Kock as the featured back

**leg4cy** · 11-19-2006, 09:48 AM

I realize that it means nothing now, but I cannot help but be miffed at the fact that Kock was not given a significant chance as the featured back earlier in the year. Our O-line was not good all year, but they also had to deal with backs who did the hokey pokey in the backfield before deciding where to go. In the Big 12, a hole to run through is not going to be open forever and Kock showed that his running style is exactly what was needed. Ennis Haywood was the same way, hit the hole as hard and as fast as you can. Besides, it's a hell of a lot more entertaining watching an aggressive running back run with an attitude and looking to punish tacklers than watching Fred Astaire trying to run the ball.

**Kyle** · 11-19-2006, 09:56 AM

Agreed. It was sweet watching a back run people over instead of trying to dance around them.

**Michael Lastuvka** · 11-19-2006, 09:58 AM

I realize that it means nothing now, but I cannot help but be miffed at the fact that Kock was not given a significant chance as the featured back earlier in the year. Our O-line was not good all year, but they also had to deal with backs who did the hokey pokey in the backfield before deciding where to go.

Good point. I think surely DMac thought about using Kock as more than a goal-line and blocking back a few times during the past two years, but his loyalty to his prized recruit of 2002 (Stevie) held him back. It's fathomable to think that, especially after learning about his loyalty to Cotton and witnessing the love and support from his former and current players.

**zoutte** · 11-19-2006, 10:03 AM

Makes you wonder if utilizing him this way, earlier in the year, might have brought a couple more wins and possibly saved his job...I think Mac would have been retained at 6 wins this year..who knows.

**dccyclone25** · 11-19-2006, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by zoutte

Makes you wonder if utilizing him this way, earlier in the year, might have brought a couple more wins and possibly saved his job...I think Mac would have been retained at 6 wins this year..who knows.

Regardless of what Kock would have been able to do if he had played all year, the only game remotely within being close enough to win was the Iowa game. Every other game was out of reach (save the Texas game, before they really turned it on in the 2nd half).

Here's the amount of points we lost by in each of the losses this season.

09/16 at #16 Iowa 10pts
09/23 at #7 Texas 23pts
10/07 #22 Nebraska 14pts (including 7 trash points at the end)
10/14 at #23 Oklahoma 25pts
10/21 Texas Tech 16pts
10/28 at Kansas St 21pts
11/04 Kansas 31pts
11/11 at Colorado 17pts

Unless we had Reggie Bush, it would be hard to make up more of those deficits than just the Iowa game. And even Reggie would have had a hard time with this O-line.

**sodakjoe** · 11-19-2006, 10:18 AM

Originally Posted by zoutte

Makes you wonder if utilizing him this way, earlier in the year, might have brought a couple more wins and possibly saved his job...I think Mac would have been retained at 6 wins this year..who knows.

The number of wins wasn't why Mac left, it was the apparent lack of motivation. Even if this team missed a bowl game, had the games been CLOSE, not necessarily won, but CLOSE, Mac would still be the head coach here.

**ISUFan22** · 11-19-2006, 10:26 AM

We were talking about Ennis in our section watching Kock run the ball.

**Schroed** · 11-19-2006, 10:31 AM

Besides, it's a hell of a lot more entertaining watching an aggressive running back run with an attitude and looking to punish tacklers than watching Fred Astaire trying to run the ball (posted by leg4cy)

classic

**CyinCo** · 11-19-2006, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by sodakjoe

The number of wins wasn't why Mac left, it was the apparent lack of motivation. Even if this team missed a bowl game, had the games been CLOSE, not necessarily won, but CLOSE, Mac would still be the head coach here.

This may sound sort of dumb, but Pollard doesn't necessary need a football coach that wins games. He needs a coach that can sell hope. As long as we sell more season tix that the previous season, it doesn't matter if we can win one game. Winning games will certainly help. But consider this: If Mac had won 6 game this year, do we sell more season tix next year? I don't think so. So even if the next coach can't do the same, he gives hope to the fanbase, which means ticket sales. I'm sure there are people buying tix right now simply because we'll have a new coach.

**sodakjoe** · 11-19-2006, 10:43 AM

Originally Posted by CyinCo

This may sound sort of dumb, but Pollard doesn't necessary need a football coach that wins games. He needs a coach that can sell hope. As long as we sell more season tix that the previous season, it doesn't matter if we can win one game. Winning games will certainly help. But consider this: If Mac had won 6 game this year, do we sell more season tix next year? I don't think so. So even if the next coach can't do the same, he gives hope to the fanbase, which means ticket sales. I'm sure there are people buying tix right now simply because we'll have a new coach.

That's exactly what I meant. If the games had been close, people would have been able to look at this season and say, "Well, we had a really rough schedule, but we still managed to win 5 or 6 games, and we were competitive in the rest." As long as the team stays competitive, we'll sell tickets. The reason we sold so many this year is because for the first time in Iowa State HISTORY, students have gone to school during four years of (mostly) winning football. Many of the season ticket holders are young alums who saw three years of winning records when they were here. As long as we have a coach who can keep current students in the seats, Pollard will have season ticket sales. Ultimately, the students drive the program where it needs to go. If students continue to buy tickets and generate interest in football, this program will thrive.

**uro cy** · 11-19-2006, 10:57 AM

This discussion kind of sums up Mac's coaching philosophy, especially this year, keep doing the same thing unless absolutely forced to make a change. He stuck with Stevie until he was absolutely forced to make a change, and the went to option #2 and stuck with that as long as possible. Then finally did he stumble on the the fact the Kock could carry the ball in a situation other than 3rd or 4th & 1.

Very similar to the play calling, keep calling the same plays over and over, no matter how poor the result. I keep thinking back on the TT game this year, in the 3rd quarter, they ran the same running play up the middle 6 times in a row, for only 2 or 3 yards each time....i think we only ran outside to the tackles 3 times the entire game...the play calling was unbelievably predictable...

I hope that our next coach is (not to be cliche) "think outside of the box"...we are never going to have the best talent in the B12, and have to more creative ways to be successful...