Three Things We Learned: Oklahoma State

Mindset Needs to Change

Under Matt Campbell, Iowa State has been very good as the underdog. Since 2017, They’ve beaten seven ranked opponents, going 7-8 in those games. Meanwhile, Iowa State is 2-4 in games while both teams are ranked.

This team has played very well when being doubted, but when they have expectations, they underperform. Saturday was a prime example of the stage being too big for the Cyclones. The offensive game plan was extremely stale, and outside of two long Breece Hall runs, the offense averaged just 3.7 yards per play. Of course, that’s on execution as much as play-calling, but to me, this game did not appear like it was treated as big as it should’ve been.

Brock Purdy Has to be Better

Brock Purdy has not looked like quarterback we saw as a freshman, or even last year. On Saturday, he made a couple throws and also ran like he did as a freshman, but he still didn’t have that “it” factor.

This season, Purdy has posted a passer rating of just 125.6, completed only 61.0% of his passes and his average yards of completion is down nearly four yards since his freshman season at 6.8 yards.

Yes, the play-calling was bad, but Purdy’s execution (or the offensive line) didn’t help the offenses cause on Saturday. Brock Purdy is probably the best quarterback in school history, but if this team wants to hit its ceiling, Purdy needs to play like it.

This Team is Still Good

I’m pissed that Iowa State lost on the road by three to the #6 ranked team in the country. That’s a testament to how far this program has come. With that being said, this team still controls their own destiny for a clear path to the Big 12 Championship. This team is really good, but are they great?

Unfortunately, they showed that as of right now, they are just a good team. They have a chance over the next five games to prove that they are great, and I’m hoping they do.