I have been a fan since 1971. In more than 40 years of following ISU, I have learned that the first game says a lot for what to expect for the rest of the year. Last year we played UNI, a team that give fewer scholarships and has a very small recruiting budget compared to ours. Facilities also should not compare. We should not lose to UNI. Their leading rusher had something 220 yards and our QB was sacked 6 times. UNI dominated both lines of scrimmage. Their DL dominated our OL and their OL did the same with our DL. After the Iowa game Coach Rhodes said that we did not see Rohach in the Iowa game because he was not ready. If Rohach was not ready for the Iowa game then he was not ready for the UNI game. It appears we had one scholarship QB prepared for the UNI game. If that is true then why did Richardson have 22 rushing attempts (a terrible coaching decision). I know 6 of those were sacks, but why put your QB at risk early in the season against a non league opponent. Richardson hurt his ankle and was not effective the rest of the year. ISU was greatly outcoached by UNI last year. UNI knew how to attack ISU, and ISU was clueless attacking UNI. I have a lot of concerns. The OL could be good this year, but they have had 3 different OL coaches, each with different techniques, in 3 years. Our QB's have primarily had their best games against Kansas and WV. I want to see them play effectively against top talent in the league. The defense has a lot of holes to fill and the front 7 will continue to be undersized and have difficulty stopping teams with power rushing offenses. Since the spring there has been a lot of positive hype and news. I will wait to get excited until after I watch the first game.
Will not get excited till after the first game.
- Thread starter cyborg
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I could not agree more.
This first game will say a lot about this year's team. Last year I was told to relax after the UNI debacle, but it in fact did accurately predict the rest of our season.
Just enjoy it for what it is. Some fans act like they are shocked when Iowa State struggles in football. I'm 35 and they've struggled more than they haven't seen I've been alive. I refuse to make myself miserable before I have to.
Anyone who saw the CGC scrimmage knows that Rohach pulled his hamstring that day. He was flat out not ready to play the first few weeks. Doesn't excuse running Richardson 22 times...especially after his moped wreck. UNI totally outcoached ISU on both sides of the ball. They forced SR to keep the ball and then hit him. And Messingham kept running the zone read anyway. On D, Wally stuck with Miller at WILL even though he was having one of the worst games I've ever seen an ISU player have. They kept running right at Miller and he kept missing tackles. It was a really sad sight. ISU didn't get things fixed until the UT game and having that one taken away from them sent the team into a nose dive.
I'm excited for the first game, but if they can't beat NDSU, they are in for a long season. I'm hopeful that the staff can figure things out.
I'm excited for the first game, but if they can't beat NDSU, they are in for a long season. I'm hopeful that the staff can figure things out.
I will always get excited before the season begins, but I can easily not get excited after the first few games.
It was before the Iowa game he probably should never have played in the game I believe he still had his stitches in his leg for that game.
The UNI game was all the indication I needed to not get emotionally invested in the rest of the season. The slate is clean again and I'm back on board. I don't have high expectations but still think 6 wins is a realistic possibility. The Big 12 doesn't look all that tough this year outside of OK and Baylor.
There seem to be a lot of posters and fans maintaining a "wait and see" approach with the football team this year, and I can't blame them. Win the first game and by Saturday evening there will be a dozen different threads discussing bowl game possibilities. Lose, and there will be a handful of fire CPR threads, a handful of ***official calm down*** threads, and a sprinkling of ***official when does basketball season start?*** threads.
Well I get excited for my first cup of coffee in the morning. I know a negative attitude can't produce a positive outcome. I know a positve attitude generates enthusiasm, an energy of hope. I am hopeful that we will have a better season than last year, (six wins). Just as the winning coaches tell their athletes last years successes don't mean anything any more , it was last year. In the same way last years heart breaks will not effect us either. So as I am drinking my coffee now, sun is up, sky is blue, temerature is cool, yea things are looking up. Watch www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_8I_w5v18I the cyclone nation needs to lighten up.
Go Cyclones!
Go Cyclones!
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While I tend to agree on the first game prognosis it's not always the case. In 2008 we won the first two games, albeit against terrible teams and we destroyed those teams and ended up having a terrible season. The 2011-12 season we beat UNI by 1pt on a prayer yet we still made a bowl game that year.
Will the ndsu game be an accurate judge of how our season will go? It's hard to tell as although ndsu is #1 ranked pre season they also lost a ton of starters. Honestly I'm glad we are playing ndsu rather than UNI again. It would not surprise me one bit if UNI shocked Iowa game 1.
Last year Mess thought we could just run that stupid zone read play all game and just man handle UNI and on defense we clearly were unprepared. Not t mention all the injuries etc..
I'm just hoping for a healthy fall camp that's it. If we can stay healthy I think we will be better than many think. It has already been said by numerous players that this team is a complete 360 in morale than last year and that alone can make a big difference.
Will the ndsu game be an accurate judge of how our season will go? It's hard to tell as although ndsu is #1 ranked pre season they also lost a ton of starters. Honestly I'm glad we are playing ndsu rather than UNI again. It would not surprise me one bit if UNI shocked Iowa game 1.
Last year Mess thought we could just run that stupid zone read play all game and just man handle UNI and on defense we clearly were unprepared. Not t mention all the injuries etc..
I'm just hoping for a healthy fall camp that's it. If we can stay healthy I think we will be better than many think. It has already been said by numerous players that this team is a complete 360 in morale than last year and that alone can make a big difference.
The injury thing is a fair point. I don't know if a healthy Tom Farniok would have made the difference between winning or losing the UNI game, but it definitely didn't help a bad situation.
As for the second bolded part, do you have a link? I know Farniok's feelings on Klenakis leaving were well documented, but I don't remember hearing anyone else say anything about team morale or chemistry. I'd like to see what other players have said.
Didn't Miller get pulled after the 3rd consecutive scoring drive that UNI ran right past him? Then it became a competitive game but was already too late.
If only we had Jake and AJ for 1 more year (last year). The UNI debacle wouldn't have happened, I would assume that they would have closed the holes that David Johnson ran through that night forcing UNI to something else. Obviously the offense sucked but getting down big right away didn't help.
The big thing that needs to happen against NDSU is to get off early, get 3 and outs and move the ball down the field and score in the first half. I don't want to see a dog fight if we can help it. I don't think we blow them out by any means but a 2 td cushion throughout he game would be nice. NDSU won't fold since they have nothing to lose.
The big thing that needs to happen against NDSU is to get off early, get 3 and outs and move the ball down the field and score in the first half. I don't want to see a dog fight if we can help it. I don't think we blow them out by any means but a 2 td cushion throughout he game would be nice. NDSU won't fold since they have nothing to lose.
Yeah, IIRC he got pulled and replaced by Luke Knott. But let's not turn this into a Miller bashing thread. He was dreadful at times last year, but in fairness he played better toward the end of last season. Whether posters here like it or not he's going to be counted on as a big part of the defense this upcoming season.
