Is there a reason NOT to fire

[Tornado man]

Lots of blame for Messingham here - maybe Courtney would appoint different position coaches for his offense, if he had a choice? Maybe he would have a different strength coach, so his line could move the opponents out of the way? Bottom line, this is CPR's program, not Messingham's. People wanting Mess fired are in reality questioning Rhoads' knowledge of the game.

 

[jsmith86]

Right. There's simply too much money and program implications (SEZ) to allow that product on the field. This is a business. I don't want the ISU football business to fail. We need a serious statement, now.

This. Exactly this.

Right now, ISU football is sitting on top of a cliff. Start winning, and we take all these first time season ticket buyers and new fans and make them into life long fans.

Start losing? Well, I'm sure many of use who were here through the Chizik years and some of the tough times before that will stay, and we'll get to make the joke about how most Iowa fans have absolutely no connection with EICC again, but mark my words, we will lose the momentum we've built up over the past few years. We will lose 90% of the new fans. People will start calling for CPR's job, and we will end up right back where we were when Chizik left.

 

[CycloneErik]

I have no problem with firing him.

 

[weR138]

Lots of blame for Messingham here - maybe Courtney would appoint different position coaches for his offense, if he had a choice? Maybe he would have a different strength coach, so his line could move the opponents out of the way? Bottom line, this is CPR's program, not Messingham's. People wanting Mess fired are in reality questioning Rhoads' knowledge of the game.

This is exactly my point. PR can't let this fester. While I don't question Rhoads's knowledge of the game I fear that he's developed a blind spot.

 

[Tornado man]

This is exactly my point. PR can't let this fester. While I don't question Rhoads's knowledge of the game I fear that he's developed a blind spot.

I used to watch Rhoads coach d-backs at practice under Mac, and he was a certifiable maniac both in terms of demanding effort and knowing schemes. Does he have enough assistants who share that? Enough "little CPR's?"

 

[kingcy]

This is exactly my point. PR can't let this fester. While I don't question Rhoads's knowledge of the game I fear that he's developed a blind spot.

We don't know what is said in the coach's offices. Coach K was brought in to change things up. The staff was moved around this offseason to try to make things better.

 

[Die4Cy]

ISU is very green on defense, and I think that was the most glaring problem last night. That will not fix itself, the guys just have to get experience and learn to make plays. But I think most ISU fans knew that would be the case this year, although we hoped it wouldn't be as obvious as it was last night.

When the Oline shifted around after Farniok's injury last night, it exposed a critical lack of quality depth and flexibility among the hogs up front. They are an experienced group, and should have been able to adjust better than they did. The lack of quality line play (on both sides of the ball) continues to plague the ISU program. This is an ongoing issue for several seasons now, since before CPR was even coaching here. ISU has talent at the skill positions, but not in the trenches, and will be consistently inconsistent until that gets solved. It doesn't matter what play is called or what kind of talent you have at QB, TB, or wideout if they are constantly under duress or going backward in the red zone.

That's what I saw last night. I think Coach Klenakis is a good OL coach, with a great reputation and resume, but he needs to figure out this problem, and fast.

 

[boone7247]

Reason: Oline did not cut it last night, poor rushing stats, lots of sacks. Farniok going out is the root cause. Fundamental FB concept: Without good oline play your offense is severely limited (you can't play call yourself out of that).

Klenakis better earn his paycheck the next two weeks. Fix this issue and you'll see RB's do better and Sam become even more productive.

White, Wimberly, and Johnson ran the ball a total of 20 times for 91 yards. While not great, that doesn't indicate an inability to run the ball. And if Farniok injury is to blame, then why would a team move away from the run after, if his play is essential, then it should be easier to run block than to pass block. Yes we were behind, but he went down early enough that running was still and option, our best option if you ask me, As a matter of fact if you add in Sunshines yardage from designed runs, the running game was probably very successful. Don't try to take heat off of Mess by blaming an injured player.

 

[vmbplayer]

To be honest I'd say the fact that an fcs opponent got consistent pressure on the qb with a 4 man rush is indicative of a problem unrelated to play calling. The bad play calling to me sounds like coach speak so fans don't quickly identify the shortcomings we have on the line that makes the rest the schedule look insurmountable. Play calling is something you can sell as a collectable error. An o line getting out played by what should be a weaker opponent is not.

 

[kingcy]

White, Wimberly, and Johnson ran the ball a total of 20 times for 91 yards. While not great, that doesn't indicate an inability to run the ball. And if Farniok injury is to blame, then why would a team move away from the run after, if his play is essential, then it should be easier to run block than to pass block. Yes we were behind, but he went down early enough that running was still and option, our best option if you ask me, As a matter of fact if you add in Sunshines yardage from designed runs, the running game was probably very successful. Don't try to take heat off of Mess by blaming an injured player.

91 yards from your running backs is a problem. Its a HUGE problem. With that talent they should be getting over 191 yards in Big 12 games and 291 vs UNI. The goal should be to have one back over 100 and the others to make up the rest.

 

[weR138]

ISU is very green on defense, and I think that was the most glaring problem last night. That will not fix itself, the guys just have to get experience and learn to make plays. But I think most ISU fans knew that would be the case this year, although we hoped it wouldn't be as obvious as it was last night.

When the Oline shifted around after Farniok's injury last night, it exposed a critical lack of quality depth and flexibility among the hogs up front. They are an experienced group, and should have been able to adjust better than they did. The lack of quality line play (on both sides of the ball) continues to plague the ISU program. This is an ongoing issue for several seasons now, since before CPR was even coaching here. ISU has talent at the skill positions, but not in the trenches, and will be consistently inconsistent until that gets solved. It doesn't matter what play is called or what kind of talent you have at QB, TB, or wideout if they are constantly under duress or going backward in the red zone.

That's what I saw last night. I think Coach Klenakis is a good OL coach, with a great reputation and resume, but he needs to figure out this problem, and fast.

So you are in the "keep Messingham" camp?

 

[weR138]

To be honest I'd say the fact that an fcs opponent got consistent pressure on the qb with a 4 man rush is indicative of a problem unrelated to play calling. The bad play calling to me sounds like coach speak so fans don't quickly identify the shortcomings we have on the line that makes the rest the schedule look insurmountable. Play calling is something you can sell as a collectable error. An o line getting out played by what should be a weaker opponent is not.

Fair point. Keep Messingham?

 

[clonedude]

Good post. I guess I assumed that Sturdy could take on the play-calling pretty seamlessly w/o changes to the playbook but I could be wrong.

Yeah, I agree. I don't think we can install an entire new offense at this point, but at least have someone else decide which plays to run and when to run them. It's obvious Mess has no clue.

I think we HAVE to keep the same playbook at this point, but get rid of Mess and at least have someone else decide which plays we are going to run. It really can't hurt at this point. I think Sturdy actually has a better resume than Mess anyway. So does Klenakis.

 

[RustShack]

That's assuming CPR lets the new OC install a new offense instead of sticking with Herman's like he made Mess do.

 

[cc1091]

I wondered from the first announcement of Messingham as OC if PR knew what he was doing on this subject. The experiment was over last season IMO. Why he didn't hire someone else is a mystery to me. Perhaps blinded by the change to the Pistol?

I think keeping/re-hiring underperforming friends for jobs that required BCS caliber talent was also McCarney's Achilles heel. Of course, I'm not sure McCarney was a BCS caliber head coach (BCS caliber assistant - possibly).

 

[psyclone51]

Iowa will be a MUCH tougher test, as their defense is pretty decent - a lot better than UNI! I give Messingham one more game - or less. Good or bad, right or wrong, PR has created expectations, and starting the season at 0-2 is not part of that picture. If the offense struggles, I bet someone else is calling plays by the second half and there is a coaching shuffle before Tulsa - or right way after.

 

[InCytful]

I'll stand up for Mess on this game, though not as much some of the games last year. Going more pass than run when only down 8 with a lot of time was poor play calling, to be sure, as was that 55 yard FG attempt, but the players should be good enough to beat a FCS team with generic playcalling, especially with only a couple of penalties all game and no turnovers. If they're not, you've got issues beyond play calling. I think the O-line needs work and lots of it. Did the receivers block on run plays? I didn't watch that much but was curious. We have first game fundamentals issues in my opinion, and if you've got those, it's something for the whole offensive staff to take credit for including CPR, not just the OC. If those issues last into the season, then I'll agree that it's time to make a move.

 

[RayShimley]

Serious question for someone who hadn't imbibed massive amounts of alcohol while watching the game last night: What percent of the time would you say we ran the pistol last night? I was in a beer-fueled rage by the end of the 1st quarter, but it seemed to me like the RBs were lining up BESIDE the QB an awful lot for a team that did nothing but talk up the pistol all off-season.

 

[InCytful]

Serious question for someone who hadn't imbibed massive amounts of alcohol while watching the game last night: What percent of the time would you say we ran the pistol last night? I was in a beer-fueled rage by the end of the 1st quarter, but it seemed to me like the RBs were lining up BESIDE the QB an awful lot for a team that did nothing but talk up the pistol all off-season.

We ran that more than other formations, but some with two RB's, and even a few plays of 5 wideouts. There were a lot plays I thought that Wemberly played in the slot or spread out, including that reverse play. Some good stuff amid the chaos of the loss.

 

[Cyclonepride]

Serious question for someone who hadn't imbibed massive amounts of alcohol while watching the game last night: What percent of the time would you say we ran the pistol last night? I was in a beer-fueled rage by the end of the 1st quarter, but it seemed to me like the RBs were lining up BESIDE the QB an awful lot for a team that did nothing but talk up the pistol all off-season.

Maybe 5-10%? It wasn't much, and most was early.