Think injuries are an excuse? Check out Missouri

[Cyhart]

Weren't we healthy on our defensive line? That's the position we lost the game without a doubt.

That was their second game. We knew there would be a learning curve with that group. We knew the offense was going to have to carry us like the defense had the previous 4 years. But the offense has let everyone down. Partially because of injuries and partially because of scheme. Poor execution too but Mess doesnt put us in a good position to be successful more often than not.

 

[JUKEBOX]

I just don't know if I can buy this injury excuse. I think maybe we win another game, but we would still be really bad. All of our starters were getting torn up by UNI.

 

[UNIGuy4Cy]

That was their second game. We knew there would be a learning curve with that group. We knew the offense was going to have to carry us like the defense had the previous 4 years. But the offense has let everyone down. Partially because of injuries and partially because of scheme. Poor execution too but Mess doesnt put us in a good position to be successful more often than not.

I agree with all your points but there isn't one position you can point to on this team and say injuries or lack of talent is what's hurting us, that is what even makes me, a guy drunk on the kool aid, scared about the future. We have no glaring positives right now at any position.

 

[UNIGuy4Cy]

I just don't know if I can buy this injury excuse. I think maybe we win another game, but we would still be really bad. All of our starters were getting torn up by UNI.

Exactly we got beaten upfront with our #1s against little UNI

 

[AdamJGray]

Just so we are clear, I am not using excuses for us losing to UNI or giving up 71 points. Neither should ever happen. I'm just pointing out my opinion that despite the struggles, our program is not in bad shape. I'm going off this site, but a lot on here seem to think our program is in trouble. I don't agree. I think the year was always going to be a struggle due to inexperience and now the injuries have added to the struggle. Get healthy and with the experience we will have returning, we will be fine in 2014

 

[BBHMagic]

I agree with all your points but there isn't one position you can point to on this team and say injuries or lack of talent is what's hurting us, that is what even makes me, a guy drunk on the kool aid, scared about the future. We have no glaring positives right now at any position.

Huh? We've had a different offensive line every game with hardly any upperclassmen. Our quarterback has been healthy for literally half a game. When we finally discovered a great running back he gets hurt. We were without our NFL caliber cornerback against the two best passing teams in the league and among the best in the country. I guess you're correct though because it's not one position, it's many positions.

 

[F5cy]

Just so we are clear, I am not using excuses for us losing to UNI or giving up 71 points. Neither should ever happen. I'm just pointing out my opinion that despite the struggles, our program is not in bad shape. I'm going off this site, but a lot on here seem to think our program is in trouble. I don't agree. I think the year was always going to be a struggle due to inexperience and now the injuries have added to the struggle. Get healthy and with the experience we will have returning, we will be fine in 2014

I knew as well that we'd have issues with inexperience. Losing our best players has obviously caused major problems with the defense, but essentially, you're giving the staff a pass for this season because of the injuries. That's where my dissatisfaction with your message lies.

We gave Rhoads the keys last season by way of a 10 year contract extension. I'm expecting that at the end of this season, he'll use the same exact justification for keeping Messingham as our OC and making few if any changes to the staff in general.

We have yet to even sniff the middle of the Big 12 pack, and it's year 5 of the Rhoads Administration. Is that what you would consider to be 'not in bad shape'?

 

[CycloneErik]

The Missouri example is an interesting one, because injuries did cost them pretty dearly.
That said, they bottomed out at 5 wins, so there's still an important difference there.

 

[dualthreat]

It's not just injuries. Our defense is healthy and we are getting absolutely shredded.

 

[ISUFan22]

This team was struggling hardcore against UNI before any injuries hit.

 

[jbhtexas]

Fixed.

It took Gary Pinkel to his 7th year at Missouri before he really put them on top. They were only 2 games over .500 his first 6 years there. They stuck with him there and they built up depth.

Point is though that injuries can decimate most teams. Iowa last year is a good example. 4 wins and they were lucky to win that many. Their offensive line had some huge injuries. This year they will win 7 and go to a bowl game.

Pinkle had an 8-win season in his third year at MU, went 5-6 in his fourth, and had 7 consecutive winning seasons after that until last year. His team was in good shape in his fifth year at MU. Relative to where Pinkel was in his fifth year at MU, Rhoads' 5-th year ISU team is in much worse shape.

 

[jdoggivjc]

Just so we are clear, I am not using excuses for us losing to UNI or giving up 71 points. Neither should ever happen. I'm just pointing out my opinion that despite the struggles, our program is not in bad shape. I'm going off this site, but a lot on here seem to think our program is in trouble. I don't agree. I think the year was always going to be a struggle due to inexperience and now the injuries have added to the struggle. Get healthy and with the experience we will have returning, we will be fine in 2014

I wouldn't even bother explaining yourself. Far too many people around here of the thinking that sharing even the most logical reasons behind why we might be struggling is excuse making. Far too many "If you're not first, you're last" midsets around here, where there is no reason acceptable for losing, much less an excuse.

 

[F5cy]

I wouldn't even bother explaining yourself. Far too many people around here of the thinking that sharing even the most logical reasons behind why we might be struggling is excuse making. Far too many "If you're not first, you're last" midsets around here, where there is no reason acceptable for losing, much less an excuse.

We have been last for the past 7+ years. There's no need to make excuses for why we are still last.

 

[megamanxzero35]

I'm with you Adam. If our OL suffers no injuries this year, we beat UNI and Texas IMO. Most expected a struggle this year. The OL and defensive injuries have just made that struggle worse.

Mizzou was an already rolling, well built program before the last year and the injuries. You see that in how they were still competitive in their games but loss.

I still would like to see offensive changes this year regardless. I think we have seen current offensive staff can't coach QBs. Jantz and Barnett didn't get any better. And while I think Richardson can be a solid Big 12 QB, I don't think at any small healthy point this year has he looked better than last year.

 

[BBHMagic]

Pinkle had an 8-win season in his third year at MU, went 5-6 in his fourth, and had 7 consecutive winning seasons after that until last year. His team was in good shape in his fifth year at MU. Relative to where Pinkel was in his fifth year at MU, Rhoads' 5-th year ISU team is in much worse shape.

What the hell is with everyone's insane obsession with year 5?

While Chizik was an awful coach, he was a good recruiter (possibly for illegal reasons). After year 4 all those players are gone and Rhoads is left to the players he's recruited. As a first time head coach, Rhoads had to learn how to build a team and how to recruit to probably the most difficult BCS job in football. Thus we aren't seeing many upperclassmen on the field now. However, recruiting started to pick up for Rhoads and has been steadily getting better with each season. I don't know much about ISU recruiting history but last year's class was probably our best ever.

 

[jbhtexas]

I'm with you Adam. If our OL suffers no injuries this year, we beat UNI and Texas IMO. Most expected a struggle this year. The OL and defensive injuries have just made that struggle worse.

That fact that ISU lost UNI (who is is 0-4 in the Gateway conference BTW) should indicate that the ISU's problems lie much deeper than OL injuries.

 

[AdamJGray]

This team was struggling hardcore against UNI before any injuries hit.

They were. They also outplayed a Texas team that is currently in first place in the conference and looking very good. There is talent on this team and we've seen it. It's just not consistent right now and I'd argue that's what happens when you are playing different guys every week because they're always hurt.

 

[norcalcy]

They were. They also outplayed a Texas team that is currently in first place in the conference and looking very good. There is talent on this team and we've seen it. It's just not consistent and that's what happens when you are playing different guys every week because are hurt.

I think you meant to say "consistently coached".

Good job on the podcasts by the way!

 

[CarolinaCy]

The Missouri example is an interesting one, because injuries did cost them pretty dearly.
That said, they bottomed out at 5 wins, so there's still an important difference there.

They've also been a significantly better program in the time that Pinkel has been there than ISU has been. The difference in them winning 5 games and their highs under him is about the same as us winning 1 or 2 compared to our highs in the same time period.

 

[BBHMagic]

That fact that ISU lost UNI (who is is 0-4 in the Gateway conference BTW) should indicate that the ISU's problems lie much deeper than OL injuries.

Our o-line wasn't intact against UNI either. Farniok got hurt in the middle of that game and our pass protection and running game were decent until he left. We lost because we couldn't stop the run game, something that has been either good or bad all year.