Peterson: Even in blowout loss, there were some Iowa State positives at Oklahoma

NORMAN, Okla. – Saturday night and especially the second half at Oklahoma notwithstanding ...

Props to Matt Campbell for not being as unwavering as some coaches are when it comes to offensive strategy. A round of applause to the Iowa State coach for not being so hell-bent on trying to establish a rushing game when it just isn’t happening.

Yes, we know the Cyclones lost 50-20 against the 14th-ranked Sooners. We know Iowa State’s second half was atrocious on both sides of the ball.

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What happened in the first half – the first quarter, to be precise – showed me that this Cyclones offense is progressing. Even in a blowout loss, quarterback Rocco Becht, the receivers, the rushers, and yes even the offensive line showed they are improving each and every game.

And yes, I say that even after a game that really wasn’t a game after intermission.

I say that because of the start – because Iowa State came out firing. It wasn’t Air Raid or anything like that, but it was enough to show that pass-first can and did trump the tradition run-run approach.

After throwing a pick-six during his first possession, Becht settled down until Oklahoma turned up the defensive pressure during the final two quarters.

Mr. Steady threw and completed long passes to Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. The Cyclones were good, for a while, on third down.

I’m not saying Oklahoma was baffled, but what the Cyclones did early was enough to keep them close during a game the Sooners in which they were a 20-point favorite.

“There were some positives in a lot of ways,” Campbell said about Iowa State’s start. “You feel like some guys emerged, which was huge for us offensively.

“I thought the offensive line maybe played their best game of the season.”

Some coaches are hard-headed about trying to force something that, quite frankly, the players they’re coaching aren’t always equipped to do.

Campbell’s probably done that a time or two, as well, but in 2023 he’s adapting offensive scripts once written in stone around the players he coaches – around the talents of the guys he recruited.

OK, it wasn’t great. The Cyclones didn’t score a touchdown after Becht and Higgins hooked up on a 67-yard scoring play 5 seconds into the second quarter.

When you play a lot of young players on the road and at Oklahoma – shoot, even veteran teams struggle in this environment.

“You look on the field for the Cyclones, and there’s a lot of young pups out there,” Campbell said. “I give our kids a lot of credit.

“Playing big in the moment and having to be elite in the moment – we continue to learn a lot about ourselves, and we continue to grow forward.”

And on this night, at least in the early going, Iowa State certainly grew forward with a pass-first offense that undoubtedly will give the staff confidence to do it again if the need arises.

“Coaches are going to do what works,” said Higgins, who caught three passes for 91 yards. “If passing is working, they’re going to pass. If running is working, they’re going to run.”

Iowa State ran 64 plays in this game – 37 passes and 27 rushes. That’s 58% passing and the rest rushing.

Of 352 yards, 202 came through the air and 150 on the ground. That’s about 57% passing vs. 43% rushing.

It’s not full-blown Air Raid in the traditional sense of the phrase, but for Iowa State it shows Campbell molds offense around his players.

“We knew we had opportunities that we could hit,” Becht said of completing the long ball. “I honestly feel like we could have hit a couple more. I had two down the sidelines that I could have been more accurate on.”

Another freshman, running back Abu Sama (who at this time last season was starring at Southeast Polk) had a breakout 67 yards on seven carries. He ran well between the tackles. The speedster had a 39-yard run around end.

He led a ground game that generated 150 yards, the season best. That’s not a great total, but it’s a lot better than past performances. And the 5.6-yard average perrush? That easily was the best for a team that came into the game averaging just 2.9 yards each run.

See? Even in a bad loss Campbell’s offense showed some nice progress.

“The offensive line stepped up,” Becht said, “Running game – we got over 100 yards. That was a positive.”

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They got it from a starting offense that included just three seniors – tight end Easton Dean and offensive guards Jarrod Hufford and Grant Treiber.

“You see that group really starting to grow together,” Campbell said. “There’s a lot of youth across the board on this Iowa State team. That’s not an excuse. It’s a reality. We weren’t as good as we needed to be, but there was some great growth.”

Growth especially on offense. Especially in a passing game that went a long way in setting up the run.

Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson is in his 51st year writing sports for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, on X @RandyPete, and at DesMoinesRegister.com/CyclonesTexts

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Peterson: Iowa State's offense showed positive signs at Oklahoma