Three Things We Learned: Baylor

Special Teams Mistakes Hurt, A Lot

When special teams results in 10 point swings, you have to essentially be perfect on offense and defense. A missed field goal, and giving up a kick return for a touchdown hurts like a kick to the knackers. Not to mention, shanked punts, muffed punts, and not being able to tackle punt returners. All of this sucks. We seem to be losing the field position game in a lot of the games, and that really forces our team in a tough position. We made other mistakes, but boy did it feel like this game came down to special team errors.

Unleash The Breece

If you’re looking for silver linings, Breece Hall looked like his old self. He averaged a nasty 7 yards a carry on 190 yards, and three total touchdowns. The blocking looked better, although not perfect. This was Breece’s second 100 yard rushing game after getting 100 exactly against UNLV, but even in that game it seemed like pulling teeth in order for him to get more than three yards on a carry. He was running angry, and running healthy which is a big plus for the Cyclones going forward.

Under Center, Are You Sure?

In the biggest play of the game, the 2-pt conversion that would’ve sent the game into overtime. Brock Purdy lined up under center. I think I could count on my hands how many times Purdy has lined up under center in his Iowa State career. The snap was fumbled, and doomed from the start.

You have to have a play there that everyone can run with their eyes closed. Basic doesn’t hurt as long as it’s effective, and throwing out a formation we see three or four times a season seems like a terrible idea. Now, the way these things ultimately work, if we score you look like a genius, if it doesn’t it looks like a preventable miscue. I still think you go with your bread and butter play, shotgun formation, slant, pick route, or Kolar to the corner of the endzone, anything except under center, please.