Thoughts on improvements over last years team and or set backs?

[jumbopackage]

I think we've made strides on Offense and Special teams. D seems a bit worse at times than last year, especially up front.

We are forcing turnovers, which is huge, and not turning the ball over as much, which is also huge.

Special teams is way way better than last year, but still needs lots of work. Mahoney looks fairly consistent, Brandtner is an outstanding punter. Coverage looks mostly better, and returns look just a step or two short from breaking a big one from time to time.

[Melvin]

We are a better team, but they need to learn how to win ball games. We should be/could be 4-0, but oh well.

Run defense will be down after losing Tuba/Braskma/Bowen/Banks. That was alot of talent that we lost especially at stopping the run.

I'm very hopefull for Conference. I think we can win 4 -5 more games, but it will tough. Kansas/Baylor/Nebraska will be much tougher than Iowa/UNLV, but not so tough that we can't win. ISU must continue to improve.

[ISUFan22]

No way Meyer makes that run for a TD, run at the end of the game or that throw to RJ for a TD. Nope.

Maybe in his freshman or sophomore season - but not the Meyer that we knew his last 2 years.

I really like our fight, ability to make plays, etc. We need to get more consistent. Outside of the missed FGs last weekend and drops on punts last night - special teams has been much better. Our kick return game is impressive.

[MontyBurns]

Pros -

Arnaud has played better and better with each game. He is poised, makes good decisions, and is throwing and running well.

Brandtner is arguably the best punter in the Big XII.

Defensive backfield is shutting down other teams receivers for the most part and is generating turnovers.

Mahoney is going to solidify the placekicking game for the next 4 years.

Team conditioning is better than it was 2 years ago. Our defense used to spend the 4th quarter standing with their hands on their knees gasping for breath, now we are competitive for the whole game.

Cons -

DL doesn't get off blocks well and doesn't have good side-to-side speed.

Coaching staff using a strange method to get plays in can be costly; that plus incredibly bad clock management hurt us in the last 2 games.

New additions to the OL aren't panning out. All last year we heard that the starters weren't as good as the guys who weren't eligible and this year would be better, and we heard great strength and training numbers. But 3rd-and-2 at Iowa and UNLV were passing downs because we can't depend on getting a 2 yard push out of the OL.

We have a reputation as a team that takes cheap shots and plays dirty. And we've earned it.

[dustinal]

Pros -

Arnaud has played better and better with each game. He is poised, makes good decisions, and is throwing and running well.

Brandtner is arguably the best punter in the Big XII.

Defensive backfield is shutting down other teams receivers for the most part and is generating turnovers.

Mahoney is going to solidify the placekicking game for the next 4 years.

Cons -

DL doesn't get off blocks well and doesn't have good side-to-side speed.

Coaching staff using a strange method to get plays in can be costly; that plus incredibly bad clock management hurt us in the last 2 games.

New additions to the OL aren't panning out. All last year we heard that the starters weren't as good as the guys who weren't eligible and this year would be better, and we heard great strength and training numbers. But 3rd-and-2 at Iowa and UNLV were passing downs because we can't depend on getting a 2 yard push out of the OL.

We have a reputation as a team that takes cheap shots and plays dirty. And we've earned it.

I didn't see anything wrong with the playcalling method or clock management last night. We drove 98 yards for a touchdown with 1:30 left on the clock and no timeouts. When was the last time we did that?

[djkent01]

We're more talented, offset by being young - but I don't buy that argument. I'll accept it a little since we're young at so many key positions - but that won't last very long.

Most things have been discussed above - but the biggest "setback" I see for this team this year is that the individual players break down on assignments. UNLV sucked our LB's into the middle all night long - where another player was already filling the gap - and then bounced the run outside. Simply filling the lanes will change a lot of things for this D.

[MontyBurns]

I didn't see anything wrong with the playcalling method or clock management last night. We drove 98 yards for a touchdown with 1:30 left on the clock and no timeouts. When was the last time we did that?

That drive, no, but with that little time left the plays were not coming from the sideline unless the clock was stopped. The drive before that was awful with no sense of urgency (we were lucky to get a stop and get the ball back at all, one more UNLV 1st down and we don't). And our offense with under 3:00 to go at Iowa when we were down 2 scores also lacked any sense of urgency.

[dustinal]

That drive, no, but with that little time left the plays were not coming from the sideline unless the clock was stopped. The drive before that was awful with no sense of urgency (we were lucky to get a stop and get the ball back at all, one more UNLV 1st down and we don't). And our offense with under 3:00 to go at Iowa when we were down 2 scores also lacked any sense of urgency.

Well I agree with you about the Iowa game, but I'm just talking about last night's game. Now that I think about it, I was disappointed that we burned two timeouts on our previous scoring drive, and I agree that the second-to-last drive where we went three and out was frustrating. I was just happy about that last drive, I guess.

The playcalling method is new to us, and it will take some time to get it down. I know people don't like hearing that, but it's true. If it doesn't improve as the season goes on, then I'll be more worried about it.

[CYVADER]

i think the obvious setback is leadership. last year we had senior leadership-meyer, blythe, bowen, and tuba. they were the guys that had been there before. now our leaders are, aside from maybe r.j., all underclassmen. the last 2 weeks have been tough, and both were games i feel we should have won. however, we are playing good football. remember last year at this time? we were god aweful. i think that as the year goes on, these young guys will definately get better, and we will have a team to be proud of. i think that we will have a fighting chance in every game for the rest of the year-something that i haven't thought for several years.

[joefrog]

Pros -

Arnaud has played better and better with each game. He is poised, makes good decisions, and is throwing and running well.

Brandtner is arguably the best punter in the Big XII.

Defensive backfield is shutting down other teams receivers for the most part and is generating turnovers.

Mahoney is going to solidify the placekicking game for the next 4 years.

Team conditioning is better than it was 2 years ago. Our defense used to spend the 4th quarter standing with their hands on their knees gasping for breath, now we are competitive for the whole game.

Cons -

DL doesn't get off blocks well and doesn't have good side-to-side speed.

Coaching staff using a strange method to get plays in can be costly; that plus incredibly bad clock management hurt us in the last 2 games.

New additions to the OL aren't panning out. All last year we heard that the starters weren't as good as the guys who weren't eligible and this year would be better, and we heard great strength and training numbers. But 3rd-and-2 at Iowa and UNLV were passing downs because we can't depend on getting a 2 yard push out of the OL.

We have a reputation as a team that takes cheap shots and plays dirty. And we've earned it.

Not sure if people paid attention under DMac, he hardly substituted. Even when games got out of reach, he would leave starters in there. Frustrated the heck out of me. This was a huge contributing factor in ISU teams peaking so early in the year. End of conference season, our team was gassed. Example: Mizzou game to end 04 and KU game to end 05.

Chizik does wholesale substitutions, especially on the D-Line. I really like his strategy, and should serve us well as our team depth continues to improve. I am very happy with GC so far, I just think he needs to get our teams more fired up from the get-go. Sleepwalking through first halves is not going to win many games.

[Omaha Cy]

Id like to think that the individual leadership becomes apparent as the season goes along.

tough and dicey but i think this years team as a whole has ,uch better players.

Im confident that if AA stays the starter for the next couple years he could challenge all of myers records.

[TedKumsher]

. . . Coaching staff using a strange method to get plays in can be costly . . .

Watch much spread offense? I don't watch a lot of football outside ISU, but what I have watched (maybe parts of 1 or 2 games each week) I've seen the exact same method used half the time. Everyone up to the line of scrimmage--then the WR's, backs, and QB look to the sideline for the call -- QB gives the call to the line and away we go.

[bos]

I feel that we basically started over. Alot of experience graduated at key points last year and was replaced with youth,,,,talented youth, but youth nonetheless. I feel good about where we will be in a year or so. That 2nd half of the UNLV game gave me a good look at what we have for potential. The first half, not so much.

[MontyBurns]

Watch much spread offense? I don't watch a lot of football outside ISU, but what I have watched (maybe parts of 1 or 2 games each week) I've seen the exact same method used half the time. Everyone up to the line of scrimmage--then the WR's, backs, and QB look to the sideline for the call -- QB gives the call to the line and away we go.

Yeah, West Virginia has used teh same method for a long time. But when they get down to the 10 yard line they get the play in and away they go. For some reason our coaches and players stand there staring at each other while the play clock ticks down nearly or all the way to zero.