Iowa State strengths and weaknesses

[KenND]

Hi guys. Looking forward to the bowl game and while I know that all of the ND sites will have breakdowns of the matchups, I wanted to go right to the source to see what ND is going to be facing.

What do Cyclone fans see as the strengths and weaknesses of your team? What position groups concern you?

For Notre Dame, the defense has played really well for most of the season. They have had slow starts here and there, but Clark Lea’s (DC) forte is making in-game adjustments and shutting down opposing offenses as the game progresses. ND had a good pass rush, which was great until the lost their backup WDE (Daelin Hayes) and then their starting WDE (Julian Okwara). The LBs are really good and the secondary is good as well, even though the CBs are generally on the small side and can be picked on.

On offense, NDs OL has a load of talent but underachieves. They really struggle to run the ball at times, and the RBs are very average, so ND resorts to some jet sweeps and designed QB runs to loosen things up. The RG and RT are both backups pressed into service because the starters are out with season ending injuries. The WRs are a solid group, with Chase Claypool being a bigger receiver and a beast. Braden Lenzy has elite speed and is generally the guy that the jet sweeps go to. Cole Kmet is their TE, and they go to him a ton. He’s in the discussion for best TE in the country.

I mentioned in another thread that Ian Book gets a lot of press, but don’t let that fool you. He pads his stats against weak opposition and has a tendency to disappear against good competition. He’s been getting better, but gets happy feet and will bolt from the pocket needlessly. If Iowa State can get any kind of pressure on him, ND’s offense may struggle in a big way.

 

[cyclone101]

I'll let the football gurus talk about our strengths and weaknesses because I'm not really a football guy but I just want to say that your TE might be good but he isn't Charlie Kolar. Kmet might be in the discussion for best TE but he isn't the correct answer.

 

[VeloClone]

I'll let the football gurus talk about our strengths and weaknesses because I'm not really a football guy but I just want to say that your TE might be good but he isn't Charlie Kolar. Kmet might be in the discussion for best TE but he isn't the correct answer.

I don't know that much about Kmet except to say that I have heard from other sources that he is very good. ISU has so much wealth at TE that they often employ 3 TE sets to get some of their best players on the field and because so many teams have no idea how to defend 13 personnel unless it is a short yardage situation.

 

[moores2]

Iowa State will run a defense with only 3 down lineman. (Has some special packages as there is a freshman DE who is really talented pass rusher but has some development needed in other areas). With only 3 down lineman, we normally keep a LB spy on the QB to try and take away the QB scramble/ take away stepping too far into the pocket.

Front 3 DL are very solid with both packages, and it can be difficult to get a power run game going against the from 5 or 6 as Greg Eisworth (Safety and hopefully recovered from injury by bowl game season) has a tendency to step up and make sure tackles.

The defense in general will make an offense dink and dunk down the field, plays a bit soft back in coverage and forces an offense to take short yardage amounts at a time. However, they have struggled to get off the field in some 3rd and long situations.

 

[KenND]

I'll let the football gurus talk about our strengths and weaknesses because I'm not really a football guy but I just want to say that your TE might be good but he isn't Charlie Kolar. Kmet might be in the discussion for best TE but he isn't the correct answer.

That’s why I chose the wording that I did. Kmet is in the conversation, but it’s not a Chase Young that-guy-is-the-clear-cut-best-at-his-position situation. Ultimately, a TE being used as an offensive weapon is only as good as his QB, and Brock Purdy is in a completely different league than Ian Book.

 

[MartyFine]

ISU has had no trouble moving the ball outside our opponents' 30-35 yard line, but ISU can be made one-dimensional at times if they aren't able to run the ball. ISU does have a senior dominated O-line and a really good freshman RB. Brock Purdy is 5th in the country in total offense, so he's where it all starts.

ISU has the best run defense in the Big 12, although they struggled a little towards the end of the season. However, if you give our D coordinator (J. Heacock) a few weeks to prepare I suspect ISU's D will play well. Much like how they slowed down Wazzou in the Alamo last year and Memphis in Liberty the prior year.

I sort of think this will be a low scoring game, so the under will probably be the play.

ISU has not played very well on special teams this year for the most part. That could be a factor.

 

[VeloClone]

On defense ISU revolutionized a 3/3 stack formation that had college and NFL coaching staffs visiting Ames this past summer to see how to run it. They haven't been quite as successful (compared to last year) with it mainly due to loss of their corners who were always in the right spot and excellent open field tacklers, and the injury to our Star (hybrid S/LB). His shoulder injury has forced him to play out of position when he can play. Another S playing the position is okay but not what the defense demands. It will be interesting to see if he can heal up with a month to recover.

ISU has historically struggled to recruit DL talent, especially DTs. But Campbell has changed that and the DL is strong and deep. ISU lost a starter on the line to start the season but hardly missed a beat.

 

[KenND]

Iowa State will run a defense with only 3 down lineman. (Has some special packages as there is a freshman DE who is really talented pass rusher but has some development needed in other areas). With only 3 down lineman, we normally keep a LB spy on the QB to try and take away the QB scramble/ take away stepping too far into the pocket.

Front 3 DL are very solid with both packages, and it can be difficult to get a power run game going against the from 5 or 6 as Greg Eisworth (Safety and hopefully recovered from injury by bowl game season) has a tendency to step up and make sure tackles.

The defense in general will make an offense dink and dunk down the field, plays a bit soft back in coverage and forces an offense to take short yardage amounts at a time. However, they have struggled to get off the field in some 3rd and long situations.

If the defense wants to force a QB to dunk and dunk, then that does play into Ian Book’s hands on paper. He wants to dunk and dunk, and has been very, very reluctant to throw deep unless a receiver is running down the field all by themself. It has gotten a little better of late with Braden Lenzy’s speed being added to the starting lineup, but Book is still overall very reluctant to throw beyond 20 yards.

 

[jsb]

We haven’t lost by more than 14 in 3 years. One of only 3 power 5 teams that can claim that.

ND better be ready for a fight.

 

[KenND]

ISU has had no trouble moving the ball outside our opponents' 30-35 yard line, but ISU can be made one-dimensional at times if they aren't able to run the ball. ISU does have a senior dominated O-line and a really good freshman RB. Brock Purdy is 5th in the country in total offense, so he's where it all starts.

ISU has the best run defense in the Big 12, although they struggled a little towards the end of the season. However, if you give our D coordinator (J. Heacock) a few weeks to prepare I suspect ISU's D will play well. Much like how they slowed down Wazzou in the Alamo last year and Memphis in Liberty the prior year.

I sort of think this will be a low scoring game, so the under will probably be the play.

ISU has not played very well on special teams this year for the most part. That could be a factor.

ND’s DL interior is good, but they are a little on the smaller side and the defense is solid but not elite at stopping the run. They don’t have guys the are north of 300lbs like a Clemson or Alabama. They had some major issues earlier in the season with keeping contain on perimeter runs, but that has mostly been cleaned up towards the end of the season. I’m not familiar with your speed at RB, so I’m not sure if that might be something to keep an eye on. ND started two new/younger LBs and a returning starter that wasn’t very good at the beginning of the year, but they have all improved significantly and are pretty good at this point.

 

[CoachHines3]

we will break u

 

[inCyteful]

Strengths:
1) We will crush the Irish tailgating - qualitatively and in quantity
2) Our nut cups are all-american worthy
3) Stating the obvious - fan board site, pre-game smack talking run up and in-game banter will be CFP worthy

Weaknesses
1) There is an irrational love for Busch Lite around here
2) We have some great analysts around here but the average member on this site (including yours truly) are knee jerk,emotionally driven, lifetime cyclone fans and content on this site will bear that out
3) Refs hate us (see #2)

 

[KenND]

We haven’t lost by more than 14 in 3 years. One of only 3 power 5 teams that can claim that.

ND better be ready for a fight.

Based on my limited understanding of ISU’s team, I would say that ND’s offense is the worst of the four components (not counting special teams). I do not have a ton of confidence in ND’s ability to put up a bunch of points in this game at all.

 

[BillBrasky4Cy]

Fair warning, our punt return team is absolutely lethal.

 

[jcyclonee]

I'm not exactly a football scout but here's my analysis.

ISU's strengths include a fanbase that is very friendly, generous, and good at drinking beer. Our weakness is that the beer tends to be pretty cheap beer.

 

[KenND]

we will break u

If he dies, he dies.

 

[jcyclonee]

Fair warning, our punt return team is absolutely lethal.

That describes our special teams in general, really.

 

[VeloClone]

As you already know, Brock Purdy is the centerpiece of the offense. He has a solid receiver core with the three TEs I already mentioned - Kolar who is the best receiver of the bunch, Allen who despite probably being the slightest of the bunch is probably the best blocker and Soehner (SAY-ner) who is most likely of the three to line up as a fullback. All three can block, catch and run though so they are all threats in the passing game. It has been announced that Soehner will miss the bowl game due to injury though.

Wide ISUs three top targets are Pettway who plays bigger than he is, Milton who is the burner of the group, and Jones who always seems to get open and make the catch.

Someone already hit on Hall (RB) whose stats are a little misleading. A true freshman, it took a little while for him to grab the starting role, so his per game numbers don't grab your eye. Since he took over the starting role he has been very good. He made a true freshman all american team.

The OL is better than ISU has had in a while, but that isn't to say that it is a huge strength for the team. OL play has been dismal for a while so a serviceable line is an upgrade for us. That said, there is a good mix of experience and youthful talent there.

Special teams have been anything but. Our starting punter was lost before the season started and the walk on that took over has been surprisingly good. We struggled this season with place kicking. We have a walk on that is in his second season with the job and the heralded redshirt freshman couldn't take the job from him even when he struggled. The RS freshman has announced he will transfer. The walk on that has handled kickoffs has struggled at times as well. Our return game has been non-existent. Some of that is probably by design by the coaching staff, but probably because of deficiencies they see so they are going the low risk route. You will see a ton of fair catches. Our snapper is All American caliber, but when your PK struggles that has a limited effect on the game.

 

[jcyclonee]

Strengths:
1) We will crush the Irish tailgating - qualitatively and in quantity
2) Our nut cups are all-american worthy
3) Stating the obvious - fan board site, pre-game smack talking run up and in-game banter will be CFP worthy

Weaknesses
1) There is an irrational love for Busch Lite around here
2) We have some great analysts around here but the average member on this site (including yours truly) are knee jerk,emotionally driven, lifetime cyclone fans and content on this site will bear that out
3) Refs hate us (see #2)

I believe that our two analysis describe a pretty consistent pattern. Yours is more broad and complete but both are accurate.

 

[ISUTex]

I'll let the football gurus talk about our strengths and weaknesses because I'm not really a football guy but I just want to say that your TE might be good but he isn't Charlie Kolar. Kmet might be in the discussion for best TE but he isn't the correct answer.

I would say Kmet and Kolar are twins. Seriously, they are both huge, and very good. I would put it at a draw.