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SpokaneCY

Well-Known Member
Apr 11, 2006
13,294
8,484
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Spokane, WA
I like the sentiment in this thread.

“We need to take the field and start kicking ass from play one until the the other team gives up.”

I’d love to hear Campbell or one of the players say this. It’s a game. Be passionate.

I heard a wrestling coach say recently that he wants his wrestlers to be fearless, joyful savages. That’s what I want to see.

"Joyful savages" - new favorite phrase replacing "best version of ourselves".
 

FallOf81

Well-Known Member
Oct 24, 2017
2,453
3,690
113
I have replaced margins with vagina. Just makes more sense as a guy. Try replacing it and see what ya think. Open to other options, just as long as it makes me laugh. 20200913_211408.jpg
 

madguy30

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2011
49,857
46,602
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We used to 'hit 'em coming off the bus'. Now it's 'between the margins'. Does this stuff really resonate with the players?

One is an emotional approach which flames out pretty quickly once the game settles in and scheme and talent come into play.

I've always thought 'between the margins' was really about getting down to fundamentals and for me fundamentals is football basics being done really well. Staying low out the stance, shoulders and hips squared up for blocking and tackling. Precise footwork on a route. Offense taking what's there to be effective. Staying the lanes on coverage. Communication.

Then the 'margins' like turnovers etc. favor the team that keeps at it with solid fundamentals.

Has ISU done these things well recently?
 

NWICY

Well-Known Member
Sep 2, 2012
29,036
24,381
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One is an emotional approach which flames out pretty quickly once the game settles in and scheme and talent come into play.

I've always thought 'between the margins' was really about getting down to fundamentals and for me fundamentals is football basics being done really well. Staying low out the stance, shoulders and hips squared up for blocking and tackling. Precise footwork on a route. Offense taking what's there to be effective. Staying the lanes on coverage. Communication.

Then the 'margins' like turnovers etc. favor the team that keeps at it with solid fundamentals.

Has ISU done these things well recently?


Not in my opinion.
 

DarkStar

Well-Known Member
Sep 15, 2009
6,317
7,045
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Omaha
It appears to me that Heacock doesn't go around demanding his players play a perfect game by demanding they win in the margins, whatever that is supposed to mean.

He came up with a defensive scheme that allowed him to put his most talented players on the field.

He then would identify some weaknesses in the other team. His gameplan would exploit that weakness unmercifully.

How many oposing Heisman caliber QBs has Heacock dressed up in a clown suit and spun around until they didn't know whether to **** or go blind? His players love it and it shows.

Time for the offensive coaching staff to step up to the plate and do the same. Set them up to succeed instead of demanding perfection.
 
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isucy86

Well-Known Member
Apr 13, 2006
7,748
6,291
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Dubuque
Giving up 2 special team TD's is very frustrating. They are such big momentum shifters. So if getting better in the margins means better special teams, we better get things figured out quickly. We were also fortunate on the muffed punt and personal foul didn't hurt ISU.

But I look at 2 area's that are not "Margin" issues that were as big of reasons ISU lost.
  • Our OL was just OK. Mainly against the run. It has been mentioned a lot that after Downing went out we struggled. That really shouldn't happen when ISU is playing Louisiana. Maybe against against a Texas or OU losing your best lineman makes a noticeable impact- but not most teams. Especially in pass protection.
  • We just lack a smash mouth mentality on both offense and defense. We just seem very reactionary and passive. Louisiana was a good team, but we should have been playing with a lot more swagger.
The 3-3-5 has been a good defense. But I feel that its kryptonite are teams with power run games, mobile QB or strong flair/screen game. IMO our talent on the DL has progressed that we should be playing a 4 man line 75% of the time or more. Go with a 4-2-5 and adjust the personnel on the back end depending on down/distance. Seems to me we have the talent on the d-line to be an aggressive defense that can dominate the line of scrimmage, put a little fear into the QB and create turnovers.
 
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cyclone1209

Well-Known Member
Nov 5, 2010
3,605
2,068
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Denver
Giving up 2 special team TD's is very frustrating. They are such big momentum shifters. So if getting better in the margins means better special teams, we better get things figured out quickly. We were also fortunate on the muffed punt and personal foul didn't hurt ISU.

But I look at 2 area's that are not "Margin" issues that were as big of reasons ISU lost.
  • Our OL was just OK. Mainly against the run. It has been mentioned a lot that after Downing went out we struggled. That really shouldn't happen when ISU is playing Louisiana. Maybe against against a Texas or OU losing your best lineman makes a noticeable impact- but not most teams. Especially in pass protection.
  • We just lack a smash mouth mentality on both offense and defense. We just seem very reactionary and passive. Louisiana was a good team, but we should have been playing with a lot more swagger.
The 3-3-5 has been a good defense. But I feel that its kryptonite are teams with power run games, mobile QB or strong flair/screen game. IMO our talent on the DL has progressed that we should be playing a 4 man line 75% of the time or more. Go with a 4-2-5 and adjust the personnel on the back end depending on down/distance. Seems to me we have the talent on the d-line to be an aggressive defense that can dominate the line of scrimmage, put a little fear into the QB and create turnovers.
This.

If the strength of our D is the D line (and it is), we should be using the 4 down lineman look more. Our cb's and safetys have to come up with more picks at some point, it is getting to be tiresome.
 

clonehoodie

Active Member
May 14, 2017
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The linebackers are bad.

We won't be running left any more.

The goal this year is make Brock look good to attract real players.

The defenses have figured out the crossing routes, so all Brock can do is throw jump balls to Charlie and X (even when triple-covered). That's not an offense.
 

demoncore1031

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2008
12,407
5,166
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Albuquerque,NM
theslaughterhouse.freeforums.net
The linebackers are bad.

We won't be running left any more.

The goal this year is make Brock look good to attract real players.

The defenses have figured out the crossing routes, so all Brock can do is throw jump balls to Charlie and X (even when triple-covered). That's not an offense.
Notre Dame prepared very well for last year's bowl game and knew exactly what we were going to do... they took the crossing routes away and the offense really struggled. No offense to Tom Manning, but we need a whole new playbook. The talent is there... well, maybe not on the o-line, but we have some nice weapons.

I love that we FINALLY have a QB sneak in the playbook.
One thing I did not like is how we had Milton running around in the backfield pre-snap. With his speed he should be up on the line of scrimmage and running mostly medium and deep routes. Last year was great because opponents had to pay close attention to him because of how fast he is, and that allowed Deshante to work those underneath routes all the time... well, until defenses learned to take away the crossing routes, as you mentioned. Milton averaged 20 yards per catch last year so let him go down the field!
 
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isutrevman

Well-Known Member
Jan 30, 2007
7,372
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Ames, IA
It appears to me that Heacock doesn't go around demanding his players play a perfect game by demanding they win in the margins, whatever that is supposed to mean.

He came up with a defensive scheme that allowed him to put his most talented players on the field.

He then would identify some weaknesses in the other team. His gameplan would exploit that weakness unmercifully.

How many oposing Heisman caliber QBs has Heacock dressed up in a clown suit and spun around until they didn't know whether to **** or go blind? His players love it and it shows.

Time for the offensive coaching staff to step up to the plate and do the same. Set them up to succeed instead of demanding perfection.
Didn't we set a bunch of school records for point and yards per game last year? The offense was good. The "margins" were awful. Turnover differential, penalties and special teams is where we lost games. That also includes the defense creating very few turnovers last year.

Failures in the margins were just as big a problem on defense as they were offense last year. But, the biggest culprit was, and still is special teams.
 

CycloneVet

Well-Known Member
Jul 17, 2011
8,606
9,697
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Cedar Falls
We need another quick speed receiver. Someone to get separation underneath or over the top to help open it up for our size at other positions. Deshaunte opened things up for Milton and vice versa.

I would also agree that we have the personnel to run with 4 down linemen as should do it more, they did do it some this last game. I’m hoping that is a sign of things to come with UT and Kstate type teams. There is definitely a need for 3 down against finesse passing teams.
 

madguy30

Well-Known Member
Nov 15, 2011
49,857
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Didn't we set a bunch of school records for point and yards per game last year? The offense was good. The "margins" were awful. Turnover differential, penalties and special teams is where we lost games. That also includes the defense creating very few turnovers last year.

Failures in the margins were just as big a problem on defense as they were offense last year. But, the biggest culprit was, and still is special teams.

They set records but there were a few times when they refused to just pick up the first down and instead went big that were costly or if the run game is there, they get cute with lots of motion, delayed snaps etc.

I don't care if running the same type of play is 'boring'. If it works, stick with it until they stop it and then play off of it as a compliment, not as a 'look at all the things we can do' approach.