Peterson: Iowa State text group fans are in a do-it-now, three-for-three state of mind
How’s this for a response when the Register’s Iowa State text group was asked what they hoped to see over the next five football games – all against conference opponents, and three of them on the road.
“Let's go 3-for-3 over the next 3,” the text group member wrote. “Then upset Texas on a late Jaylin Noel TD. Then just see who wants to win the Kansas State game.Just thinking.”
That getting to the point, sent by a former Iowa high school coach, of what Iowa State’s next three games are about – reaching the bowl-qualification magic number (six wins), before entering the gauntlet that is the regular season’s final two games.
That scenario, somewhat realistic and somewhat of a stretch for a team whose 4-3 overall record includes 3-1 in the Big 12, can take Step 1 of becoming reality during Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. game against a Baylor outfit that's 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the conference. Then it’s back home against Kansas (3-1 Big 12 record) and at BYU (2-2) on Nov. 11.
That three-for-three mentality was sprinkled throughout texts from more than 300 responders during this week’s text-group soundoff. Most fired back comments before knowing Vegas made the Cyclones an early one-point road favorite on what's supposed to be an 80-degree afternoon in Waco.
More: Peterson: Iowa State's football win at Cincinnati has all sorts of positive ramifications
If bowl qualification is to come, they figure, get it done soon rather than what comes later − hosting Texas, and then finishing the regular season at Kansas State.
“If we want to continue to be where we want to be at the end of all of this, then our growth is going to be critical going forward,” coach Matt Campbell said upon entering the just-completed bye week with momentum from an emphatic 30-10 victory at Cincinnati. “Some teams have the ability to do that, and some don’t, so hopefully this team has that ability.”
Presumably, injured Iowa State players healed during the week without preparing for a game. Backups like quarterback J.J. Kohl got significant practice reps, is the assumption. Others, like durable left guard Jarrod Hufford, and defensive backs T.J. Tampa, Beau Freyler and Myles Purchase, got some rest. Linebacker Gerry Vaughn, too.
So, how else did the text group respond about a team that’s among four tied for second place in the Big 12?
How does the team handle new expectations, with three winnable games in a row?
Reaching bowl qualification would be a lot more realistic right now had the Cyclones not lost a game it should have won – that stinker against Ohio of the Mid-American Conference. Five wins would look a lot better right now than four, especially knowing this team has the capability of playing good and not so good. This team still isn’t to the point where it can afford repeated major mistakes. As Campbell said after the Cincinnati game: “We’re starting to mature. We’re starting to play games in the style that we need to play to win football games and you saw continued growth again.” The trick is making that style consistent.
Rocco needs to maybe run the ball more.
Maybe? Quarterback Rocco Becht showed he’s a capable runner early during the last game. On the first possession, his 4-yard rush converted a third-and-three situation. He rushed seven yards on first down of the next possession – but the best was still to come. That was during a 15-play, 59-yard drive during which he ran three times for eight yards, including the possession’s final 2 yards for a touchdown. Becht can run, and because of that, more option plays are being called. Coaches must pick their spots, however, because there’s always the chance for injury.
Keep whatever that 50-50 split Campbell always talks about. And what’s that mean, anyhow?
It took a while, but I figured out the Campbell 50-50 – half the time, the Cyclones will rush more times than pass, and half the time there will be more passes than rushes. Out of seven games, passing plays lead four-games-to-three. But since the loss at Ohio, passing has been 62.3% of the total offense yardage. In other words, the plan is continue doing well against what the defense doesn’t defend so well. We learned after the Ohio game that Campbell isn’t married to one game plan. He had been a smidge stubborn in that respect.
Don’t just think you can show up and beat Baylor – like what happened against Ohio.
True. Becht said that 10-7 Ohio loss, in which Iowa State rushed for just 38 yards (1.7 yards per carry), was a wake-up call. “I feel it motivated us,” he said after that game. The Cyclones have won at Kansas, at Kansas State, at Oklahoma, at Oklahoma State, at TCU, at Texas and at Texas Tech since their last win in Waco. Despite the Bears’ shortcomings through seven games, Iowa State can’t just assume victory against anyone. Baylor scored 29 points in a row in beating UCF 36-35 on Sept. 30. The Bears won at Cincinnati 32-29 last Saturday. They’ve not played solid defense, especially given that opponents are averaging 198.8 rushing yards a game. Expect a big day for that position group? Sure.
Will the offensive line improve over the final five game to the extent that it’ll finally be time to say Iowa State has a good line again?
That’s the plan. A new offensive line coach getting used to new players (and vice-versa) can take a while. At Iowa State, that took about three games, which to me was a pretty quick transition. The Cyclones have rushed for an average of 140.5 yards a game in winning three of the past four. That’s significant, considering the rushing totals during the first three games went like this: 134 yards against Northern Iowa, 87 yards against Iowa, and just 38 yards at Ohio. Sophomore James Neal has started all seven games at left tackle, Hufford has started seven games at both guard spots, junior Tyler Miller is a seven-game starter at right tackle, and sophomore Jim Bonifas has started all the games at center. True freshman Brendan Black has started the last two at right tackle, while veteran backups Darrell Simmons, Grant Treiber and Jake Remsburg have started a combined 60 games throughout their careers. It wasn’t many seasons ago when the offensive line had so many injuries that players were forced to play out of position. Let’s also not forget the role new strength and conditioning coach Reid Kagy has played. That accounts for something.
Hoping for a foot of snow on Nov. 18.
That’s when SEC-bound Texas makes its final appearance at Jack Trice Stadium. Why just a foot?
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: The next 3 games are crucial for Iowa State bowl-game return
