The Formula to Win at Iowa State

DesertClone1

DesertClone
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I'd like to see us pursue the Stanford & Wisconsin formula. Pro style power football. Slow the game down so we can at least keep it close & not get blown out all the damn time. Take skilled quarterback play out the equation and make him a game manager. We'll never consistently beat Texahoma in a game of speed.

Next: F U N D A M E N T A L S. Sound tackling & ball control. Winning the turnover battle and preventing big plays is how you can overcome a talent deficit.

Talent: Win the battle in the trenches. Quality interior linemen must be developed. This CAN be done with local kids. Supplement the edges with the best DE & TE JUCO talent you can find.

THIS 1000000000000x over and over again. That's one thing Mac did, they knew how to run the ball and that's what they did.
 

heitclone

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Jun 21, 2009
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The first thing you need is a coach that can check his ego and fit his scheme to the guys we have here or can bring here right now. we've have OC's come in and shove their system down our throats regardless if it worked or not instead of tailoring their scheme to the teams strengths. Wisconsin's HC is the perfect example, he ran a traditional spread offense at Utah St built around his best player at QB. When he came to Wisky he adapted to the guys he had instead of trying to force his offense on the team, the results speak for themselves.
 

FootballinTexas

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Aug 2, 2009
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Coaches with deep ties to Texas or Florida. A good coach at preaching the basics.

I agree with you. We don't have those guys anymore (Pope, Herman, Bray, Wells). BTW, who are our current players from Texas that are making an impact? Go back a few years when we had these coaches, we had some players who were. Not that those players made all the difference but, they helped make a difference. Something to think about.
 
Sep 14, 2014
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I don't think that will work. The kids we recruit from Texas/Florida are the same kids that get beat up by the guys that go to UT and Oklahoma.

I think you get a coach with a clear vision and identity for the team. You get big guys from the Midwest/North & establish a great strength program to build a foundation for the line. You sprinkle in some athleticism for the skill positions where you can find it (I'm partial to looking at recruiting some New Zealand / Australian FB players if that's legal). I think the best offensive scheme would be power because I think that works best for the prototypical Midwest lineman.

Sounds like you are describing Iowa. I agree our offensive line is bad and, with a few exceptions, historically has been. No question we need to be bigger and better there but I just don't think that recipe will work in Big 12. I know K-State does it but we don't have Bill Snyder on our side. I really feel like we are a four star recruit or two away from being able to compete in the Big 12. Mangino was a good hire. I think he is a good play caller and he knows what he wants to do. We absolutely need to preach fundamentals and quit shooting ourselves in the foot wether it be penalties, turnovers, dropped passes, missed blocking assignments, there are too many mistakes at the worst possible times. Finally, we have to find a way to make Iowa State more appealing to more talented athletes. I promise it can be done if you show young men we are building to something. I want to believe that Rhoads is a guy who can make it happen but if he can't show even minor gains then we have to look
 

jbhtexas

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Oct 20, 2006
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The first thing you need is a coach that can check his ego and fit his scheme to the guys we have here or can bring here right now. we've have OC's come in and shove their system down our throats regardless if it worked or not instead of tailoring their scheme to the teams strengths. Wisconsin's HC is the perfect example, he ran a traditional spread offense at Utah St built around his best player at QB. When he came to Wisky he adapted to the guys he had instead of trying to force his offense on the team, the results speak for themselves.

This. And I'll take it a step further. ISU needs to stop gambling the HC position on coordinators with no previous head coaching experience. Yes, that can and does work, but it's not working at ISU. For the better part of the the past 20 years, the ISU HCs have not had any previous HC experience, and ISU football has about a 0.380 winning % over that time. Apparently the job is too big for someone with no HC experience.

IMO, time is running out; more realignment is going to come, and sooner than later if this new playoff turns into a boondoggle. It's time for a Johnny-Orr-type-swing-for-the-fences move for the FB program. Rally the big donors and make a play for somebody. In 10-15 years, if ISU does end up in some AAC-like conference, I don't want to be looking back and having regrets that the AD didn't go for broke to turn the FB program around.

Give Rhoads until the end of the year. If the deer-in-the-headlights play continues without improvement, make the move and don't look back.

Secondly, as long as ISU in in the Big 12, get somebody on staff with TX ties, and recruit TX the right way.
 

isufbcurt

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Apr 21, 2006
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I agree with you. We don't have those guys anymore (Pope, Herman, Bray, Wells). BTW, who are our current players from Texas that are making an impact? Go back a few years when we had these coaches, we had some players who were. Not that those players made all the difference but, they helped make a difference. Something to think about.

The age old question Florida recruits vs Texas recruits.
 
Sep 14, 2014
46
10
6
35
I don't think that will work. The kids we recruit from Texas/Florida are the same kids that get beat up by the guys that go to UT and Oklahoma.

I think you get a coach with a clear vision and identity for the team. You get big guys from the Midwest/North & establish a great strength program to build a foundation for the line. You sprinkle in some athleticism for the skill positions where you can find it (I'm partial to looking at recruiting some New Zealand / Australian FB players if that's legal). I think the best offensive scheme would be power because I think that works best for the prototypical Midwest lineman.

Sounds like you are describing Iowa. I agree our offensive line is bad and, with a few exceptions, historically has been. No question we need to be bigger and better there but I just don't think that recipe will work in Big 12. I know K-State does it but we don't have Bill Snyder on our side. I really feel like we are a four star recruit or two away from being able to compete in the Big 12. Mangino was a good hire. I think he is a good play caller and he knows what he wants to do. We absolutely need to preach fundamentals and quit shooting ourselves in the foot wether it be penalties, turnovers, dropped passes, missed blocking assignments, there are too many mistakes at the worst possible times. Finally, we have to find a way to make Iowa State more appealing to more talented athletes. I promise it can be done if you show young men we are building to something. I want to believe that Rhoads is a guy who can make it happen but if he can't show even minor gains then we have to look
 

Cycsk

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Aug 17, 2009
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I agree with you. We don't have those guys anymore (Pope, Herman, Bray, Wells). BTW, who are our current players from Texas that are making an impact? Go back a few years when we had these coaches, we had some players who were. Not that those players made all the difference but, they helped make a difference. Something to think about.


How would you compare Jared Barnett to our two recent QB recruits from Texas: Darius Lee-Campbell and Dom Delira?
 

CYKOFAN

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Mar 27, 2006
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There are plenty of players left over after the big boys get their fill. If you get a coach that can coach them up and develop them as well as put them in a good S&C program then you can make something out of the leftovers.

It doesn't matter what scheme you run as long as you run it well.

This. And find out what Farley does. He takes players we don't want and either beats us or scares the h out of us on our turf.
 

CapnCy

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Jul 6, 2010
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I don't know I this is done anywhere, but I'd have some type of "walk on incentive guarantee." Basically, A formula that is publics that's says "if you do, x, y, z" you will earn a scholly in year 2 or year 3 (and that may mean boy renewing a scholly of a dud player). I don't mean pull an Alabama and over recruit, but basically get local/regional kids a clear path at being a member o the team.
 

isufbcurt

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Apr 21, 2006
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I don't know I this is done anywhere, but I'd have some type of "walk on incentive guarantee." Basically, A formula that is publics that's says "if you do, x, y, z" you will earn a scholly in year 2 or year 3 (and that may mean boy renewing a scholly of a dud player). I don't mean pull an Alabama and over recruit, but basically get local/regional kids a clear path at being a member o the team.

most walkons if they become productive players receive a scholarship already
 

weR138

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Feb 20, 2008
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Win the battle in the trenches

How do you win it? You put supreme emphasis on it.

Move the campus to Texas.

Or make ISU a Texas school in Iowa.

1. Identity- LINE PLAY.
Hire an OC & DC that are OL and DL coaches (at least one should have an NFL connection)
Mold a program that win or lose has better lines than everyone but UT & OU

2. Texas - recruiting
Turn the Texas recruiting up to eleven. Make it clear that we want to be a Texas school in Iowa

3. Texas - scheduling
Make sure that any non con games (not named UNI or UI) ISU play are vs./in Texas. UTEP, SMU, Rice, TSU, NTSU etc. If we're not in Iowa we're in Texas, again...a Texas school in Iowa.

In this league Texas is where the fans are and where the talent is located. We can get good OL, DL, LB even QBs up here. For everything else - Texas.

Build the line on both sides.

Right, make sure the OC & DC are line coaches. Everything is based on line play. It's the focal point of every scheme

The age old question Florida recruits vs Texas recruits.

I'd like to hear your take Curt but I'm all in for Texas for two major reasons;

1. 4/10 conference foes are in Texas, factor in the strong ties OU & oSu have to the state of Texas and it's clear to me that this is a Texas conference

2. Shear numbers of prospective recruits. There are more in Texas and they're closer than Fla. Plus if we implement my plan of having at least one Texas school on the non con every year that's five games vs. Texas teams a year to sell to kids (families) from Texas.
 

mustangcy

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Apr 11, 2006
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People keep saying you "build the lines" with local talent....that's not even remotely possible. D Lineman especially, you just don't find in Iowa or the midwest. You gotta find them in Texas or Florida and the ones you could get to come to ISU are not going to be ready to play at the Big 12 level for at least 2-3 years.You'll be lucky if they are Big 12 ready by thier RSJR year. Sometimes I think people think building Big 12 lines is easy...like just go out and find some corn fed Iowa boys and 'coach'm up'...again, that's not the reality. Good lines, on both sides of the ball, are built in the living rooms of recruits...south of the mason dixon on defense.
 

weR138

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Feb 20, 2008
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People keep saying you "build the lines" with local talent....that's not even remotely possible. D Lineman especially, you just don't find in Iowa or the midwest. You gotta find them in Texas or Florida and the ones you could get to come to ISU are not going to be ready to play at the Big 12 level for at least 2-3 years.You'll be lucky if they are Big 12 ready by thier RSJR year. Sometimes I think people think building Big 12 lines is easy...like just go out and find some corn fed Iowa boys and 'coach'm up'...again, that's not the reality. Good lines, on both sides of the ball, are built in the living rooms of recruits...south of the mason dixon on defense.

Nothing is easy for ISU in the big 12. But it's absolutely possible to build the OL from local talent and even most of the DL. But to do that you must commit to paying your OL and DL coach more (my strategy is to make them OC & DC). You're right that you can't simply plug them in, they must be developed for years but they will come if they know ISU means entrée to the NFL. If you can get NFL onto the staff it's possible.