Couple of thoughts about yesterday's game...

[JCloned]

Yes Barney calls the plays. However, if you go back to some of Barney's history (he was only at NU one year), he has a history of being more aggressive. Not exotic aggressive, but more than what we have seen.

While coaching staff would never say it publicly, I am guessing we have only seen the first few pages of the playbook. Look for it to open up the next two weeks.

 

[dudeluv]

I think that everyone needs to take a deep breath. We won 2 very close games and stand at 2-0. In my lifetime as an Iowa State fan, I don't know if I can remember even one game similar to the previous 2 that we have come out on top. We just have to believe. An ugly win is still a win, and proving to themselves that they can win an overtime game and another tight game down the stretch may do more for the psyche of the team than winning a blowout. I still have a hangover from all the close overtime losses from a year ago. Stay the course, go to the game, and cheer your asses off this Saturday and the rest of the season.

 

[Gary_ISU]

I really believe that Mac did not show a single tape of either UNLV or Toledo all Spring, Summer and thus far into the fall. I would put major dollars on mac showing game tape and the team preparing for Iowa and not UNLV or toledo at all. Maybe thats why we have looked (far) less than impressive. I wouldn't put it past mac to have this team preparing for Iowa since the spring. I also wouldn't put it past him to be holding Blythe back until Iowa. He's had, what? 3 receptions this season? bet hes has triple that against Iowa.

Please tell me that you do not honestly believe this and are just trying to put some Mac spin on the first 2 games. There is absolutely no way that Mac spent the spring, summer and fall not preparing for UNLV or Toledo. If he did, he is the worst coach in America. Toledo was 9-3 last season. I will acknowledge that Mac does a great job of gettting us ready to play the Iowa game but he did not completely skip preparing for UNLV and Toledo.

 

[BryceC]

From my vantage point during the botched PAT, it looked like a fake with intent to score a 2-point conversion. My bad.

 

[clone33]

Please tell me that you do not honestly believe this and are just trying to put some Mac spin on the first 2 games. There is absolutely no way that Mac spent the spring, summer and fall not preparing for UNLV or Toledo. If he did, he is the worst coach in America. Toledo was 9-3 last season. I will acknowledge that Mac does a great job of gettting us ready to play the Iowa game but he did not completely skip preparing for UNLV and Toledo.

No, i dont believe it. but it would explain alot. And I dont believe that mac has completely neglected preparing for our first two games, but i'm sure he didn't give it the focus that it deserved.

 

[Gary_ISU]

No, i dont believe it. but it would explain alot. And I dont believe that mac has completely neglected preparing for our first two games, but i'm sure he didn't give it the focus that it deserved.

I will give you that. It is simply amazing how well we can play against Iowa but other big games like MU and KU the last couple years we cannot reach the same level of intensity as the Iowa game. I would certainly trade a Big 12 North championship over an Iowa win.

 

[frontrangeclone]

JCloned- thanks for the info w/ Barney, but he did also play his college years at NU.... let's hope there will be some more creativity in the weeks to come.

Let's keep the faith Clonies! Dudeluv made a great point.... we just won 2 games that in the past ISU would have found a way to lose. I look for much better execution on offense next week in Iowa City, which will keep the D rested and the ball out of Tate/Young's hands (if Tate even plays).

 

[Wesley]

Just unbiased obserservations as Jeremy would say:
Holy mercy. Those two games were at Ames against lower tier teams. They were must wins if we are to go to a bowl. To almost lose them both on last plays is phenomenally and irrefutably unbelievable. The positive is the two wins and no injuries. The negatibve is the other North teams want to play us today.
Gang, UNLV almost kicked our can for the season. The defense saved the day by a whisker. Every good coach I knows wants to win these easy games by thirty. If we were playing close to the vest, we were not getting much game experience for our backyups due to close games. The UNLV win is being viewed as a loss after their players were reportedly screwed by the Mountain West refs. That is why the outside papers are letting their readers think.
So far the offense has been a major diasppointment. Not Blythe, Meyer, Hicks, but the o line. Maybe the senior o line is not that good and never will be. Why all the five yard stupid penalities. They need to get better ior replced. Time to find some replacements next week?
So far the defense had been a nice surprise. The linebackers do make tackles and Bowen is playing like an All American. The defense in reguation has done fine. I remember Army last year, so no better no worse.
The onus is now on offense to be better than 28 points a game in regulation. Huskers are awaiting. Missouri looked terrific. Four South teams look fine. That leaves Kansas, Okie State, and Iowa State fighting for that seventh and eight bowl spot. Cross out KState, Colorado, Baylor, and A&M.
Huskers may even beat Texas in their game. My how things change.

By the way, those two games that we won, we would have won by a larger margin so the end would not have been in doubt. Little comfort with ourn upcoming schedule. If Rocky Hinds was not injured, we proabbly would have lost. Again unbiased.

As far as being fired up, thought we would be fired up in the past against Missouri and Kansas to win the North. Still we did not win. Either the players are not as good or coaches need to upgrade their offensive plan still.