McCarney is Called out in Iowa State Daily

[Wesley]

The reason why fans were onto the first game was due to last year. Coach wants to try to run the ball in tough situations. Question remains is our o line good enough to get first downs? Is Stevie the correct back for these situations? Did Josh Johnson really look like he was the answer? The question remains after the first game. 177 yards rushing was better but not a definitive answer. What we do know we could pass the living daylights out of toledo if we wanted to, especially the fourth quarter. You see, Bret makes good decisions when and where to throw the ball. He forces the ball less than most qbs. That is why fans want to see the pass. Go with your best weapon. When we had Troy Davis, all people wanted to do was run Troy 40 times a game.

Now the game has been shortened by 20 plays a game or 10 plays a team, so maybe you do use your best weapon more often. I know 177 yards rushing looks to be like only 40 yards against Nebraska, 55 yards against Texas, and 70 yeards against Oklahoma. If we could really rush against Toledo, we would have had 250 plus yeards. So do you practice passing or rushing leading up to your defensive teams. Toledo was more of an offensive team than a defensive stalwart team. O line needs to get still bettter for the big challenges ahead.

[Cyclonepride]

A win is a win is a win. Every game is a new one, and usually goes differently than expected. Some people get delusional that their own expertise should predict how the game will go, and get upset when it doesn't meet their expectations.

[ISUCY11]

I expect we'll see a little less conservative calls this week. McCarney/Cotton are still getting used to their personnel, I say once the EIU game comes around, we'll be hitting full stride, and Blythe will be catching 7-10 balls a game. Until we lose a game we should be winning, I will back D-Mac.

[Skyh13]

What is the problem with people wanting to see more aggressive play calling later in the game, especially when we have a small lead? Nobody is calling for McC's head here... we're all supporting the team, we just don't want to see what happened last year happen again this year with so much potential. I'm getting sick of seing all the posts, namely in this thread, that are being unreasonable about what we, as the fans, would like our team to do. The last thing we need is for the Cyclones to become the new Chicago Cubs. And you know what? Yes, with success comes high expectations, but that's a good thing. You only get better if your expectations are set higher. We all love the fact that we won, we're just expressing how stressed out we were having lost the lead and then heading into overtime. And for those of us who experienced last year, that situation was heart-stopping.

We all support the team, we support the coaching staff... we support everyone. That is EXACTLY why we don't want to see what happened last year happen again this year on a team with great potential. We can be a lot better than that, and we want to see that happen because we support the team so much.

[CyinCo]

What is the problem with people wanting to see more aggressive play calling later in the game, especially when we have a small lead? Nobody is calling for McC's head here... we're all supporting the team, we just don't want to see what happened last year happen again this year with so much potential. I'm getting sick of seing all the posts, namely in this thread, that are being unreasonable about what we, as the fans, would like our team to do. The last thing we need is for the Cyclones to become the new Chicago Cubs. And you know what? Yes, with success comes high expectations, but that's a good thing. You only get better if your expectations are set higher. We all love the fact that we won, we're just expressing how stressed out we were having lost the lead and then heading into overtime. And for those of us who experienced last year, that situation was heart-stopping.

We all support the team, we support the coaching staff... we support everyone. That is EXACTLY why we don't want to see what happened last year happen again this year on a team with great potential. We can be a lot better than that, and we want to see that happen because we support the team so much.

Lets say coach Mac gets aggressive. We have a 7 point lead early in the 4th and we pass deep. The ball is picked off and returned for a touchdown and we end up losing the game later. Obviously a theoretically scenario. How many of those who are saying we should be more aggressive would be the same people who would be ******** that we shouldn't have been airing the ball out deep when we had a 7 point lead???

Coach Mac is in a no win situation. Maybe he is picking the lesser of two evils as he sees it.

As long as JP feels like Mac is our coach, I will not be questioning the play calling.

[nutyy4gymn]

I think everyone needs to stop blasting the coaching and start supporting a team that rose to the occasion, in spite of their coaches. For whatever reason Mr. McCarney was keeping the ball away from Blythe...it wasn't until Todd stepped up and toldBrett that he wated the ball did we step forward and play with the offensive intensity we can. Once again, give Danny a break, after all, this is likely his last season since he simply doesn't live up to the level that Jamie Pollard is looking for in all of the athletic programs.

GO STATE! Time to kick the Rebel's ***** back to Vegas! :Guns:

[isu_pimps]

Lets say coach Mac gets aggressive. We have a 7 point lead early in the 4th and we pass deep. The ball is picked off and returned for a touchdown and we end up losing the game later.

Its really pretty simple, would you rather put the game in the hands of the best QB/WR combo ISU has ever seen, and maybe ever will see? Or do you want our offense to focus on a running back who has been unsuccessful for the most part during his 3 years in the program.

It is painfully obvious to just about any serious college fan we were way too conservative on offense and defense. That doesn't mean Mac should be fired, but it doesn't mean there is a problem with being a fan and thinking that just maybe Toledo wasn't really good enough to set a new stadium record for THE MOST RECEPTIONS EVER! Do you really think a QB from Toledo making his first college start is that good?

Just because some fans (rightfully) think we are more than 2 points better than Toledo and you don't, doesn't mean you have to bash everyone else. Maybe you are the one with the problem? Mac has my TOTAL support, I think we are lucky to have him as coach, but that doesn't mean I don't have a brain and can't ever second guess him. Does he get paid 1 million plus because his job is easy?

[Wesley]

Last year conservative lost 3 games in overtime.
This year aggressiveness won the Toledo ballgame.
We are not good enough to sit on the ball with the schedule unless it is Colorado or Kansas State.
Why criticize the coach? We are not. We are stating where we should be headed. Probably because we blew it last two years with an easier schedule. This year Toledo is toughter than Army, etc, Texas is tougher than Baylor, etc. Bret and Blythe will have to finish out with the tougher schedule.
It would be better for most fans to go down with the ship aggressive than to go down with the ship conservative. What wins the most games? IOf your strong suit isd passing and not running for three years, you need to pass anyway. Even thoughn you nwish you has a team behind a Troy Davis or an Ennis Hayward or Darren davis, we do not. In any case, dd we win that way any more? No. Make the easy passes in a tough situation., if you catch it, the clock rolls anyway.
With a young defense, do your best to move the ball downfield. It does not appear that five rushes in a row ion the fourth quarter will work unless we have worn the other team down. Toledo had so many offensive plays, we never wore them down. Need to give the defense a break. How may 20 game tackles can Alvin Bowen take?
And we had one turnover and had only two takeovers in all those defensive plays.
Do not be conservative. Go down shooting.

[isu_pimps]

Last year conservative lost 3 games in overtime.
This year aggressiveness won the Toledo ballgame.
We are not good enough to sit on the ball with the schedule unless it is Colorado or Kansas State.
Why criticize the coach? We are not. We are stating where we should be headed. Probably because we blew it last two years with an easier schedule. This year Toledo is toughter than Army, etc, Texas is tougher than Baylor, etc. Bret and Blythe will have to finish out with the tougher schedule.
It would be better for most fans to go down with the ship aggressive than to go down with the ship conservative. What wins the most games? IOf your strong suit isd passing and not running for three years, you need to pass anyway. Even thoughn you nwish you has a team behind a Troy Davis or an Ennis Hayward or Darren davis, we do not. In any case, dd we win that way any more? No. Make the easy passes in a tough situation., if you catch it, the clock rolls anyway.
With a young defense, do your best to move the ball downfield. It does not appear that five rushes in a row ion the fourth quarter will work unless we have worn the other team down. Toledo had so many offensive plays, we never wore them down. Need to give the defense a break. How may 20 game tackles can Alvin Bowen take?
And we had one turnover and had only two takeovers in all those defensive plays.
Do not be conservative. Go down shooting.

Exactly, three and outs don't exactly do our defense any favors either, and that is what we are going to face if we don't consistently run a pass first offense that lets the passing game set up the running game.

[CyinCo]

Its really pretty simple, would you rather put the game in the hands of the best QB/WR combo ISU has ever seen, and maybe ever will see? Or do you want our offense to focus on a running back who has been unsuccessful for the most part during his 3 years in the program.

It is painfully obvious to just about any serious college fan we were way too conservative on offense and defense. That doesn't mean Mac should be fired, but it doesn't mean there is a problem with being a fan and thinking that just maybe Toledo wasn't really good enough to set a new stadium record for THE MOST RECEPTIONS EVER! Do you really think a QB from Toledo making his first college start is that good?

Just because some fans (rightfully) think we are more than 2 points better than Toledo and you don't, doesn't mean you have to bash everyone else. Maybe you are the one with the problem? Mac has my TOTAL support, I think we are lucky to have him as coach, but that doesn't mean I don't have a brain and can't ever second guess him. Does he get paid 1 million plus because his job is easy?

Where did I bash anyone in that statement?

My statement above speaks to how fans are never happy. It says nothing about your opinion of whether we should be more aggresive. The focus was how Coach Mac could never do everything to satisfy everyone. Someone will always "call him out" for doing something. Hind sight is 20/20. You better re-read what I wrote if you think I was "bashing" someone.

[Wesley]

Let's see if we have a change in philosophy saturday night.

[darts180]

I personally like the general support being given in this thread. People with common sense - WOW! Anyway, what is the standard now for our team? It must be perfection on every single play every quarter every game. I don't know how Iowa State University got to this point that it's fans are so out of line. Was Florida State perfect Monday night? Was Notre Dame perfect Saturday night? Was Colorado and the saviour Dan Hawkins perfect? Personally I expect to see a competitive Division 1 team in Ames and with that I'll take a few 6-5's some 7,8 win seasons and hopefully some breakthrough years. Then, once we do that for more than 5 times in the last CENTURY I'll start to ask for more. If I'm an OU fan and I watch Paul Thompson as my quarterback then I've got something to question. People need to chill out.

I can see wanting a competitive program, with SOME 6 and 7 win seasons. But a steady diet of going 7-5 isn't getting it done.
The gist of the letters is absolutely correct, we need to let our skill position players be MORE AGGRESSIVE. I saw nothing that showed that Mac had learned anything from the past, and that should be a concern to all of us.
Yeah we'll blow a BAD UNLV team out of the water Saturday, then I will hear all of the Mac kool-aid drinkers on here telling us "see he can get it done." I'll be looking forward to it.
See y'all in Shreveport, or else a bowl that didn't exist 10 years ago.

[Wesley]

No more blue monster Boise Bowls for us. Those away games killed us. Speaking of Boise State vice Dan Hawkins - they sure piled on oregon State on national TV. Colorado now wants to play OSU (Oregon State) instead of CSU.