Memories

Around this time in 2005, ISU beat Okie State in Ames 37-10. I recall the score being closer than the game was in reality. Mike Gundy was in his first season as head coach.

ISU returns the favor this week with the roles reversed. I suspect the margin will be more than 27 points.

Circumstances change. Having a Daddy Warbucks in your fan base doesn't hurt.

Peterclone

Bright Side

At least we didn't fire a coach who was inconsistent only to hire a new guy, pay him more, and get worse results.

Oh, wait.

Perhaps there really is a correlation to having the smallest football budget in the league and not being able to win games. Crazy facts.

Peterclone

Reality Check

To put things in perspective, UNLV is now 0-4 in the MWC, and Kent State is 1-4 in the MAC.

That should keep us from getting too full of ourselves.

Peterclone

Missed Opportunities

My TeeVee kept telling me all day that Minny won their seventh game today.

According to Sagarin, they've played a similar schedule to our Cyclones. Except they find ways to beat their opponents.

I'm just hoping that we aren't cutting a single corner, and the Gophers are cutting all of them.

Peterclone

Losses

ISU had 8 plays for a loss or no gain.

a$m only had three, not counting taking a knee at the end.

And a$m isn't good.

Peterclone

WAC

Watching the B12 games today made me think I was watching tapes of the WAC, circa '86.

In six games today, the league averaged 70 points scored. Yikes.

It does make great TV.

Peterclone

Last Chance

Beating a$m will serve three purposes:

1. Make it very unlikely ISU will finish last
2. Make a second conference win this season plausible
3. Ensure we won't have to wait 45 weeks until another win

I think ISU will win this one 35-31. If they don't, well, at least we'll know we are the worst team in the league. No maybes.

Go get 'em, boys. And no, that isn't the Texas State Patrol with trumpets. Ignore them.

Peterclone

Obvious

It should go without saying that part of the offinsive struggles the last two weeks are due to the fact that with only one servicable QB, a big chunk of the playbook is off limits.

That's why we didn't see Meyer run much option after being so brilliant with it in a bowl game 75 years ago (or so it seems).

Peterclone

Oh-Fur

Gotta think that whichever team loses Saturday is staring 0-8 in the face.

Solid tackling will go a long way towards ISU avoiding that.

Peterclone

Struggles

No wonder the rest of the B12 thinks wwe're a joke:

The last six seasons, ISU has opened Big 12 play 0-3. Only twice did they recover to finish 4-4.

Ouch.

Peterclone

6

Remember folks, we gave Danny Mac 6 years to deliver a winning season. The New Guy should get at least five.

Heck, Dan didn't beat a team that finished the season above .500 until that 6th year. TNG has beaten that.

When you don't accept mediocrity, all losses look the same, no?

Peterclone

Spunkily Stinky

While there were some moments that made you hopeful for the short term- forcing turnovers, a big TD run, a few 3 and outs- we're still a stinky football team.

A very mediocre Nebraska team looked like Old Time Big Red today, and that doesn't bode well for the rest of the year. It looked way too easy for the Huskers. According to the TV guys, today was on par with a home game against New Mexico State for NU. Ouch.

Until the ISU OL can run block, this program will continue to get rolled.

Peterclone

Perspective

SUI had a good day at Indiana after losing three in a row. So how does the Rag headline it?

"Happy Days Are Here Again".

Pimp much, Rag?

Peterclone

Turnarounds

Who would have thought that Minnesota would be a faster turnaround than ISU?

The Gophers are already bowl-eligible, with several winnable games to play.

I take back the snark I directed north.

Peterclone

3 of 12

To my calculations, Baylor has now won 12 games all time in the B12.

Wins over ISU represent 3 of that total. That's 25%. They've also beaten KU 3 times, and CU twice.

FWIW- ISU has 28 B12 wins, so it will take BU a few years to officially put us in last place.

Peterclone

#14

Perhaps I was harsh in writing that this group of Cyclones doesn't have the guts to end its 14 game road losing streak.

It looks like they are 100 miles from having the talent to do so. Guts, or lack thereof, don't matter at this point.

Peterclone

Streaks

My local paper negected to mention this little tidbit:

Not only is ISU on a 13 game road losing streak, Baylor has lost their last 13 B12 games.

For the record, ISU has won 3 B12 games in that span.

So, a streak is going to end tonight. Considering the last time ISU played in 2005 BU broke an 0-37 B12 road losing streak- that's oh-fur-since-the-start-of-conference-play- in Ames. The fact that ISU then finished strong, winning 4 of 6 and earning a bowl trip, was remarkable.

I still think BU wins tonight, but a Cyclone win is plausible.

Peterclone

Limited

There goes any designed QB runs until further notice.

It's ironic that Meyer was not allowed to run until Arnaud was ready to be a backup; now he won't be allowed to run until a Freshman is ready.

This pretty much guarrentees that Mr. Murphy will snap #4's ankle on the first snap from scrimmage in Waco, or some other cruel twist to ensure that ISU continues its road losing streak. That's unfortunate, because as a 5 point dog it is at least plausible that ISU will win.

I doubt they will. I just haven't seen in this bunch the mental toughness needed to push a team around for 60 minutes to get a win. The ability is there, but not the guts.

All is not lost, though. There are two winnable home games on the horizon, and K State looks to have issues.

Peterclone

Turnabout

I don't want to hear a single complaint out of Lincoln or Manhattan over big time losses.

It's less fun to be on the short end of it, isn't it?

As a Nebraska once told me: "If you can't stay within 30 of my team, that's hardly my fault."

Amen. Enjoy mediocrity.

Peterclone

Hangover, Week Three

Clearly, the hangover continues in Iowa City.

Keep this up and you will never shake the reputation for placing too much emphasis on the game against Silo Tech.

Peterclone

Consistency

I assume that all of the same characters who were bitching that support for the previous coach's frequent near-miss losses was "endorsing mediocrity" are not taking comfort in the present coach's near-miss losses.

Consistency is key to winning, no?

Peterclone

Yardsticks

I look forward to the day when our Cyclones require an opponent to play four solid quarters of football in order to win.

Right now, only two are needed.

Peterclone