Perspective and Reality Check

[Cyclad]

Dekkers would be suited for the type of offense that KSU runs, with power QB runs, the kid has the size to be a nightmare once he gets to the second level, but this offense does nothing that allows him to shine and play to his strengths.

Disagree
He is not a good runner.
We need a QB run threat. With our OL we need somebody creative, elusive and able to improvise. Purdy was actually much, much better at this.
Did you watch WV today? Running QB changed the game.
Not bashing Dekkers - he will get better. But, he is too stationary to fit our OL.

 

[Pope]

How many from last year's O and D line are on NFL rosters and has there been much growth in ISU's performance since ISU beat OSU last season?

I'd give CMC at least 2 more seasons (many won't) to get things turned around but to see a young team keep sputtering after a highly experienced and talented team sputtered for much of last season is worth questioning.

Please....Matt Campbell is the best thing that's ever happened to Iowa State football, and it's not even close.

I have no idea, but I'm guessing you might have been among the vast majority of our fans who were shaking at the thought of Matt being lured away by a blue blood program. Do you think he's forgotten how to coach all of the sudden?

Thank goodness Matt has showed an amazing amount of loyalty to ISU when he could have easily made many more millions of dollars somewhere else. I hope our fans are wise enough to show the same degree of loyalty to him. Otherwise, get ready to return to the "good ole days" of Iowa State football.

 

[Cyclad]

I think you can give a lot of the credit to our 3 tight end set that year. They were a 3 headed monster and very unique in the college game

Agree
# 1 - they could block - very well
.#2 - they could catch

We currently have neither.

 

[SEIOWA CLONE]

Disagree
He is not a good runner.
We need a QB run threat. With our OL we need somebody creative, elusive and able to improvise. Purdy was actually much, much better at this.
Did you watch WV today? Running QB changed the game.
Not bashing Dekkers - he will get better. But, he is too stationary to fit our OL.

Dekkers does not need to scramble, he needs to use his size to create mismatches for the defense. Right now, teams are flying to the RB because they knew that Dekkers rarely carries it. KState has had many solid running QB's, and none of them were what I would call duel threat QB's, but they all ran the ball well.
The coaches are so afraid of getting him hurt that they keep him in the pocket, when he throws better rolling out. When you have a poor OL why are we asking the QB to stay in the pocket instead of rolling him away from the rush?

 

[madguy30]

Please....Matt Campbell is the best thing that's ever happened to Iowa State football, and it's not even close.

I have no idea, but I'm guessing you might have been among the vast majority of our fans who were shaking at the thought of Matt being lured away by a blue blood program. Do you think he's forgotten how to coach all of the sudden?

Thank goodness Matt has showed an amazing amount of loyalty to ISU when he could have easily made many more millions of dollars somewhere else. I hope our fans are wise enough to show the same degree of loyalty to him. Otherwise, get ready to return to the "good ole days" of Iowa State football.

I was a little nervous as I'm not sure who's going to come in with college football in its current state.

But I've been someone who hasn't thought ISU was very fundamentally sound throughout even CMC's good years. He built some stability at a bad program but many of the times they've fallen flat were from what looked like poor preparation for the moment.

Do you think ISU has looked well prepared this year?

 

[Pope]

I was a little nervous as I'm not sure who's going to come in with college football in its current state.

But I've been someone who hasn't thought ISU was very fundamentally sound throughout even CMC's good years. He built some stability at a bad program but many of the times they've fallen flat were from what looked like poor preparation for the moment.

Do you think ISU has looked well prepared this year?

Given that we're essentially the youngest team in the nation playing in one of the (if not the) toughest conferences in the nation, I wouldn't say lack of preparation is the reason for our conference record. Sure, it's been disappointing but people need to align their expectations with the reality of the situation.

 

[LtRaczack]

I'll tell you where the program is right now. We're an incredibly young team who lost several players who are now in the NFL, and we returned the least amount of experience in the country. What we're going through is a complete rebuild which requires patience and perseverance, something many of our fans lack.

Well we will find out these next 3-4 seasons. CMC and staff will be here whatever the results happen to be.

 

[madguy30]

Given that we're essentially the youngest team in the nation playing in one of the (if not the) toughest conferences in the nation, I wouldn't say lack of preparation is the reason for our conference record. Sure, it's been disappointing but people need to align their expectations with the reality of the situation.

That doesn't really answer the question.

Do you think ISU has looked well prepared this year?

The 'we're young' thing works for about 1/2 the season and even if there's losses, a well coached team will at least look better at some point. I'm not seeing it. And I'm really not seeing much for potential going forward particularly on offense.

 

[BigLame]

If our OC & HC are on the same page as to the preparation and in particular the play calling (& being obstinate on not going under center for QB sneaks), there is a problem (stubbornness & tunnel vision). If the HC is hamstringing the OC & trumping decisions (overruling the OC), then we have a problem (micro-managing/trust). Neither are good.
We ran several designed QB runs & even an option. Those expose the QB to big hits & potential injury far more than a QB sneak. Dekkers was pummeled late in the game & fumbled at home. For crying out loud, Tom Brady is one of, if not the best, at QB sneaks & the strength of our OL (supposed to be plus the experience of) is our center & the 2 guards. Figure it tf out.

 

[Pope]

That doesn't really answer the question.

Do you think ISU has looked well prepared this year?

The 'we're young' thing works for about 1/2 the season and even if there's losses, a well coached team will at least look better at some point. I'm not seeing it. And I'm really not seeing much for potential going forward particularly on offense.

We have more 19 and 20 year olds playing than any other team in the conference (possibly more than any other team in the nation), and you don't see any potential going forward?

Campbell talks a lot about the long hard climb up the mountain and the importance of how players respond to adversity. Unfortunately, like most programs, we have a small but very vocal group of fans who couldn't make it 100 feet up the mountain without an escalator.

 

[LtRaczack]

That doesn't really answer the question.

Do you think ISU has looked well prepared this year?

The 'we're young' thing works for about 1/2 the season and even if there's losses, a well coached team will at least look better at some point. I'm not seeing it. And I'm really not seeing much for potential going forward particularly on offense.

Only that opening drive of the second half. An interesting scheme of relentless offensive initiative with passes, roll outs and *gasp* tempo that worked well to eviscerate the Cowboy defense.

No sense in going back to that for the rest of the game. The offense was too exhausted after one drive to try that plan again?

Oh I know, we just lacked the talent to sustain that for multiple drives. We are just too young to maintain a relentless opportunistic offense for more than 1-2 drives a game. Two more TDs would have sealed the game but no sense in going away from our five play tried and true offense.

 

[SEIOWA CLONE]

That doesn't really answer the question.

Do you think ISU has looked well prepared this year?

The 'we're young' thing works for about 1/2 the season and even if there's losses, a well coached team will at least look better at some point. I'm not seeing it. And I'm really not seeing much for potential going forward particularly on offense.

Totally correct, after 10 games the players are not young anymore, Dekkers has been in the system for 3 years now and has 10 starts under his belt, the same for the Oline, many have started a couple of years.

The one great drive yesterday was the first one to start the second half, what do we do different that drive than the rest of the game? We rolled Dekkers out, on what looked like a run, and he hit the TE down the field. We played with tempo that just was not there for much of the day.

This point in the season, whether people like it or not, you are what your record says you are, and for ISU this season we are an average to below average team. Could we be 9-2 right now, sure, but in sports just like in life, "little things mean a lot," and we do not do enough of the little things well enough to make up for the dropped passes, the turnovers and the poor line blocking. We also do have a running ball like Hall this year that could take a 5-yard run and turn that into a 75-yard touchdown run.

 

[madguy30]

We have more 19 and 20 year olds playing than any other team in the conference (possibly more than any other team in the nation), and you don't see any potential going forward?

Campbell talks a lot about the long hard climb up the mountain and the importance of how players respond to adversity. Unfortunately, like most programs, we have a small but very vocal group of fans who couldn't make it 100 feet up the mountain without an escalator.

Outside of Norton coming on (when he has room) where's the consistent potential that you're seeing? What position has ascended up the coach speak mountain?

 

[Turn2]

Given that we're essentially the youngest team in the nation playing in one of the (if not the) toughest conferences in the nation, I wouldn't say lack of preparation is the reason for our conference record. Sure, it's been disappointing but people need to align their expectations with the reality of the situation.

Your "youth is the problem" scenario would suggest that we should be seeing improvement as the season progresses. There is no evidence that is occurring. None.

 

[CyGuy5]

I'll tell you where the program is right now. We're an incredibly young team who lost several players who are now in the NFL, and we returned the least amount of experience in the country. What we're going through is a complete rebuild which requires patience and perseverance, something many of our fans lack.

This would be easier to stomach if we didn’t completely waste what should have been the best team in school history just last season

 

[clonebb]

Thank goodness women’s bball season is here.

 

[CYEATHAWK]

Outside of Norton coming on (when he has room) where's the consistent potential that you're seeing? What position has ascended up the coach speak mountain?

Climb, climb up sunshine mountain
Cyclone breezes blow
Climb, climb up sunshine mountain
players all aglow
Turn, turn from INT's and play calling
Look to Matt on high
Climb, climb up sunshine mountain
You and I

 

[acoustimac]

Please....Matt Campbell is the best thing that's ever happened to Iowa State football, and it's not even close.

I have no idea, but I'm guessing you might have been among the vast majority of our fans who were shaking at the thought of Matt being lured away by a blue blood program. Do you think he's forgotten how to coach all of the sudden?

Thank goodness Matt has showed an amazing amount of loyalty to ISU when he could have easily made many more millions of dollars somewhere else. I hope our fans are wise enough to show the same degree of loyalty to him. Otherwise, get ready to return to the "good ole days" of Iowa State football.

I’ve followed ISU for a long time and Campbell isn’t the "best thing" ever. He’s a solid coach (one of the top 3-4 at ISU) who has resurrected a program that was woefully inconsistent for years. Sadly we are seeing the same thing again. We will find out how good he is as the team faces adversity as it now has for two years. A 2023 season with 4-5 wins could be his downfall.

 

[Pope]

I’ve followed ISU for a long time and Campbell isn’t the "best thing" ever. He’s a solid coach (one of the top 3-4 at ISU) who has resurrected a program that was woefully inconsistent for years. Sadly we are seeing the same thing again. We will find out how good he is as the team faces adversity as it now has for two years. A 2023 season with 4-5 wins could be his downfall.

Adversity for 2 years? Last year we finished 7-6, including a 5-4 record in the conference. Prior to Campbell, how many years has Iowa State EVER finished with a winning record in the conference?

Sure, last year was disappointing, but only because Campbell took our program to a level that's unheard of for Iowa State, so the expectations were higher than they've ever been in the 163 year history of the university. All because of one person: Matt Campbell.

But you imply his seat is warm because we have the youngest team in the nation who has a bunch of one possession losses this season. Give me a break.

 

[LtRaczack]

Adversity for 2 years? Last year we finished 7-6, including a 5-4 record in the conference. How many years has Iowa State EVER finished with a winning record in the conference?

Sure, last year was disappointing, but only because Campbell took our program to a level that's unheard of for Iowa State, so the expectations were higher than they've ever been in the 163 year history of the university. All because of one person: Matt Campbell.

But you think his seat is warm because we have the youngest team in the nation who has a bunch of one possession losses this season. Give me a break.

He's not going anywhere unless he decides on his own to go somewhere. That is a fact even if we have three consecutive three-win or less seasons to follow this one. So, buckle up and we will see what happens!