.
On top of it, Iowa State was inside Texas Tech’s 35-yard line in nine of its 13 drives and came away with only 22 points.
It goes back to execution, avoiding mistakes, etc. It’s just got to be better.
Teams are blitzing more
We saw some of this against UCF, but Texas Tech really went after the quarterback on Saturday night and it paid off.
Rocco Becht was sacked twice and it could have turned into more had his pocket avoidance not been as good as it can be.
In the last three games, Becht has been sacked seven times. That’s a steep hike compared to surrendering just two sacks in the opening five games.
Teams are starting to bring more pressure in the passing attack and they’re penetrating the offensive line.
I’m wary about using Pro Football Focus grades because of how inexact they can be on different types of play calls, but Gabe Burkle and Tyler Moore graded out at 21.5 and 17.1, respectively, in pass blocking. That’s out of 100.
Iowa State needs its ‘A players’
There has to be a reset, and it starts with the ‘A players.’
Iowa State can’t have drops from wide receivers Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. Each had drops that could have resulted in big plays.
The Cyclones can’t have a first half that Abu Sama had running the ball – and for how rough the first 30 minutes were, he about made up for it with the last 30.
Regardless, that first 30 can’t be what it was.
Senior offensive lineman Jarrod Hufford was called for three penalties, while grading out as the team’s second best pass blocker on Pro Football Focus.
The two downfield penalties tanked his overall grade, and that can be chalked up to risks of running RPO’s, but the false starts can’t happen either.
The ballhawks flocked to the ball
If there’s a silver lining to come out of this one, it’s in the defensive backs room.
Texas Tech starter Behren Morton had thrown three interceptions all season coming into Saturday’s game.
Iowa State picked the Red Raider off twice in the first half alone, and would have had a third if a penalty not extended Texas Tech’s go-ahead touchdown drive.
Darien Porter’s pick stands out as impressive. Myles Purchase had a great game in coverage and also had an interception, and Malik Verdon made two huge plays in the fourth quarter.
All things considered, those guys balled out.
Everything is still out front in the Big 12
Iowa State made its bed in the first seven games.
Usually that’s used with a different connotation, but it holds truth here.
The Cyclones are 7-1 after their first loss, one that feels as debilitating as any that fans have seen over the last nine seasons.
But it’s also the best spot it can be in – and the best record the program has ever had through eight games.
With Kansas State suffering its second Big 12 loss, the Cyclones should* still control their own destiny to secure a spot in the Big 12 championship game.
I’ll have a bigger explainer on tiebreakers from the entirety of the conference this week – just root for Texas Tech to beat Colorado.
Oh, and Cam Skattebo did Cam Skattebo things again in Stillwater.
…
How much do you hate losing? That’s what we’ll find out in the coming weeks.
