UNLV Game Thoughts

madguy30

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With how many guys were supposed to be good this year the OL is a bit disappointing. Obviously want to give them time to gel but when does the staff tinker with the lineup a bit?

This was another year of offseason hype for the receivers and that hasn't shown to really come to fruition either.
 

quasistellar

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With how many guys were supposed to be good this year the OL is a bit disappointing. Obviously want to give them time to gel but when does the staff tinker with the lineup a bit?

I mean, it's mostly the same guys--some back from injury. I'm not sure why everyone thought there would be a huge leap. I expected a fairly small improvement, and that's what I've seen compared to previous years.

Let's remember why Montgomery always looked like superman out there -- he was breaking tackles before hitting the line of scrimmage. The o-line used to be swiss cheese. Now it's more like havarti or gruyere. Good enough IMO to be on the level with the rest of the BigXII.

IMO our real and more immediately correctable problem is play calling by Manning and execution by skill players.
 

Cyclonepride

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When teams put 8 in the box allot, it will be more difficult for the oline to run block or pass block when blitzed. As I said before, teams will try to eliminate our running game and force ISU to pass, pass, and pass.

Yep. Need to make them pay for that strategy until they are forced to change it up.
 

nrg4isu

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I am way more worried about a chunk of our OL being super leaky than I am any part of our defense.

I've watched and re-watched every game this season and I just don't understand this take. Pass protection has been really really good this year so far. Iowa had a couple successful blitzes, but that is absolutely going to happen from time to time regardless. Overall I see pass-pro as a very high grade so far.

Run blocking is something different. From what I've seen, the run blocking is ok to not great. I just haven't seen much road-grading going on. There's times where the line will block as they're supposed to and the hole is there, but just as often the designed run path doesn't emerge. Jared Rus is the only real bright spot I've seen in the run blocking game. I can't say I can recall a run play where the line just flat out dominated and got downfield blocks.
 

convoluteme

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I've watched and re-watched every game this season and I just don't understand this take. Pass protection has been really really good this year so far. Iowa had a couple successful blitzes, but that is absolutely going to happen from time to time regardless. Overall I see pass-pro as a very high grade so far.

Run blocking is something different. From what I've seen, the run blocking is ok to not great. I just haven't seen much road-grading going on. There's times where the line will block as they're supposed to and the hole is there, but just as often the designed run path doesn't emerge. Jared Rus is the only real bright spot I've seen in the run blocking game. I can't say I can recall a run play where the line just flat out dominated and got downfield blocks.

Downing had a rough game against UNLV. He completely whiffed on a block and got a TD called back because he had to hold.
 

Cycsk

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What's he like catching the ball?

I can see some double backfield sets going well with him sneaking out.


I remember at least one double-backfield set against UNLV, but it was a designed run for Purdy!
 

nrg4isu

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Downing had a rough game against UNLV. He completely whiffed on a block and got a TD called back because he had to hold.

Agreed. Downing has been underwhelming so far this year and probably had his worst game against UNLV. I believe he also had a false start against both Iowa and UNLV.

Penalties have been disappointing as well, but as a whole I still would argue our pass protection has been the best I've ever seen us have. As good as any opponent we've played against I can remember as well.
 

StPaulCyclone

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Duh!
This was another year of offseason hype for the receivers and that hasn't shown to really come to fruition either.
I recall hype, just positives about X…hoping Milton could contribute again…concern about Scates and hoping someone else would emerge.
 

WhoISthis

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This was another year of offseason hype for the receivers and that hasn't shown to really come to fruition either.
We give them about as much of a chance at succeeding as we do the OL. As we add more nuance to the offense, they’ll improve
 

WhoISthis

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I've watched and re-watched every game this season and I just don't understand this take. Pass protection has been really really good this year so far. Iowa had a couple successful blitzes, but that is absolutely going to happen from time to time regardless. Overall I see pass-pro as a very high grade so far.

Run blocking is something different. From what I've seen, the run blocking is ok to not great. I just haven't seen much road-grading going on. There's times where the line will block as they're supposed to and the hole is there, but just as often the designed run path doesn't emerge. Jared Rus is the only real bright spot I've seen in the run blocking game. I can't say I can recall a run play where the line just flat out dominated and got downfield blocks.
Hall also hasn’t been as decisive or good in his reads/cuts. A lot harder when stopping hall is priority #1, #2, and maybe 3. It’s almost as though this staff thought this line were road graders against a stacked box type. They’re not and never have been. 6 years in, and I don’t think Manning and Co know how to develop that, and he’s also average in play-sequence and interaction.
 
  • Agree
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CyclonePigskin

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You aren’t getting it. Dominating but up 14-0 against a bad team is not dominating. Scoreboard matters. When playing ball control, pissing away two out of 4 possessions means the opponent is still in it. It reduces the margin for error. That’s how you end up 14-0 despite being much better. Our frequent “random” execution errors are why our version of ball control isn’t good. We don’t win the margins, we win the culture.

And we are good as pissing. Those small “randon” mistakes are what we do. Against UNLV they ended promising drives. Against UNI and Iowa they killed drives before we could get going.

The same execution lapses why we couldn’t convert clear talent advantages into more than a 14-0 lead with a few minutes left in the half is why we wouldn’t have been doing well against a better team. It wasn’t much different quality play as the first two games in the first half, just a more forgiving opponent. Putting ourselves behind the down and distance and/or making mistakes wasn’t as prohibitive. Bad play sequence easier to overcome.

Although it was nice to see the play calling not quite as poor, but that generally becomes a little more nuanced as the season goes.

If Manning utilizes his talent on offense and gets them to execute like Heacock the defense, it’s a 10 win team. We are already one win behind due to that not happening imo


Except for the Cyclone defense.
 

clonehoodie

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I remember Ben Bruns saying a few years ago "you can't just take an offensive lineman from West Des Moines and turn him into a Big 12 quality O-Lineman within 2 years".

Other schools play O-Lines that are freshmen and sophomores. And they actually learn to block, not push.

Why can't ISU do this ?
 

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