CLOWN questions

[BryceC]

So on defense overall it looks like their pass defense could be good, but they need some playmakers on the line. They will be going against a offensive line that has two very good tackles, albeit in their first game. If they give Iowa time, Iowa's stout tight end tandem will burn them. And Iowa has some very good running backs.

Iowa State's offense is going against a stout Iowa defensive line. This could be a tough assignment for a line that hasn't played a game, especially if they give Iowa time to substitute.

For the most part I agree with what everyone is saying in this thread but ISU's defensive line IMO should be the best they've ever had. And they aren't young, it's all juniors and Enyi who is a RS sophomore that played a lot last year.

That said, I don't think they'll play the 3-3-5 although that turned their season around last year. I think that works great in the Big 12 where offenses are built to get big chunks of yards at once because it shuts that down really well. However at Iowa, where you guys are content to get 4 yards a pop it's just not built for that. I think they go four down lineman. That said, we still don't know what we're going to be looking at. We're starting inexperienced guys at safety which could be big against Fant and we are going to be starting a true freshman at MLB.

I honestly didn't think ISU would win this game regardless, but with a lot of kinks to work out (Guys moving positions on O Line, getting game reps for safeties and MLB) it just didn't happen. They played like 5 plays.

Lastly, I think Iowa's defensive line is good and will be a problem for ISU. However I don't think there will be at ton of sacks in this game - Kempt gets rid of it really quickly and Montgomery is a very good blocker in the backfield.

 

[BryceC]

Defensively, they are okay, but it's not the strength of the team.

Last year it absolutely was. The offense isn't great. In Big 12 play last year ISU only allowed 19 PPG which is pretty insane actually.

 

[BGOLD]

If you ask Iowa State fans, they think they're better across the board. Not just the fans, but the writers on CycloneFanatic. It's embarrassing how they've been unable to handle such marginal success, but I'm not the least bit surprised either.

 

[#1DieHardHawk]

Last year it absolutely was. The offense isn't great. In Big 12 play last year ISU only allowed 19 PPG which is pretty insane actually.

I agree, but I was factoring in their losses. They lost most of their major players on defense- Lanning, Waggoner, Trent, Cotton-Moya and Edwards (Lanning and Cotton-Moya were huge for them). They are going to be very green on the back end (the question is whether we have the players to take advantage of that...).

They still have some talent on D, but I see their offense as their strength this season. Covering up for Campos (who wasn't that good to begin with) and Lazard will be easier than replacing those defensive losses.

 

[Stanzi]

16 starters back from last year, 10 on offense, from a team that won 6 of 9 with their QB. 3 losses were by a combined 12 points.

There’s no way they returned everyone on offense except Lazard. They lost a couple of offensive linemen at a minimum. On defense they lost Lanning and Cotton-Moya who were their two best players. They do appear to have some good defensive linemen especially Lima. Their LB’s are unproven and untested.

 

[pythagoras]

Last of what I heard is they have some good tight ends and claim they could be some of the better TEs in the B12.

The TE position in the big XII is probably the most underutilized position in the conference. So take that "some of the better" for what it's really worth.

 

[BryceC]

I agree, but I was factoring in their losses. They lost most of their major players on defense- Lanning, Waggoner, Trent, Cotton-Moya and Edwards (Lanning and Cotton-Moya were huge for them). They are going to be very green on the back end (the question is whether we have the players to take advantage of that...).

They still have some talent on D, but I see their offense as their strength this season. Covering up for Campos (who wasn't that good to begin with) and Lazard will be easier than replacing those defensive losses.

Lanning is the big one there. I actually think we're going to get a lot of what Cotton-Moya brought tot he table. Edwards and Trent wouldn't be playing much on this team IMO. Waggoner we're going to get pretty similar production out of though.

If you want my prediction for the game I think Iowa wins something like 21-10 in a pretty ugly game.

Saturday was very bad for ISU for a lot of reasons. It's been said many times that yes, it's bad to miss your first game because you make a lot of improvement. However, I think it's pretty important to get some good vibes going early in the year. If everything plays out by the odds, I think they'll be favored in only one of their next 5 games. The sixth game is against WVU, who ISU hosts but they might win the conference this year. If ISU starts out 1-4 or 1-5 that could be all she wrote for the season and the fans would be insane. Now starting 2-4 isn't much better but you'd have to think the team would be pretty beaten down there too.

 

[BryceC]

There’s no way they returned everyone on offense except Lazard. They lost a couple of offensive linemen at a minimum. On defense they lost Lanning and Cotton-Moya who were their two best players. They do appear to have some good defensive linemen especially Lima. Their LB’s are unproven and untested.

True - they also lost Robbie Garcia on the line.

 

[seiowafan]

There’s no way they returned everyone on offense except Lazard. They lost a couple of offensive linemen at a minimum. On defense they lost Lanning and Cotton-Moya who were their two best players. They do appear to have some good defensive linemen especially Lima. Their LB’s are unproven and untested.

2 new WR starters - Trever Ryen replaced by Jones who started the year before over Ryan and Butler's spot (Butler moved to Lazard's Spot)
2 New OL starters with one of last years OL starters now a backup on the 2 deep

 

[99topdawg]

There’s no way they returned everyone on offense except Lazard. They lost a couple of offensive linemen at a minimum. On defense they lost Lanning and Cotton-Moya who were their two best players. They do appear to have some good defensive linemen especially Lima. Their LB’s are unproven and untested.

I'm just going by the number of players they have listed in bold on their preseason depth chart. I honestly have no idea who they lost, other than 1st round draft picks Lanning and Lazard.

 

[Win5002]

There’s no way they returned everyone on offense except Lazard. They lost a couple of offensive linemen at a minimum. On defense they lost Lanning and Cotton-Moya who were their two best players. They do appear to have some good defensive linemen especially Lima. Their LB’s are unproven and untested.

They are replacing 1 linebacker albeit the MLB spot and that spot will be inexperienced but Marcel Spears showed up usually as 2nd team all conference on preseason picks and Spears had 107 tackles only 7 behind Lanning who was playing MLB. Harvey has been on some 2-3rd team preseason all conference teams and had 76 tackles last year and can really run. They both have 2 years starting experience now.

They had to replace 2 safeties but did play the bowl game against Memphis without them due to suspensions and won that game and Memphis had a WR that was taken in the 2nd round of the draft by the Bears. Also, they did bring in a JUCO safety named Eisworth that was here for spring. Campbell said if there was an MVP of the defense in the spring it would have been Eisworth. So he may fill the spot pretty well. He was a 4 star out of h.s. committed to Mississippi.

 

[Win5002]

I agree, but I was factoring in their losses. They lost most of their major players on defense- Lanning, Waggoner, Trent, Cotton-Moya and Edwards (Lanning and Cotton-Moya were huge for them). They are going to be very green on the back end (the question is whether we have the players to take advantage of that...).

They still have some talent on D, but I see their offense as their strength this season. Covering up for Campos (who wasn't that good to begin with) and Lazard will be easier than replacing those defensive losses.

The defense will still be the anchor.

They were green at the safety spot but they played the bowl game without the 2 safeties. They brought in a JUCO for spring practice in Greg Eisworth who played very well. Lawrence White who started in the bowl game will be another starter.

The offense for ISU will be determined by how much the offensive line improves, because they have all the other spots filled. Lazard was not in any way underrated as a college player but ISU just has a lot of WR's. The kid that took the 50 yard screen pass to the end zone at the start of Saturday night's game had 37 balls caught 2 years ago as a FR. and I expected a nice season from him last year but ISU just brought in 2 more WR's in Murdock & Eaton that took away balls to catch. That position won't suffer too much, they still have height and speed.

 

[Herkeye1986]

I'm just going by the number of players they have listed in bold on their preseason depth chart. I honestly have no idea who they lost, other than 1st round draft picks Lanning and Lazard.

I hope this is thick sarcasm as a believe neither one of them were drafted and maybe only Lazard is on a practice squad.

 

[David79]

16 starters back from last year, 10 on offense, from a team that won 6 of 9 with their QB. 3 losses were by a combined 12 points.

They don't have 10 starters back on offense.

 

[David79]

They have three really good DL but i don't think their depth is great. They have a couple really good LBs but MLB much like Iowa is still a question mark. Their CBs are experienced and Peavy is very good but both safeties are first time starters and I would look to test them. They play a 3-3-5 most of the time but I don't know if they will do that against Iowa because that defense is built for Big 12 teams. They are similar to Iowa in that their goal is to try and make you slowly move it down the field, i.e. bend but don't break.

On offense, Kempt is very accurate and they look to get the ball out quick with him. Lazard bailed him out a lot on some throws last year with great catches. Montgomery is a stud and so is Butler at WR and they have a couple other guys at WR that are threats. Their TEs are mostly blockers and not big receiving threats. Their OL is still suspect. Good-Jones and Knipfel are pretty good Olineman but Good-Jones seems to be playing out of position at LT as opposed to the interior. Meeker is ok and they have a guard and center starting for the first time.

 

[99topdawg]

I hope this is thick sarcasm as a believe neither one of them were drafted and maybe only Lazard is on a practice squad.

Yes, it's sarcasm. That's my only talent in life.

 

[99topdawg]

They don't have 10 starters back on offense.

Here's where I got that from. I have no idea if were all regular starters, part-time starters, or one-time starters.

 

[David79]

Here's where I got that from. I have no idea if were all regular starters, part-time starters, or one-time starters.

They have guys that have starts but weren't full time starters. They have 6 returning full time starters. Meeker and Jones have had some starts under their belt and Eaton, Mueller and Newell are first time starters.

 

[99topdawg]

They have guys that have starts but weren't full time starters. They have 6 returning full time starters. Meeker and Jones have had some starts under their belt and Eaton, Mueller and Newell are first time starters.

OK, thanks for the clarification. Honestly had no idea what it takes to be considered a "starter" in their eyes. Really don't understand much of what ISU does...

 

[judzeehawk]

OK, thanks for the clarification. Honestly had no idea what it takes to be considered a "starter" in their eyes. Really don't understand much of what ISU does...

It's not the dazzle them with brilliance. It's more like baffle them with bullshat!