Huskers vs Cyclones

[Cy the Cyclone]

First of all…if Nebraska mails it in like they did last week, we’re all going to see ISU snap another streak this year…consecutive loses in Lincoln since 1977. Jeer all you want but the Cyclones are coming in this year with a lot of momentum behind them. They broke their road losing streak (okay, it was Kent State…but still). They broke their losing streak against B12 opponents. Of their 3 loses, two have come against ranked opponents and the other one is to the current leader of the Big 12 North. Admit it, if the Clones had a consistent kicker, they would be 6-1 instead of 4-3 (and even 4-3 is something to get excited about in Ames after the last three debacles we’ve had up here). Don’t overlook the fact that the players might not be as fast or talented as some of the players they come up against, but they play as a team. That said, I’ll delve a bit more in depth into strengths and weaknesses of the two teams.

 

QB: Lee is lacking consistency so far and seems to make the occasional bad decision to throw when running would get the job done. Everyone seemed to respond more enthusiastically to Green who appears to be more of an all-around athlete than Lee but I haven’t seen enough of him on the field to know much about his game savvy. Arnaud has gotten better as the season has gone on. He’s going with what he’s given rather than forcing balls in where they shouldn’t go. He’s also the 9th leading rusher in the conference. Jerome Tiller proved he’s a capable backup going 7-8 on passing and running for 80 yards in the 2nd half against Baylor. Realistically, I give a small edge to ISU at QB…very small…but still an edge.

 

Running Game: Amazingly, ISU runs a spread offense but still has the best running offense in the B12. Robinson is the leading rusher in the conference with both Arnaud and Swartz showing up in the top 20. Helu and Robinson are basically a wash but the lack of experienced depth at RB for NU may hurt. ISU utilizes a lot of QB draws and bootlegs and, frankly, seem to have embraced the running game to set up their pass. The zone read running game will help nullify the strength of the NU D-line somewhat. I give an edge to ISU here also.

 

Receivers: NU has no receivers that jump out and scare anybody…and neither does Iowa State. The NU receivers drop a huge amount of passes…the ISU receivers don’t have the speed to stretch the defense. You probably won’t see a lot of ISU receivers get behind the secondary unless someone really botches something up. Cyclone receivers have good hands and run good routes but they aren’t deep threats. The Husker receivers have bad hands, but run good routes and have the ability to get behind the ISU secondary. Neither team seems to have an edge here.

 

O-Line: The linemen at Iowa State are probably the best kept secret in the Big 12. They are opening huge holes for the running game and have only allowed 2 sacks this year. Having a mobile QB helps but this line has got talent. They have good footwork and move real well. I’m so glad Cotton and his disciples are no longer around. The Husker line…frankly…they aren’t showing me a lot, especially at tackle where the guys seem to get speed rushed pretty bad. Poor footwork? Bad technique? Cotton? Don’t know but I give the edge to ISU.

 

Kicking Game: NU has the better place kicking and return game thus far. ISU has the better punter. Edge to NU.

 

D-Line: Big edge to NU here. They stuff things in the middle, put good pressure on the QB and are all big and physical. If all four can wind it up for an entire game and remember to contain the outside, it could be a long day for ISU but if they lose containment or over commit…things could turn in a hurry. ISU changed personnel around on the line to get more pressure on the QB but they still need some work. Lyle could have a big day though at DE as he is a speed rusher and has the ability to make the NU tackles look silly. Edge to NU

 

LB: NU has the talent edge here over ISU…a lot more physical tools to work with…but ISU has the experience edge on NU. The LB core at ISU has held up really well this year despite being short and slow. They hit and tackle hard. They blitz well on occasion. Pass coverage…not so much…but they are very opportunistic and will make you pay for stupid decisions. Get outside of them and you’re off to the races though. Still…a tough bunch. No edge here for either team as the NU LB’s still seem to be ironing out some responsibilities. Once they have those bugs worked out they will be a much more talented bunch than ISU puts on the field.

 

DB: Both teams have had their share of boneheaded plays and blown coverage. Both squads seem to be improving as time goes by. Speed advantage is with the Huskers with the savvy advantage going to the Cyclones. Clones can be beat deep and Huskers give too much cushion. No edge here either.

 

Intangibles – Both teams seem to have found a coach that the players respond to. Bo has more experience and, as long as the players don’t feel like he’ll kick their asses if they mess up, he is the better HC at the moment….but NU has Cotton…Still, NU has the coaching and home field advantage. Edge to NU here.

 

NU needs to keep ISU from jumping out to a quick lead because you lack the weapons for quick strike scoring. NU also needs to contain the outside. ISU needs to score, fast and often, in order to nullify the crowd and to make NU play catch up.

 

This should be a good game…finally.

[J_2_THA_BONE]

Not gonna lie to you Cy, if our offense can't do anything again we won't win. Plain and simple you HAVE to be able to score points to win games.

[junior4949]

A week or so ago, I caught myself being somewhat surprised at how good Mizzou's D was against us. After Saturday, I find myself thinking how average at best Mizzou's D must be to let our pathetic offense score like that in the 4th quarter. If our offense can't kill any clock and can't score many/any points, we're in huge trouble throughout the rest of the season.

[cscott2win]

I really see two teams going in opposite directions at the moment. I still can't believe that K State beat them several weeks back after their past 2 performances. A lot will depend on how the Huskers come out this weekend. The d will be there but can only do so much if Iowa State doesn't turn the ball over. I look for a closer game than the points spread. I'm thinking we will see some youngsters playing more key roles this week. Youngsters lead to mistakes but it seems the veteran players make a lot of them also.

[predictionking]

First of all…if Nebraska mails it in like they did last week, we’re all going to see ISU snap another streak this year…consecutive loses in Lincoln since 1977. Jeer all you want but the Cyclones are coming in this year with a lot of momentum behind them. They broke their road losing streak (okay, it was Kent State…but still). They broke their losing streak against B12 opponents. Of their 3 loses, two have come against ranked opponents and the other one is to the current leader of the Big 12 North. Admit it, if the Clones had a consistent kicker, they would be 6-1 instead of 4-3 (and even 4-3 is something to get excited about in Ames after the last three debacles we’ve had up here). Don’t overlook the fact that the players might not be as fast or talented as some of the players they come up against, but they play as a team. That said, I’ll delve a bit more in depth into strengths and weaknesses of the two teams.

 

QB: Lee is lacking consistency so far and seems to make the occasional bad decision to throw when running would get the job done. Everyone seemed to respond more enthusiastically to Green who appears to be more of an all-around athlete than Lee but I haven’t seen enough of him on the field to know much about his game savvy. Arnaud has gotten better as the season has gone on. He’s going with what he’s given rather than forcing balls in where they shouldn’t go. He’s also the 9th leading rusher in the conference. Jerome Tiller proved he’s a capable backup going 7-8 on passing and running for 80 yards in the 2nd half against Baylor. Realistically, I give a small edge to ISU at QB…very small…but still an edge.

 

Running Game: Amazingly, ISU runs a spread offense but still has the best running offense in the B12. Robinson is the leading rusher in the conference with both Arnaud and Swartz showing up in the top 20. Helu and Robinson are basically a wash but the lack of experienced depth at RB for NU may hurt. ISU utilizes a lot of QB draws and bootlegs and, frankly, seem to have embraced the running game to set up their pass. The zone read running game will help nullify the strength of the NU D-line somewhat. I give an edge to ISU here also.

 

Receivers: NU has no receivers that jump out and scare anybody…and neither does Iowa State. The NU receivers drop a huge amount of passes…the ISU receivers don’t have the speed to stretch the defense. You probably won’t see a lot of ISU receivers get behind the secondary unless someone really botches something up. Cyclone receivers have good hands and run good routes but they aren’t deep threats. The Husker receivers have bad hands, but run good routes and have the ability to get behind the ISU secondary. Neither team seems to have an edge here.

 

O-Line: The linemen at Iowa State are probably the best kept secret in the Big 12. They are opening huge holes for the running game and have only allowed 2 sacks this year. Having a mobile QB helps but this line has got talent. They have good footwork and move real well. I’m so glad Cotton and his disciples are no longer around. The Husker line…frankly…they aren’t showing me a lot, especially at tackle where the guys seem to get speed rushed pretty bad. Poor footwork? Bad technique? Cotton? Don’t know but I give the edge to ISU.

 

Kicking Game: NU has the better place kicking and return game thus far. ISU has the better punter. Edge to NU.

 

D-Line: Big edge to NU here. They stuff things in the middle, put good pressure on the QB and are all big and physical. If all four can wind it up for an entire game and remember to contain the outside, it could be a long day for ISU but if they lose containment or over commit…things could turn in a hurry. ISU changed personnel around on the line to get more pressure on the QB but they still need some work. Lyle could have a big day though at DE as he is a speed rusher and has the ability to make the NU tackles look silly. Edge to NU

 

LB: NU has the talent edge here over ISU…a lot more physical tools to work with…but ISU has the experience edge on NU. The LB core at ISU has held up really well this year despite being short and slow. They hit and tackle hard. They blitz well on occasion. Pass coverage…not so much…but they are very opportunistic and will make you pay for stupid decisions. Get outside of them and you’re off to the races though. Still…a tough bunch. No edge here for either team as the NU LB’s still seem to be ironing out some responsibilities. Once they have those bugs worked out they will be a much more talented bunch than ISU puts on the field.

 

DB: Both teams have had their share of boneheaded plays and blown coverage. Both squads seem to be improving as time goes by. Speed advantage is with the Huskers with the savvy advantage going to the Cyclones. Clones can be beat deep and Huskers give too much cushion. No edge here either.

 

Intangibles – Both teams seem to have found a coach that the players respond to. Bo has more experience and, as long as the players don’t feel like he’ll kick their asses if they mess up, he is the better HC at the moment….but NU has Cotton…Still, NU has the coaching and home field advantage. Edge to NU here.

 

NU needs to keep ISU from jumping out to a quick lead because you lack the weapons for quick strike scoring. NU also needs to contain the outside. ISU needs to score, fast and often, in order to nullify the crowd and to make NU play catch up.

 

This should be a good game…finally.

 

 

I will agree with almost everything you've written with the exception of the secondaries. NU's secondary has made about 3 or 4 boneheaded plays this season, that's for sure, but it is head and shoulder's better than ISU's secondary.

 

Of course, that doesn't really matter against the Nebraska offense. Baylor has more weapons at wideout than the Huskers.

 

You will struggle to score against Nebraska the way you struggled against Iowa. But you may be able to win 5-4 if your closer can shut things down in the bottom of the 9th.

 

P.S. My roommate is a ISU alum so I have seen the Clones every time they've been on TV this year. Their improvement is indicative of Rhoade's ability. What a great hire!

[Marf]

My prediction.

 

Nebraska w/ Lee playing-

 

NU-3

ISU-0

 

Alex Henery banks one off the post from 65 yards to win it with 12 seconds left in the game.

 

Nebraska w/Green playing-

 

Nebraska- 28

ISU-3

 

Green fumbles early deep in own territory, D "gives up" a field goal. But that's about it.

 

I don't see Iowa State scoring, to be perfectly honest.

[BigRedPowerWagon]

I see myself blowing my brains out if iowa state wins this one. So for my life, root for the huskers.

[huKSer]

My prediction.

 

Nebraska w/ Lee playing-

 

NU-3

ISU-0

 

Alex Henery banks one off the post from 65 yards to win it with 12 seconds left in the game.

 

Nebraska w/Green playing-

 

Nebraska- 28

ISU-3

Green fumbles early deep in own territory, D "gives up" a field goal. But that's about it.

 

I don't see Iowa State scoring, to be perfectly honest.

More likely he throws a pick 6 since he hit 3 Tech defenders right in the hands.

[redout22]

I would give the DB's edge to Nebraska. Asante has improved greatly from last year. Dennard and Gomes both don't have that many starts but they are ballers. Real fast.

[cscott2win]

My prediction.

 

Nebraska w/ Lee playing-

 

NU-3

ISU-0

 

Alex Henery banks one off the post from 65 yards to win it with 12 seconds left in the game.

 

Nebraska w/Green playing-

 

Nebraska- 28

ISU-3

Green fumbles early deep in own territory, D "gives up" a field goal. But that's about it.

 

I don't see Iowa State scoring, to be perfectly honest.

More likely he throws a pick 6 since he hit 3 Tech defenders right in the hands.

 

 

And that beats a poor pass attempt that ends up as a fumbled lateral returned for 6?

[Reality Check]

The best thing about that lateral against Texas Tech wasn't that the Red Raiders took it to the house...which I loved...but the fact that Niles Paul not only dropped the pass, BUT HE CONTINUED TO RUN UP THE FIELD AS IF HE HAD THE BALL!

 

It reminded me of my best friend in high school. We were playing intramural basketball and he was the point guard. He got the ball stolen at mid-court and proceed to air dribble all the way to our hoop like he still had the ball and made a lay-up. One of the funniest things I've ever seen.

 

But...this isn't intramurals, brother. It's Division I football. It's the Big XII. And it was Nebraska.

 

Pathetic.

 

LETS GO CYCLONES!

[Jeremy]

And by your best friend, you mean...you. Keep hating - it makes it all the better when we win.

[JGS30]

Isu will be able to score points on the huskers. Stop being delusional about how great you think your defense is. Outside of a boy named suh, your defense is pretty average. Aurnad will be able to move the ball....the real question is can u score? U should be able to run the ball very well against isu. The clones have the worst defensiveine in the big 12.

[Reality Check]

And by your best friend, you mean...you. Keep hating - it makes it all the better when we win.

 

Sincerely,

 

The loss against Texas Tech.

[Cy the Cyclone]

Isu will be able to score points on the huskers. Stop being delusional about how great you think your defense is. Outside of a boy named suh, your defense is pretty average. Aurnad will be able to move the ball....the real question is can u score? U should be able to run the ball very well against isu. The clones have the worst defensiveine in the big 12.

 

Except maybe for the one that lines up for Kansas....

 

And lets not be delusional here. Can ISU actually beat a motivated Husker team in Lincoln? Chances are pretty slim..probably not. Let's face it. The last time the Clones won in Lincoln, I was a freshman in high school and leisure suits were in. Can they make a game of it? I think they can.