Cy the Cyclone
Starter
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.
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.
