What we need is a better O-Line & D-Line!

**cyfreddy** · 10-12-2008, 09:56 AM

Okay, I hate to reference the Hawks, but this is what the Hawks concentrated on with when there runner's were only average, and it seemed to work for them. I believe we have the running backs in place, we just need a better O-Line to open up some better holes.

Think back Cyclone fans when the Clones had a run on 1,000 yard rushers, how good was our O-Line. If this means going out and getting Juco's , do it.

As a fan, I am tired of building for the future, unless the future means satisfaction for 5 years and beyond. With the way, the Bowl structure is set up, the Clones should be qualifying every year.

Sorry for rant, but as a fan I expect more!

**kingcy** · 10-12-2008, 10:01 AM

Me too. Their hasnt been a good RB at ISU in sometime either.

**mplscyclone** · 10-12-2008, 10:14 AM

This week's loss was just a reflection of the lack of preparation of our team. One of the key guys off the field and in the locker room just quit the team. Players weren't focused and it showed.

I think you're overreacting a bit. Yes our OL and DL needs to get better. If you can't see improvement between last year and this year then you're not really seeing.

It is really tough to build a football program for a team that isn't exposed (we're not even the most popular team in the state), out of state recruits don't know who you really are, and you're working with the lowest recruiting budget in the Big XII.

Being the head football coach for ISU is probably one of the toughest coaching jobs there is because of our disadvantages and the fact we're in the Big XII.

I think the players will regroup and they will get ready for Nebraska. I am only a little bummed about this loss. Yeah it sucks we were blownout by Baylor, but I sort of expected it. I am happy with progress that's being made and I realize that it often times takes 4-5 years for a coach to get his players in and actually playing.

Be patient; it's not like we're a historical powerhouse and we've been through a lot worse than this.

**smiles6** · 10-12-2008, 10:29 AM

Who quit the team?I think all the DL and OL FR redshirts should be brought up to the varsity! Could they be any worse than those playing the DL and OL now? UGH 38-10 loss to Baylor!

**capitalcityguy** · 10-12-2008, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by smiles6

Who quit the team?I think all the DL and OL FR redshirts should be brought up to the varsity! Could they be any worse than those playing the DL and OL now? UGH 38-10 loss to Baylor!

So...sacrifice our future on this year's team which is going nowhere??

**cyclonejk** · 10-12-2008, 11:57 AM

Well I heard from someone in the program that the freshman like KO, Baysinger, & Haughton are way better than the starting lineman we got now. The only downfall they have is KO & Baysinger struggle to remember the plays & assignments & Haughton still has the high school footwork. Once all 3 of them improve on those areas, that they are going to be dominant. Looks good for the future. I also heard that Ruempolhamer is going to be a stud. For only playing 1 year of organized football, he has a ton of talent.

**Cyclones78227** · 10-12-2008, 12:04 PM

You act like the coaches don't know that the offensive line play is totally inadequate. I am sure that they do, and I am sure that they are working on it, but it does take time.

Plus, we haven't had a "good" line at Iowa State since when? I remember Troy Davis, but most of that line were holdovers from Walden's teams/

Speaking of that, somebody told me that of the first team that Mac had, something like 7 of the offensive guys played some type of professional football. Just for perspective, I wonder how many of the players on the team that Gene took over, a year ago, are going to play professionally.

**d30fan** · 10-12-2008, 03:05 PM

Everyone seems to think we lost to the worst team in D1. If you pay attention to recruiting, they have outrecruited us for the last couple of years. It shows. They were much faster and some stronger than we were last night, and that isn't going to change next week. Chizik seems to be obsessed with speed. The problem is, if you can't get the fastest guys out there to play for you, the other team will always be a step faster. I am beginning to think we would be better off trying to build overpowering lines, both O and D. If you can crush those guys before they get started, the speed advantage is negated. I don't see much evidence in our recruiting that Chizik sees it that way.

**jumbopackage** · 10-12-2008, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by d30fan

Everyone seems to think we lost to the worst team in D1. If you pay attention to recruiting, they have outrecruited us for the last couple of years. It shows. They were much faster and some stronger than we were last night, and that isn't going to change next week. Chizik seems to be obsessed with speed. The problem is, if you can't get the fastest guys out there to play for you, the other team will always be a step faster. I am beginning to think we would be better off trying to build overpowering lines, both O and D. If you can crush those guys before they get started, the speed advantage is negated. I don't see much evidence in our recruiting that Chizik sees it that way.

So you're saying we should be trying to play Big XI football in the Big XII?

We have to recruit speed. Plain and simple. Maybe our guys won't be the fastest on the field, but you can fix some of that with scheme. You can't turn a slow guy into a fast guy, though, and you can't win games in the Big XII with the kind of football that Iowa plays, IMO.

People are reading WAY too much into this loss. It was a horrible game and you can take pretty much nothing good from it. We are the same team that played down to the wire with a top 20 team in Kansas. With a team slightly worse than this last year, we played Oklahoma down to the wire, and beat Colorado and K-State.

It'll come around. There's really no reason to think that we are somehow a way worse team today than we were Friday, just because we had one horrible game.

**Wesley** · 10-12-2008, 03:20 PM

That may be all true, but we still remain at the #100-120 level in performance. This is at the bottom of major conference teams in America. I thought we would be better.

**d30fan** · 10-12-2008, 03:42 PM

My point is that I think we should go after the "big uglies" first. No, we don't want to play B11 ball in the B12, however, a little bit of Shon Green up the middle certainly would have helped last night.Once we have competitive lines, then go for the speed guys. Unless Chizik has some better line players hidden somewhere, I don't see much to get excited about in our recruiting. The present gang started the year looking a little better, but certainly haven't improved significantly during the year.

**CycloneWanderer** · 10-12-2008, 04:26 PM

Originally Posted by d30fan

My point is that I think we should go after the "big uglies" first. No, we don't want to play B11 ball in the B12, however, a little bit of Shon Green up the middle certainly would have helped last night.Once we have competitive lines, then go for the speed guys. Unless Chizik has some better line players hidden somewhere, I don't see much to get excited about in our recruiting. The present gang started the year looking a little better, but certainly haven't improved significantly during the year.

so says the person who, after the texas game last year would be saying the exact same thing . . .

**jumbopackage** · 10-12-2008, 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by d30fan

My point is that I think we should go after the "big uglies" first. No, we don't want to play B11 ball in the B12, however, a little bit of Shon Green up the middle certainly would have helped last night.Once we have competitive lines, then go for the speed guys. Unless Chizik has some better line players hidden somewhere, I don't see much to get excited about in our recruiting. The present gang started the year looking a little better, but certainly haven't improved significantly during the year.

You don't think the coachs are thinking of that?

Of course it would be great if our O line could open up huge holes for Scales or JJ or ARob to run through (or Schwartz and Bo next year). I'm sure the coaches would be thrilled with that too. I don't think they coach them to not do that.

It just takes time to get guys in there, and built up physically to the right size to play in D1A, BCS football.

I think our line is WAY better than the last 2 or 3 years before Chiz and his guys got here. Even when Seneca was playing, there was a reason he was such a mobile QB. Our guys aren't having to run all over the place just to stay alive at the moment.

Add to it that we have a pretty young O-line. In the current 2-deeps we have 3 freshmen (1 true, 2 redshirt), 4 Sophomores (1 true, 3 redshirt), 2 redshirt Jrs and only 2 seniors.

I'd agree it might be time to edge a finger closer to the panic button at this time next year if we still are crapping out clunkers like this, but I'm willing to give the coaches the time they need to build a consistent team. And that's going to mean some growing pains, like this game.

**Wesley** · 10-12-2008, 04:57 PM

Colorado has lost 5 linemen thru academics or injury. They recruited 10 linemen last year. I think we have a hole in our recruiting for linemen. We cannot wait three years for them to pump up. Looks like we need create more competition next year.

**Aclone** · 10-12-2008, 06:41 PM

What we need is a better O-Line & D-Line!

AND safeties AND linebackers AND running backs AND...

It's a process. Ever since ethe annual scholarships were trimmed from "unlimited" in the eighties, about the time jim Walden was hired. Sure, tere are some good (very young) defensive and offensive linemen already in the program, and sure they need more. The coaches, amazingly enough, have a plan. And part of that plan involves filling next season's graduation holes first.

Oh look--there's Taylor Martin and and Troy Butler, down payments on filling holes...