Home Field Advantage

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surly

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May 16, 2013
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The stealing signals thing is an issue regardless which side the home team occupies. But having students in the other team's ear is certainly an advantage.

Kansas State switched up its offensive signals Thursday night because coach Bill Snyder believed Auburn was stealing signs.

"They're getting our signals," Snyder told ESPN sideline reporter Samantha Ponder, adding that the Wildcats changed up some of their signals during halftime.

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn denied any first-half advantage after the game, which the Tigers won 20-14.

"No, no," he said when asked if Auburn knew the signals.

Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher made the same claims against Auburn after January's BCS National Championship Game win, as the Seminoles reportedly used towels to block some of their signals. ESPN
 

Tornado man

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Sep 16, 2007
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I park in my assigned lot when it opens. There is plenty of time to tailgate and take my kids to the area where they can play and meet Cy and such and get into the stadium in time for all the pregame performances and the team entry. As a person who has attended games since JTS opened in 1975, I have never understood how football fans could not be in the seats for the game....at least be in the seats until the game is out of hand. Yes, I have seen LOTS of games get out of hand.

I like beer, but I can have one less beer in order to make it to my seat on time. I bet others can do that, too, if they really want to make JTS a tougher venue for opponents.
Well, Stanford's fan support sucks. They're a top 10 program and averaged just 44,000 a game last year. No sell outs in a 50,000 seat stadium. Their crowds look pathetic on TV.
How do they ever win a home game?
 
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RealisticCy

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Nov 2, 2014
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The fans have 100% done their part. We can in no way blame or critisize the fan support.

Fan support and creating a home field advantage are not the same thing. You are right that based on the lack of success it is amazing the level of support that is there. Would be crazy to see what would happen with 3 or 4 winning seasons in a row.

That being said, we don't have a great home field advantage even in close games or when we lead. What is there largely evaporates if we get behind, and disappears every game for the first 10 minutes of the third quarter. Exhibit A: Iowa at Iowa State, 2015.
 

tyler24

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Jun 19, 2006
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Campbell did say he wants to win and he will cheat in golf to win. Wouldn't be surprised that he will push the limits in football. If you are gonna be successful you have to find those gray areas that aren't illegal to do.
 

isu81

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Mar 6, 2013
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Not sure if this has been discussed anywhere at all, but it's one of the biggest points of optimism for me going into this season. It's also another reason I'm all in on the Campbell train. His decision to switch the sidelines at home.

If anybody was unaware, CMC pushed for this because the previous setup allowed other teams to easily watch our sideline from the press box and memorize our play signals in the first half. Ever wonder why we continually fall apart after halftime??? It's because the other team could anticipate the majority of our plays! He knew this because he did it when he played against us while coaching Toledo.

Besides that, the switch also allows the teams to not have to awkwardly cross anymore, and our student section can now heckle the opposing team all game! Basically, CMC is bringing home field advantage back and it has me pumped.
Then why have we sucked even worse on the road?
 

cyIclSoneU

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Apr 7, 2016
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Fan support and creating a home field advantage are not the same thing. You are right that based on the lack of success it is amazing the level of support that is there. Would be crazy to see what would happen with 3 or 4 winning seasons in a row.

That being said, we don't have a great home field advantage even in close games or when we lead. What is there largely evaporates if we get behind, and disappears every game for the first 10 minutes of the third quarter. Exhibit A: Iowa at Iowa State, 2015.

I don't think our 2nd half struggles are tied to the fans. More likely it's tied to a staff that got outcoached at halftime and a lack of depth that started to show as players got fatigued and the game wore on.
 

CrossCyed

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Mar 30, 2006
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Then why have we sucked even worse on the road?
I mean, nearly every stadium has the opposing team on the other sideline, so your signals could get stolen pretty easy. At least with signalers on the press box side, you can employ managers to hold something up behind them so that if the other team wants to steal, they have to do it from the ground.
 

BoxsterCy

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Sep 14, 2009
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The fans have 100% done their part. We can in no way blame or critisize the fan support.

I think it's the students. Yup, gotta be the bad student support. Or is that basketball?

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CyCloned

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Oct 18, 2006
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Not really sure about the signal stealing thing, but based on everyone else at home on the same side as the press box and ISUs horrible record at home, well, it can't make things any worse.

I tend to agree with others that lack of depth has been the biggest issue. ISU has not been able to respond late in games when the opposing team increases it's intensity on the field.
 

chuckd4735

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Fan support and creating a home field advantage are not the same thing. You are right that based on the lack of success it is amazing the level of support that is there. Would be crazy to see what would happen with 3 or 4 winning seasons in a row.

That being said, we don't have a great home field advantage even in close games or when we lead. What is there largely evaporates if we get behind, and disappears every game for the first 10 minutes of the third quarter. Exhibit A: Iowa at Iowa State, 2015.
We don't have an advantage because we get out coached and have poor depth. It has nothing to with the fans.
 

madguy30

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Nov 15, 2011
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Our fans are incredible at buying tickets to football games for a team that doesn't win much at all, that's a fact. However, our fans are not the greatest fans once their ticket has been bought IMO. Now.... with the lack of success, you can't really blame them at all though, so I think it will be up to CMC and JP to start winning again to correct that.

But it's hard to deny that our fans show up late to the game from tailgating, and then leave at halftime and many don't come back at all or show up quite late. I understand they have every right to do that since they bought a ticket and financially support the program, but I just wish some would think about the players more. Who wants to run out on the field to start the game, or after halftime to a stadium that isn't full? After halftime, in fact, it's barely half full sometimes, even in close games, until midway through the 3rd quarter.

The fans are generally great with their support. Nothing wrong there. I was at the TCU game two years ago, a week removed from ISU getting pounded at TT or somewhere, and although there were plenty of seats being sold for cheap, plenty of people were still out there ready for the game.

The issue is generally the play on the field. That's a lot of time and energy for a lot of people to spend on a product where the team is literally running into one another on a play and the defense gives up HUGE chunks of yardage and it's human nature for people to have a need to beat traffic if nothing new is happening. In a perfect world you'd like to see all fans stick around because of the effort like it's some middle school game or something, but it's just not like that, and that goes for any fanbase.
 

madguy30

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Nov 15, 2011
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Then why have we sucked even worse on the road?

Actually I was thinking about how some of ISU's more interesting wins have been on the road, or at least they tend to close the deal in the rare time that they're winning. UT '10, TT '11, TCU '12 come to mind.
 

NWICY

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Sep 2, 2012
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If the team starts to show any signs of life the fans will be there to support them. All ISU fans need is a glimmer of hope and we'll cheer our lungs out.
 

dualthreat

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Oct 8, 2008
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We win like 3 games per year who the fawk cares if they're at home or on the road. We stink.

Fans will show up when the team isn't garbage. We've proven that time and time again.
 

bozclone

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Switching sidelines made a ton of sense for many reasons. It may contribute to our home field advantage a little bit, but I doubt it is significant. I do think Jack Trice does provide a home field advantage, but it has been hard to see recently because of the inconsistent play the last several years. I was at the UNI game last year, the stadium was electric. With a strong win by ISU, the tone for the season would have been totally different. Unfortunately, it was pretty obvious that some of the players had not yet bought into CMC and his staff. That changed as the season progressed, but a huge opportunity was lost. I think this team needs to do their part by man handling UNI and beating Iowa. If that happens, I think the excitement will carry into the rest of the season.
 

NickTheGreat

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I like the sideline switch. it was incredibly stupid to have the teams cross at mid-field. I understand how it happened, but it was still strange. :confused:
 

crs8975

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Aug 14, 2013
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But it's hard to deny that our fans show up late to the game from tailgating, and then leave at halftime and many don't come back at all or show up quite late. I understand they have every right to do that since they bought a ticket and financially support the program, but I just wish some would think about the players more. Who wants to run out on the field to start the game, or after halftime to a stadium that isn't full? After halftime, in fact, it's barely half full sometimes, even in close games, until midway through the 3rd quarter.

I fully agree that people def bounce at halftime to do some additional tailgating. Something else I think needs to absorb some of the blame though are the concession lines. I've gone to games the last couple of years when I'm back visiting and end up waiting 30 min to get something. Between the slow workers and dumb consumers who dont know how to plan their order ahead of being at the cashier are pathetic.