This sucks.
1. Nothing Ever Changes And Life Is Stupid
Last year, I (along with many other Iowa State fans) spent the season complaining about Paul Rhoads and his inability to win close games. In games against Iowa, Toledo, Kansas State, and Oklahoma State, the Cyclones blew multiple chances in the second half to put the game away.
We’ve now had two chances (three if you count UNI, but I’m willing to give a pass on that one) to put games away in the fourth quarter. Instead, Iowa State continues to crap the bed. There are a few possible explanations for this.
First, there’s the possibility that Matt Campbell and company are yet to work out the kinks. Maybe they will, maybe they won’t, but as of now their coaching isn’t any better than what Rhoads was doing in year seven.
Second, there’s the option that this coaching staff is doing their best with the talent they have -- AKA, the talent on the team is the problem, and once Campbell gets his guys in town (hey Kam White), they’ll start to finish off these teams.
And last, there’s the option I’m going with. That option is the one that says nothing in the universe ever changes and Iowa State fans are forever resigned to 3-9 seasons and losing winnable games and broken hearts.
Then again, it’s early. 7-5 is still possible!
2. Inconsistency Is Not Fun
Mike Warren had nine carries against Oklahoma State, a total of 21 fewer than he had against Baylor a week ago.
Here are Warren’s number of carries each game this year: 12, 7, 23, 19, 30, 9. Only once has he had a yards per carry average under 4.0. So even with a fairly consistent output, Warren is still getting a very inconsistent amount of opportunities to perform. I thought the numbers in games three, four and five were going to be the numbers Warren would put up every week -- roughly 20-25 carries, 100+ yards, and a touchdown.
Instead, Joel Lanning ran 18 times, twice as many times as Warren. Allen Lazard’s number of touches fluctuate too, although that’s to be expected with the position he plays and the attention he commands from the defense.
Regardless, the game plan needs to be more consistent. Are we going to be a run-oriented team? If so, it’s time to give Warren the ball.
3. Campbell’s Recruits Can’t Come Soon Enough
We’ve already seen some great performances from Campbell’s recruits. Deshaunte Jones, Kene Nwangwu, and David Montgomery have each played a prominent role within the offense so far. More and more Campbell recruits are going to show up and make plays next year. It’s important to remember that no, this season won’t matter in the grand scheme of things and yes, moral victories suck, but the fact is, this Iowa State team is competing with some of the best teams in the conference. Imagine what Campbell can do with players that fit his style.
That’s it for today. Just like Iowa State, we stop after three.