UNI/FBS Game Forshadows the Entire Year

[StevieISU23]

The UNI/FBS game basically dictates how the year will turn out.

Over the past 18 Years-

10 Years of ISU having "decent" teams (8 bowls, 2010 (5-7), and 1999 (4-7, and two close loses)
During those years, ISU never lost to UNI and won by an average of something like 33-10.

8 Years of ISU being.......well, Bad...sometimes Terrible
During those 8 years:
4 Loses,
2 near loses (2006 28-27; 2003 17-10),
2 outliers Wins- (2015 UNI 31-7; 2008 SDSU 44-17).

To Sum it Up:
If we Beat UNI and beat them by a lot, We are do for a "Decent Year (80% bowling)
If we Lose or Barely win........Might as well Jump Ship, and buy some extra BuschLite.

UNI: Make or Break Game for ISU!

 

[clone52]

Agree and this is why I feel that UNI is not a "bad" game for Iowa State. Its not like a loss to UNI has ever kept Iowa State from something bigger. We just have ****** teams when we lose to them.

 

[TheJackWePack5]

I believe you mean "UNI/FCS".

Regardless, there's some truth to it clearly. There aren't any excuses for losing to programs that cannot offer as many scholarships.

ISU has to be better at finishing games. It has been this way for several years now that the Clones come up on the short end of a one possession game. Heck, there were several last year alone.

 

[Al_4_State]

Agree and this is why I feel that UNI is not a "bad" game for Iowa State. Its not like a loss to UNI has ever kept Iowa State from something bigger. We just have ****** teams when we lose to them.

I'd counter this by saying some of those teams (2007 and 2013 come to mind) that lost to UNI went on to improve later in the year. How much difference would some early confidence have made? Picking up a W over a directional patsy early on could have translated into a more successful year and built program momentum.

Lose to UNI, and the season's over. It's that simple.

 

[Tornado man]

The UNI/FBS game basically dictates how the year will turn out.

Over the past 18 Years-

10 Years of ISU having "decent" teams (8 bowls, 2010 (5-7), and 1999 (4-7, and two close loses)
During those years, ISU never lost to UNI and won by an average of something like 33-10.

8 Years of ISU being.......well, Bad...sometimes Terrible
During those 8 years:
4 Loses,
2 near loses (2006 28-27; 2003 17-10),
2 outliers Wins- (2015 UNI 31-7; 2008 SDSU 44-17).

To Sum it Up:
If we Beat UNI and beat them by a lot, We are do for a "Decent Year (80% bowling)
If we Lose or Barely win........Might as well Jump Ship, and buy some extra BuschLite.

UNI: Make or Break Game for ISU!

I think Iowa is just as big. Need to start out 2-0 at home...

 

[The_Gent]

We still shouldn't have lost to them last year. That was inexcusable. They had a high school offensive game plan (just put your best athlete who can't throw at qb) and let him scramble. We looked flat out lost and didn't make any adjustments to what they were doing. Yes, I'm still bitter over that game.

 

[jbindm]

I'd counter this by saying some of those teams (2007 and 2013 come to mind) that lost to UNI went on to improve later in the year. How much difference would some early confidence have made? Picking up a W over a directional patsy early on could have translated into a more successful year and built program momentum.

Lose to UNI, and the season's over. It's that simple.

I thought last year's team made big strides after the season opener, but that was with a new coach and staff getting their feet underneath them. A loss to UNI was embarrassing but could be explained away to an extent. There's not as much goodwill this year. They're far from a finished product but they've progressed far enough where losing to an FCS team is inexcusable. Lose to UNI to start the season again and a lot of fans are going to jump off the bandwagon.

 

[RealisticCy]

I thought last year's team made big strides after the season opener, but that was with a new coach and staff getting their feet underneath them. A loss to UNI was embarrassing but could be explained away to an extent. There's not as much goodwill this year. They're far from a finished product but they've progressed far enough where losing to an FCS team is inexcusable. Lose to UNI to start the season again and a lot of fans are going to jump off the bandwagon.

Agree with most of this; even a close win this year will have people grumbling, myself included. For the sake of program momentum and confidence, we need to come out, be really physical, and look like we are by far the superior team. We should absolutely dominate the line of scrimmage against FCS teams, something we haven't done.

Losing to this UNI team, an unranked FCS team coming off a poor season and losing the FCS defensive player of the year, is inexcusable. However, the very top FCS teams are not that much different from G5 and lower tier P5 programs. The NDSU team in 2014 was just a better team, but that ISU defense was also one of the worst in the country. The program shouldn't excuse it, but that particular ISU team had valid reasons for losing it.

The regional FCS teams that we schedule are really, really good and they play physical football. Sadly, we aren't at a point where these are the 100% guaranteed wins that they need to be for a team that is longing for a bowl game. That needs to turn around game 1. In the next 8 years, we get UNI 4 times, two other decent programs, plus SDSU next year who will be ranked pre-season 3 or 4 this year but lose a ton on offense.

 

[NATEizKING]

I drank enough to get over last years loss by Monday.

 

[cyclones500]

Viewed thru a lens of 20/20 hindsight of last season's gradual progress, the UNI game comes off more like a worst-case combo of program's transition period, leftover identity crisis, leftover snowballing of reduced confidence and ill-timed blunders.

Iowa game wasn't good, by any means, but that one probably wasn't truly winnable at that point anyway. UNI could've been at least an Ugly Win.

 

[CyBobby]

I think Iowa is just as big. Need to start out 2-0 at home...

I agree Tornado...If we start out zero for two, this season is basically over and its get ready for next year.....The best way for ISU to go bowling is win all 3 non conf games and 3 conference games......

I hate to say it but I'm going to anyway....we need to win both games at least for the fans to have something to hang their hat on....its either that or its get ready for next year....as per usual

 

[clonedude]

Yes, it's pretty simple. Lose to UNI, and it ain't gonna be good folks. I know there will be some on here, if we lose to UNI, that will say it's just one game, we'll get better, blah, blah, blah.... but that's BS. If you lose to UNI, you're just not very good.

 

[alarson]

I'd counter this by saying some of those teams (2007 and 2013 come to mind) that lost to UNI went on to improve later in the year. How much difference would some early confidence have made? Picking up a W over a directional patsy early on could have translated into a more successful year and built program momentum.

Lose to UNI, and the season's over. It's that simple.

Agreed with this. The season is a grind, take breaks where you can get them.

 

[weR138]

I just don't see enough road wins to get us to six wins. I think we have to be 3-0 non con to do it. Which I think we can do.

 

[ruxCYtable]

I had a dream we played a doubleheader on opening day and started the season 0-2. At wake-up time, it was unlikely Campbell would survive the week.

 

[Frak]

The OL and the running game improved big time over the span of last season. To beat UNI like we should, the OL needs to be ready to go Game 1 and not take 1/3 of the season to gel. You know that UNI will be stunting all over the place. The coaches have seen it now. If Manning is half the coach everyone says he is, he will have those guys prepared. If ISU has a 100 yard rusher, there's no way this game is within 14.

 

[dualthreat]

This year I will agree with that (OP) But it isn't always the case. Sometimes we smoke our fbs opponent (2008) and bomb the rest of the way. Sometimes we play bad enough we deserve to lose (2011) but still play in a bowl and beat the #2 team in the country (also happened in '92).

Also, Wisonsin and Iowa have recently won squeakers vs Uni and gone on to win BCS bowl games.

 

[CyBobby]

I just don't see enough road wins to get us to six wins. I think we have to be 3-0 non con to do it. Which I think we can do.

Hey Grim Reaper...this is the Greatest Thing you have ever said...Keep up the good work and keep posting my friend

 

[ForbinsAscynt]

So we basically need to double the spread

 

[tolfbfan]

Just win....I learned a long time ago that very few [except places like this site] remember much other than whether it was a win or loss. Players take less stock on the point difference, they just enjoy the team W. If we can win a non league by 1 point, I call that a goal achieved. Maybe, a sign of much more work to be done, but a win. I know this will not be a popular view, but it's mine. "Fire Away"