Looking Back: What went wrong? Will ISU ever surprise us?

kuney1 · 09-18-2006, 10:01 PM

The scary thing is we could easily be 0-3 right now.

Wesley · 09-18-2006, 10:04 PM

Could also have been 3-0.

Wesley · 09-18-2006, 10:22 PM

Jeremy - after that last game, time for a basketball recruitring update to ease the tension. The next game will be much more difficult. Did we get any new football recruits?

Jeremy · 09-18-2006, 10:50 PM

We didn't get any new committments but I feel better today about McFarland and Stinnett than I did on Friday:)

Cloned4Life · 09-19-2006, 12:14 AM

Originally Posted by jonnyb21

All great points Cloned4Life.

It's pretty pathetic when my friends and I could predict the next play over 50% of the time and be right on Saturday!
Dan McCarney is simply too predictable.

Oh, one more thing, did you get a copyright on the word unfreakinbelieveable? I like it.

LOL no jonnyb, I have not gotten a copyright on it. But as long as BC calls the same boring/unimaginative plays, I'll be using it a lot :-)

aerosill · 09-19-2006, 12:28 AM

Jeremy,

I disagree with giving Mac the rest of this year and next. The conservative play calling has been the same the past 5+ years. Also, the lack of making adjustments within the game. This is why we dominated most of the first half, but Iowa dominated the end of the first half and all the second. My dad and I were talking after the game about these 2 points, when he said that we had the exact same conversation 5 years ago!

I will give Mac all the props for taking our team from nothing to where we are now: on the verge of getting to the next level. It's been a phenominal job doing that. However, I don't think he is the person to take us to the next level. All I can think is that the university is happy with us being at the level we are at, and not wanting to go higher, or else we would have another coach right now.

Just my 2 cents.

Jim
AerE 1990

cyclonewino · 09-19-2006, 08:05 AM

Let's see how this year goes before talking about coaching changes. Mac has done a great job of recruiting better players and developing them. But he is not very good at calling plays that let them make the big play. In '02 as I recall at #! Oklahoma we were getting our butts handed to us and we recovered a fumble at the 1, Mac ran four plays up the middle, commentators were shocked, one of the best atheletes in college football (Seneca Wallace) was simply handing the ball off and not allowed to make a play. Mac said later he wanted to prove to the players we could go head to head with #1 Oklahoma. Unfortunately he proved the opposite and the season was lost - we never played well after that game. As much as I despise Hayden Fry, he would have found a way to score, he would beat teams straight up when he could, outsmart them otherwise, but always looking for a way to win. Mac struggles with managing the mental aspects of the players. That is why I beleive the game was lost at the end of the first half. Iowa stepped up and we needed to respond immediately.

JokersWild · 09-19-2006, 08:25 AM

I think I've posted it 50 times in here. This coaching staff is not a "Game Day" coaching staff. Any coach that we play against has to be licking their chops. They know we won't make any adjustments, so I'm sure the halftime speech goes like this (with ISU up by 10 or 20). "Ok guys we have them right where we want em. They'll let you back in because they won't change up the plays."

Or something to that effect. I'm sure it could have been more clever, but I'm not really clever.

JJ4ISU · 09-19-2006, 08:51 AM

Considering how well we ran the ball Saturday against Iowa, I was surprised we didn't try a little play action, particularly in the 4th quarter. I agree that we need to take some shots down the field to open up the short range passing game.

CLONE2THEBONE · 09-19-2006, 09:01 AM

I think it was Hartlieb earlier this year when discussing the Clones on Deace or Cotlar who said that ISU's offense is handcuffed by Bret's inability to run a more complex system. He wasn't calling him dumb by any means, but said he just doesn't seem to get it when on the field.

URBCLONE · 09-19-2006, 09:12 AM

Thanks, Jeremy and all the other posters on this thread. It is encouraging to see so many others upset with mediocrity and willing to tell the truth.

I think what gets me the most is the same mistakes being repeated over and over throughout a twelve year coaching regime. Sitting on a small lead is nothing new for this coaching staff. Think back to 1996, this trend was already apparent at that point. Remember this?

9/7/1996- The Cyclones opened the 1996 football season by hosting Wyoming. The Cowboys rallied to score 18 points in the fourth quarter to send the game into OT. Dan McCarney opted to go on offense. ISU kicker Jamie Kohl missed his field and Wyoming converted a 41 yard kick to win 41-38.

10/19/1996- The Cyclones led Oklahoma State 24-7 in Stillwater after a Todd Doxzon to Dennis Dibiase TD pass with 8 minutes left in the 3rd quarter. The Cowboys outscored ISU 21-3 to win by a point.

10/26/1996- ISU got off to a 21-7 start in Waco against Baylor. The Cyclones gave up 624 yards and 42 unanswered points to the Bears and lost the game 49-21. It was Baylor’s first win in the Big 12 conference.

11/2/1996- ISU led Kansas 31-27 with 6 minutes remaining, but faltered late, as the Jayhawks won 34-31.

11/9/1996- Iowa State lead 7th ranked Colorado 28-21 in the third quarter. CU retaliated with 28 unanswered points, before holding off the Cyclones 49-42.

I give the man credit for raising ISU FB a notch. But it is similar to the Johnny Orr scenario in basketball. He has taken us as far as his coaching ability can go. Yes it is risky to pull the plug and go in a new direction but stagnation and mediocrity is not real appealing either. As many of you have indicated, JP has $35 million in stadium improvements to fund. That is not going to happen on the heels of another 7-5 or 6-6 season. Many people foster the notion that the small budget is what keeps ISU from success. Think what ONE breakout season would have done to improve fan morale, raise expectations and create momentum. As Darts notes, Iowa, Wisconsin, Purdue, KSU and many others overcame the same problems ISU is facing by WINNING GAMES. It is time for ISU to do the same.

cydsho · 09-19-2006, 09:30 AM

The philosophy of the coaching staff is affecting the play of the athletes. We had all the momentum in the first half, lost it with 1:30 left, and our response? Give up. That is basically what it looked like to me. Same thing happened at KU last year and the end of reg. Mac is great at pumping the kids up, yet at a pivotal point in the game, they aren't allowed to perform. That has to affect the psyche of the team.
I'm also beginning to wonder how having Meyer as QB is affecting playcalling. He cannot read a defense and recognize open receivers and this is becoming painfully obvious. I noticed this the previous two years but chalked it up to inexperience. Now a junior and having played with these WRs, I see no chemistry between the QB and any WR. Not sure if this is from the play calling or Meyer missing opportunities. Maybe a little of both?

moater · 09-19-2006, 10:24 AM

Even meyer can count to eight. I don't think he has the option to audible out of a dive play. Eight men on the line and we still try to run up the middle. With the ball control mentality of the coaching staff (No turn overs). How many times have we seen a player screw it up and never see that player the rest of the game?

CyinCo · 09-19-2006, 10:54 AM

Even I am starting to be converted. I watched the Iowa game again and the playcalling in the second half was poor. The same plays over and over again. Why do we have a machine gun but we continue to use the six shooter?

CyFarmer · 09-19-2006, 11:25 AM

Originally Posted by crash_zone

After these last few weeks, I still don't know about this team. We have the talent to beat some of the top teams, but we just aren't making it happen!!!!! Mac, you better start throwing some crazy plays out there, because your fan base is starting to question you!!!! (The only reason I don't want Mac to be let go right now is because he has some great players lined up....and I don't want to see them go elsewhere if Mac is left out to dry)

I found this post particularly amusing. Mac's "fan base" questions EVERY thing Mac does and has for years. I'm sure he's quite concerned with the messageboard crowd today.