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Iowa State Cyclones vs Nebraska Cornhuskers 2007: Photo Gallery 2

By on Oct 2, 2007

Iowa State fell to Nebraska 35-17. The following photo gallery from the game features pictures from photographer Brad Fuller.

Photo Gallery: Cyclones / Cornhuskers – Brad Fuller

James Smith Iowa State Safety

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Post Game Thoughts – Iowa State Cyclones / Nebraska Cornhuskers

By on Oct 1, 2007

Alvin Bowen Pulls Down Terrence Nunn

Here are a few tidbits and thoughts following the Cyclones loss to the Cornhuskers:

Photos
Photographer Brad Fuller was at the Nebraska game.  We will be posting pictures in the next couple days.

Team Captains
Alvin Bowen / Caleb Berg / Bret Meyer / Todd Blythe

When It Was Over
2:13 remaining 3rd Quarter – With Nebraska leading 21-10, the Cyclones were facing a third down and goal from the Nebraska 12 yard line.  Bo Ruud intercepted a Bret Meyer pass and returned it 93 yards for a Nebraska touchdown.

ISU was in field goal range. Why do you throw a high risk pass to the 7 yard line.  Todd Blythe was not going to score a touchdown even if he caught the ball.  The throw was good and it is debatable whether the defender arrived early, but the pass should not have been thrown.  If you are going to throw the ball in that situation make sure the guy you are throwing to has a chance for a touchdown.  Otherwise throw the ball away and take the field goal.  21-13 is much better than 28-10.

Controlling the Game
Iowa State controlled the game.  The Cyclones ran 102 offensive plays, Nebraska ran 59.  ISU had the ball for 39 minutes to only 21 for the Cornhuskers.  It was not a physical mismatch.

Why did Nebraska win?
If Iowa State controlled the game then how did Nebraska win?  The popular answer would be turnovers, but the answer is they have more playmakers.  Nebraska has more big play ability than Iowa State does.  Here are a few of the big plays the Cornhuskers had last Saturday:

Marlon Lucky – 41 yard touchdown run
Bo Ruud – 93 yard interception return for a touchdown
Cortney Grixby – 41 yard interception return to set up a touchdown
Cortney Grixby – 51 yard kickoff return to set up a touchdown
Frantz Hardy – 60 yard reception, Nebraska lost fumble in end zone

Iowa State Playmakers
The Cyclones longest play from scrimmage was a 28 yard reception by Todd Blythe.  ISU had six plays over 20 yards.  Which is an improvement, but still needs to get better.

Allen Bell – 34 yard fumble return
Todd Blythe – 28 yard reception
Todd Blythe – 25 yard reception
Jason Scales – 24 yard run
RJ Sumrall – 24 yard run
Jason Scales – 21 yard run

Which Cyclone players have big play potential?  We haven’t seen many big plays this year, but these are the guys that give us the best chance.

WR Todd Blythe – Todd is tremendous in jump ball situations
QB/WR/ATH Phillip Bates – Has speed, athleticism and wiggle
WR Wallace Franklin – Top flight speed, still waiting for ISU to throw to him deep
RB JJ Bass – Has been one cut from a really long play on several occasions
RB Alexander Robinson – Turns the corner, catches the ball well out of the backfield
CB/KR Allen Bell – Has been close on kick returns and the fumble return this past weekend
KR/PR Drenard Williams – The blocking hasn’t been there on PR, been close on KR
KR/WR RJ Sumrall – has had big KR, but he has been mostly used as a possession receiver

Kickoff Coverage
The Cyclone kickoff coverage was brutal against Nebraska.  Bret Culbertson struggled getting the ball deep, even with a 30 mph wind at his back.  Which is strange because Shaggy boomed his kicks through the endzone two weeks earlier against Iowa.  Culbertson averaged 51.5 yards on kicks this week and Nebraska averaged 27.8 yards on the return.  Which is 23.8 net yards on kickoffs and means the Cornhuskers were starting drives from their 46 yard line.  Totally unacceptable.

Fake Punt
It was great to see the coaching staff run the fake punt this weekend.  I still can’t believe we didn’t make it.  Brandtner had one guy to beat with three blockers in front of him, but somehow he was knocked out of bounds a half yard short.  I hate to get on a punter too much, but he has to find the first down marker and make sure he gets there.

Big Time Players
Alvin Bowen – Ace is a great football player.  He made two great plays on Saturday.  The first was a reverse he blew up for a 10 yard loss.  The second was a play he made on 3rd and 1 fighting off several blockers to stop Cody Glenn for no gain.

Ahtyba Rubin – Tuba was very disruptive in this game with 5 tackles and a forced fumble.   He had good penetration and plugged up the middle.

Scales
It was great to see Jason Scales get quality time at running back, although I do think JJ Bass could have made a difference in this game.  Jason lacks the top end speed to take the ball to the house.  It will be great to have both of these backs healthy.

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Vote for the Iowa State Cyclones Player of the Game vs Nebraska

By on Oct 1, 2007

Iowa State had some outstanding performances in the loss on Saturday.

Who was the Iowa State Cyclones Player of the Week against Nebraska?

Your vote will decide the winner. The poll can be found on the top right corner of the page.  Voting will end Wednesday night at 6:00 PM.

Here are the five choices for the week: 

  1. WR Todd Blythe – (5 catches, 84 yards)
  2. WR Marquis Hamilton – (6 catches, 72 yards)
  3. NG Ahtyba Rubin – (5 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 FF)
  4. RB Jason Scales – (31 carries, 115 yards, 2 TD) (3 catches, 19 yards)
  5. CB Chris Singleton – (8 tackles, 1 interception)

Stop back every week to www.isuisu.com to vote for the Cyclone Player of the Week.

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Iowa State Cyclones – Nebraska Cornhuskers Prediction

By on Sep 28, 2007

The Cyclones enter the Big 12 season coming off a tough loss to the Toledo Rockets last week in the Glass Bowl. Iowa State blew an 11 point lead with a little more than five minutes to go in the game. If you take away the debacle at the end of the game it was probably ISU’s best effort of the year. Nebraska narrowly escaped in Lincoln last week, winning 41-40 when Ball State missed a field goal with no time remaining. Sam Keller threw for 438 yards and 3 TD in the victory.

If Iowa State is going to compete in the Big 12 the silly mistakes need to stop. The offense and defense seem to get better every week, but breakdowns on special teams continue to haunt the Cyclones.

The Cyclones should be able to move the ball on the Cornhuskers. Nebraska gives up 29 points per game and has the 99th ranked defense against the run. The ISU coaches have challenged the running backs to make people miss this week. I expect a good effort from JJ Bass and Alexander Robinson in this game. Bret Meyer had his best game last week and he should continue his strong play against a defense that gave up 422 yards last Saturday to Ball State quarterback Nate Davis.

The Cyclones have the 22nd ranked defense in the nation and have limited opponents to 164 yards in the air. The secondary will be tested this week by the potent Nebraska passing game. Marlon Lucky has accounted for much of the Cornhusker offense averaging 115 rushing yards and 47 receiving yards per game. The Cyclone defense must force turnovers to have a chance to win in Lincoln for the first time in 30 years.

Iowa State lost the game last Saturday due to special teams gaffes. Nebraska doesn’t appear to be a juggernaut on special teams, but neither was Toledo. I imagine the ISU coaches spent extra time on special teams fundamentals this past week.

The Cyclones are a 21 point underdog in this game. I think the spread is way too high, but I see most “experts” are picking Nebraska to win by a similar spread. I have a feeling this game will be decided in the final few minutes, but I am picking Nebraska to win. A missed extra point will be the margin of victory.

Prediction: Nebraska 31 Iowa State 30

Cyclone Standouts:

JJ Bass 28 carries, 156 yards, 2 TD
Bret Meyer 310 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Allen Bell 2 INT

Fans prediction to win the game at the time of this post:
Iowa State 61%
Nebraska 39%

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The Athletic Departments New Identity – We are Iowa State

By on Sep 27, 2007

Director of Athletics, Jamie Pollard, unveiled a new graphics identity for the Iowa State athletic programs at a press conference earlier today.  He also showed off the new home and away uniforms and helmets the football team will wear during the 2008 season. 

When I heard the news that Iowa State would be announcing a new graphics identity at the press conference, I had a pretty good feeling the I STATE logo was going to be picked.  The I STATE logo was the only logo of the three that would work as a graphics identity.  The ISU logo was pretty basic and the cursive Cyclones was pretty weak.   I look forward to seeing the I STATE logo in the middle of the football field and at mid-court for basketball.  It will also look sharp on the wrestling singlets.

If the I STATE logo was going to be the new graphics identity for the athletic program, it only stands to reason that the new logo would be on the new helmets too. 

The curveball of the press conference was when Jamie announced the new helmet wouldn’t be white but cardinal.  The fans spoke out against the white helmets that were originally proposed and the athletic department listened.  The cardinal helmet looks better with the uniforms, but the new mark would have stood out better on a white helmet.  I would recommend one tweak to the helmet – change the facemask from gray to gold or white.

The uniform choices are great.  I really like IOWA STATE in bold letters across the chest and the piping around the shoulders.  The road unis definitely look better with the cardinal pants.

The best thing about the new uniforms, helmet and logo -they are CARDINAL and GOLD – Iowa State’s school colors. 

It is time for the Iowa State fan base to rally around the new look of the athletic programs.  The new identity has been chosen and it isn’t going to change in the near future.  I urge all Cyclone fans to embrace the changes whether you like them or not.

2008 Iowa State Uniforms

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Update on Former Iowa State Cyclone Austin Flynn

By on Sep 26, 2007

Austin FlynnThe Pasadena Citizen in Houston, Texas recently had a nice write up on former Iowa State Cyclone football player Austin Flynn. He is currently the wide receiver/defensive back coach for South Houston High School. He hopes to one day be a head football coach.

Houston Community Newspapers – A Cyclone (player) hits South Houston

On April 12th he will marry his high school sweetheart Janna Skrabanek. She is in her second year as a cheerleader for the Houston Texans. She has her own page on the Texans website that includes a bio, photos, video and even a wallpaper. Check it out:

Houston Texans Cheerleaders – Janna Skrabanek

Janna Skrabanek - Houston Texans Cheerleader

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Cyclone Player of the Week (Week 4) – JJ Bass

By on Sep 26, 2007

The top vote getter in the Cyclone Player of the Week voting for week four with 46% of the vote is JJ Bass. The junior running back rushed for 134 yards on 34 carries and scored two touchdowns before leaving late in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury. Bass is the first two-time winner of the Cyclone of the Week Award, he also won the award in Week 1.

Bret Meyer finished in second place for the second consecutive week after throwing for 3 touchdowns and 251 yards. Todd Blythe and Alvin Bowen tied for third place with 12% of the vote.

JJ Bass
Final Poll Results:

  • RB JJ Bass 46%
  • QB Bret Meyer 31%
  • WR Todd Blythe 12%
  • LB Alvin Bowen 12%

Cyclone Player of the Week:
Week 1 – JJ Bass
Week 2 – Marquis Hamilton
Week 3 – Bret Culbertson
Week 4 – JJ Bass

Stop back every week to www.isuisu.com to vote for the Cyclone Player of the Week.

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Vote for the Iowa State Cyclones Player of the Game vs Toledo

By on Sep 23, 2007

Iowa State had some outstanding performances in the heartbreaking loss. 

Who was the Iowa State Cyclones Player of the Week against Toledo?

Your vote will decide the winner. The poll can be found on the top right corner of the page.  Voting will end Wednesday night at 6:00 PM.

Here are the four choices for the week: 

  1. RB JJ Bass – (34 carries, 134 yards, 2 TD)
  2. WR Todd Blythe – (7 catches, 77 yards, 1 TD)
  3. LB Alvin Bowen – (9 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 INT)
  4. QB Bret Meyer – (24-33, 251 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT) (11 carries, 41 yards)

Congratulations to TE Derrick Catlett and WR Wallace Franklin for catching their first touchdown passes as Cyclones!

Stop back every week to www.isuisu.com to vote for the Cyclone Player of the Week.

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Iowa State Falls to Toledo With 4th Quarter Special Teams Collapse

By on Sep 23, 2007

The Cyclones were in the position I thought they would be with 5:25 left in the fourth quarter.    JJ Bass had just scored from one yard out and Iowa State led Toledo 35-24.  It was going to take a major collapse for the Clones to lose this game…and then the collapse happened.

Iowa State dominated Toledo in the statistical categories.

First Downs: Iowa State 22 Toledo 14
Rushing Yards: Iowa State 146 Toledo 98
Passing Yards: Iowa State 251 Toledo 199
3rd Down Conversions: Iowa State 10-19 Toledo 4-12

However, Toledo won the only important battle…scoreboard.

The Cyclones continue to beat themselves.  On the kickoff return for a touchdown, that had all the makings of a 5 yard return, the Cyclones somehow managed to miss what seemed like 10 tackles.  On the botched punt the Cyclones hand-wrapped the football, placed it in their own end zone and watched as the Rockets opened up their gift.  I am not sure what happened on the blocked field goal, once it was blocked, I couldn’t watch it again.

The good news is that the Cyclones continue to get better, the bad news is that the preseason is over.  The mistakes can no longer be tolerated.  The Big 12 conference season opens up next week at Nebraska.  The Cyclones are talented enough to go on the road and beat the Cornhuskers in Lincoln.  The question is…Can they get out of their own way?

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Iowa State Cyclones Hosts Key Basketball Recruits: Photo Gallery

By on Sep 22, 2007

Howard Pulley teammates - Rodney Williams, Royce White, Mike Broghammer

Photo Gallery: Iowa State Cyclones Basketball Visitors (September 15)

Photo Gallery: Iowa State Cyclones Basketball Scrimmage (September 15)

Iowa State hosted some of the top players in the nation last weekend, including Howard Pulley teammates Rodney Williams, Royce White and Mike Broghammer pictured above.

The recruits scrimmaged with current Cyclone players inside Hilton Coliseum.  The players that stood out to me were Rodney Williams, Harrison Barnes and Royce White.

Williams, who matched up against Wesley Johnson showed athletic ability, a soft touch and the ability to get to the basket.  Harrison Barnes is an incredibly talented high-school sophomore.  He was matched up on Lucca Staiger for much of the scrimmage and displayed good handles and knocked down the long ball.  Royce White is not flashy, but he is well-built, under control and rebounds and scores at will.

The Cyclones picked up a commitment from 2008 Utah center Justin Hamilton following the weekend.  Hamilton struggled in the scrimmage matching up most of the time against Cyclone freshman Craig Brackins.  I trust the coaches on this one, but Hamilton is a project.

September 15 Basketball Official Visitors:

Center – Justin Hamilton (6-11, 220)
Lone Peak (Alpine, Utah)
2008 Recruit: Committed to Iowa State
Offers: Iowa State, Pepperdine, St. Marys (CA), Cal-Poly, Weber State, UC Davis

Power Forward – Clinton Mann (6-7, 220)
St. Thomas Aquinas (Overland Park, Kansas)
2008 Recruit
Offers: Iowa State, Iowa, Creighton

September 15 Basketball Unofficial Visitors:

Shooting Guard – Rodney Williams (6-5, 180)
Robbinsdale Cooper (New Hope, Minnesota)
2009 Recruit: Ranked 43rd overall by Rivals, Ranked 8th best SG by Rivals
Offers: Iowa State, Iowa, Miami (FL), Minnesota

Small Forward – Royce White (6-7, 210)
De LaSalle (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
2009 Recruit: Ranked 32nd overall by Rivals, Ranked 11th best SF by Rivals
Offers: Iowa State, Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Miami (FL), Michigan State, Minnesota, Wisconsin, USC

Shooting Guard – Trent Lockett (6-5, 195)
Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minnesota)
2009 Recruit: Ranked 98th overall by Rivals, Ranked 23rd best SG by Rivals
Offers: Iowa State, Northern Iowa, Wisconsin-Green Bay, Colorado State

Small Forward – Harrison Barnes (6-4, 180)
Ames (Ames, Iowa)
2010 Recruit
Offers: Iowa State, Iowa, Indiana State

Power Forward – Mike Broghammer (6-8, 215)
Hopkins (Orono, Minnesota)
2009 Recruit
Offers: Iowa, Purdue, Wisconsin-Green Bay

Point Guard – Marc Sonnen (6-3, 180)
Tartan (Oakdale, Minnesota)
2009 Recruit
Offers: Northern Iowa, Wisconsin-Green Bay

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