In 4 games this year ISU has scored exactly 0 points in the 1st quarter. How do we snap this 1st quarter skid and start getting better production early on in our remaining games?
It is pretty amazing that we are 3-1 with 0 pts in the 1st qtr.
The simple answer (although I am beginning to question how "simple" it is) is to protect the ball early. We moved the ball against IA into the redzone twice early in the game. Once on our first drive and then again after we were down 10-0 only to fumble 2 times inside the 10. UCONN we were able to move the ball once Steele settled.
It is pretty amazing that we are 3-1 with 0 pts in the 1st qtr.
The simple answer (although I am beginning to question how "simple" it is) is to protect the ball early. We moved the ball against IA into the redzone twice early in the game. Once on our first drive and then again after we were down 10-0 only to fumble 2 times inside the 10. UCONN we were able to move the ball once Steele settled.
The UNI game was just awful to start because our Oline and QB were young and playing in their first real game action.
I am trying to forget the TX game for my own sanity but if I remember we had started to move the ball and had a couple of 1st downs until the fumbled exchange between QB/RB.
I honestly think we can score enough pts against Baylor to keep us in the game IF we dont make mistakes. Their D is less than average so I dont think moving the ball is the real problem it will be not hurting ourselves and making good decisions even if that means throwing the ball away or checking down to a RB or TE.
We spot BU 14 pts before our offense gets their heads in the game its highly unlikely we can dig out.
In 4 games this year ISU has scored exactly 0 points in the 1st quarter. How do we snap this 1st quarter skid and start getting better production early on in our remaining games?
The question is how do you protect the ball. The coaches can emphasize protecting the ball all they want, but I don't think it would really change how the players perform.
I think we should play James White the first drive. Also, try to get Steele a couple of runs early to possibly settle down the nerves. The coaches act like he never gets too excited, but he is always overthrowing guys early. Throw a bubble screen early or a short swing pass to Jarvis or Lenz early. That's all I got.
Oh, and defer if we win the toss. Let the defense have at least one shot in the 1st half with some field position.
Steele needs to rub one out in the locker room before the game so he doesn't overthrow his first 3 passes.
Or we could just try to get him a couple of really easy throws right away.
In 4 games this year ISU has scored exactly 0 points in the 1st quarter.
We haven't scored in the first quarter since the Texas game down in Austin last year. That's 8 straight games. We've also got the ball first in 2 games this year and 8 out of 12 games last year and scored exactly zero points off those 10 game opening drives. We are notoriously slow starters. We should always want to defer to the 2nd half. That bad thing is our two worst quarters scoring-wise are the 1st and the 3rd.