Don't Expect Many If Any Changes In Offense

[CascadeClone]

I think that's clearly a short coming from the coaches. Discipline is lacking on the offensive line especially.

Discipline as is "they are screwing around and don't care" or discipline as in "they can't get it right consistently" ?

The former is on the players - if they aren't trying hard because they dgaf, that is on them.
The latter is totally on the coaches - either the scheme is too difficult or they aren't getting taught in a way that works.

As an outsider looking in, I think it is the latter, not the former. But only someone inside would really know.

 

[CycloneWarrior]

It's true that Matt Campbell doesn't make/miss kicks, drop touchdowns, miss blocks, etc. However, he either needs to recruit better talent or do a better job of adapting his offense to the current skill level.

 

[3TrueFans]

It's true that Matt Campbell doesn't make/miss kicks, drop touchdowns, miss blocks, etc. However, he either needs to recruit better talent or do a better job of adapting his offense to the current skill level.

I would imagine he and all the other coaches are trying to recruit the best talent possible, but there are only so many highly ranked and talented players to go around. Are there other teams that recruit similarly to us as far as overall rankings go but never have down years? I actually don't know the answer to that.

 

[joefrog]

Well, hate to be right, but here we are.

CampbellBall is here to stay.

KF style football with worse coaching and special teams, and opponents with better offenses.

Aren't you excited!

Up your donations. Waste those weekends.

 

[davegilbertson]

I said this last week and it didn't get much traction. I'll say it again.

Let Myers walk.
Demote Manning to OL coach (his specialty??) only.
Beg Alex Golesh to come back. Killing it at Tennessee.

Why would this happen?

 

[besserheimerphat]

Why do people expect Campbel to come out and blast his staff during a press conference? That would be unprofessional - like your boss calling g you out for poor performance during an all staff meeting. Would that motivate you to work better? Assuming not, then why would you think it would make someone else work better?

Job performance discussions will (and should!) be kept internal. Just because we're fans doesn't mean we have a right to 100% transparency. Investors don't get that on quarterly earnings calls either. The CEO doesn't say "well our engineering department has been really bad lately - Joe in electrical just isn't getting it done and we're putting him on probation" and a coach shouldn't do that either. That's not what a good leader does.

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

Discipline as is "they are screwing around and don't care" or discipline as in "they can't get it right consistently" ?

The former is on the players - if they aren't trying hard because they dgaf, that is on them.
The latter is totally on the coaches - either the scheme is too difficult or they aren't getting taught in a way that works.

As an outsider looking in, I think it is the latter, not the former. But only someone inside would really know.

They're both on Campbell. Keeping your players engaged and motivated is priority #1. If they aren't giving you that then it's next man in.

 

[isufanz1]

I would imagine he and all the other coaches are trying to recruit the best talent possible, but there are only so many highly ranked and talented players to go around. Are there other teams that recruit similarly to us as far as overall rankings go but never have down years? I actually don't know the answer to that.

Here's the rub - UNI will have OL drafted the last 2yrs. ISU has not had a OL drafted since 2013. Every other Big 12 team has had at least 1 OL drafted during CMC's tenure. It comes down to one of two scenarios ; 1) The players being recruited are not intelligent enough to learn basic/mid level OL techniques (I find this very very hard to believe) or 2) Coaches are incapable or don't know how to properly teach OL technique/skills. While Myers is the OL coach, Campbell and Manning have been obviously unable to convey the skills/techniques as well.

 

[LtRaczack]

Well, hate to be right, but here we are.

CampbellBall is here to stay.

KF style football with worse coaching and special teams, and opponents with better offenses.

Aren't you excited!

Up your donations. Waste those weekends.

Amazing how much mileage one can get from:

1. “Inconsistencies”
2. “Execution”
3. “I don’t know”

 

[davegilbertson]

Discipline as is "they are screwing around and don't care" or discipline as in "they can't get it right consistently" ?

The former is on the players - if they aren't trying hard because they dgaf, that is on them.
The latter is totally on the coaches - either the scheme is too difficult or they aren't getting taught in a way that works.

As an outsider looking in, I think it is the latter, not the former. But only someone inside would really know.

sure, but who brought them in, who's trained them, and who's being paid millions, near million, to get them to care and align them for successful outcomes?

 

[ruxCYtable]

Campbell will never be fired, nor should he be. I've heard, however, he's very disenchanted with what's going on with portal/NIL. Take that for whatever it's worth, which may be absolutely nothing.

 

[davegilbertson]

Here's the rub - UNI will have OL drafted the last 2yrs. ISU has not had a OL drafted since 2013. Every other Big 12 team has had at least 1 OL drafted during CMC's tenure. It comes down to one of two scenarios ; 1) The players being recruited are not intelligent enough to learn basic/mid level OL techniques (I find this very very hard to believe) or 2) Coaches are incapable or don't know how to properly teach OL technique/skills. While Myers is the OL coach, Campbell and Manning have been obviously unable to convey the skills/techniques as well.

The sense I get from our OL scheme and general inability to run tempo and make sharp executive decisions when pressure is ramped is this: we have a technically sound approach, but it is perhaps overly complex or cerebral. Which is at odds with 1. immature men still developing/learning 2. pressures of the moment.

It seems like the OL is doing this year, for a full season, what this offensive staff have done for their tenure, which is freeze, buckle and get discombobulated under pressure.

 

[isucy86]

I listened to Monday's Two Guys Named Chris and Hassel nailed it. There are no issues with how Matt Campbell wants us to play offensively. BUT...if you are going to play that way - low possession, mid-teens scoring - you MUST be elite at the little things. And, we all know, ISU is the opposite of elite while Iowa is very good to elite in the margins. If you are going to play Campbell's offensive style you must have:

1. Excellent punting (we suck)
2. Excellent FG kicking (we suck)
3. Limit turnovers and mistakes (we suck)
4. Limit penalties, especially "simple" ones like false starts (we suck)
5. Get turnovers from your defense that position the offense well (we aren't very good).
6. Get scores from your defense (we suck)

And that's just to name a few. Every single one of these is amplified when you are playing games in the teens. So Matt Campbell is crazy if he thinks we play this way and be terrible in the margins.

To me, we need structural changes because we have demonstrated for years we really suck in the margins. Until Matt realizes this, we are going to be 7-6 with NFL talent or 4-8 with a Top 10 defense.

I agree with your statements. And I agree Matt Campbell is all about being a developmental coach.

But I don't feel his style of play calling means we are going to score 20ppg like Iowa, Wisky or the Gophers.

Other than 2 years during Campbell's time at ISU we have averaged 30+ppg. And our 2nd worst offense averaged around 25ppg.

Having a high scoring offense aligns with his expectations. He's just going to take a different approach to get 30 points than Lincoln Riley, Gundy or Leach. I think Campbell's ideal offense is around 60/40 run vs. pass.

 

[davegilbertson]

Campbell will never be fired, nor should he be. I've heard, however, he's very disenchanted with what's going on with portal/NIL. Take that for whatever it's worth, which may be absolutely nothing.

I get the sense that he's doubling down on what's "important". Hence the coaching his daughter's softball and focusing on developing character vs chasing wins by arm$ race.

 

[jsb]

Campbell will never be fired, nor should he be. I've heard, however, he's very disenchanted with what's going on with portal/NIL. Take that for whatever it's worth, which may be absolutely nothing.

Which is why they’ve been warning us about Nebraska.

 

[CascadeClone]

Campbell will never be fired, nor should he be. I've heard, however, he's very disenchanted with what's going on with portal/NIL. Take that for whatever it's worth, which may be absolutely nothing.

Given how much he cares about the development of the players, both as football players and as people, that wouldn't surprise me.

I think he looks at football as a way to help young men become grown men, a milieu where they can learn, grow, mature as humans. And he takes pride and personal reward in watching those young men develop. I think that is what he feels his calling or vocation really is. Not just winning football games.

The fact that he may care more about the relationships with those guys more than they care, that would take a hammer to his real goals. And frankly, it would hurt.

If CMC said, "hey I have $20M in the bank that I will never spend, NIL is wrecking what I want to do with my life, so I am going to go help guys at a Div3 school instead because that is my vocation" - would you really be all that shocked?

 

[jbhtexas]

If CMC said, "hey I have $20M in the bank that I will never spend, NIL is wrecking what I want to do with my life, so I am going to go help guys at a Div3 school instead because that is my vocation" - would you really be all that shocked?

I wouldn't be surprised if he did it, and I won't be surprised to see other coaches do it as well.

 

[isucy86]

Player execution is a coaching issue. 100%. With that, I'm really trying to not assume Campbell won't make off-season changes at this point. He has to see how much of a mess the offense is. It's not well managed and kids aren't learning the fundamentals, let alone developing.

One think I haven't heard much this year is how we look in practice. In just about every presser he blames inconsistency on our offensive woes. Is he seeing that inconsistency in practice?

With Covid and teams not hitting as much in practice, is his team struggling to adjust to game speed both physically & mentally.

 

[isucy86]

I would imagine he and all the other coaches are trying to recruit the best talent possible, but there are only so many highly ranked and talented players to go around. Are there other teams that recruit similarly to us as far as overall rankings go but never have down years? I actually don't know the answer to that.

My struggle is over Campbell's tenure there are 2 positions we struggle- OL & Kicker.

Those positions are less about bringing in 4/5 star recruits and more about player development by focusing on technique and physical development. Using a Campbell term- honing your craft.

 

[Clonedogg]

Which is why they’ve been warning us about Nebraska.

Who are "they"?