Amid the hand-wringing over Iowa State’s passing game, Jimmy Rogers delivered the kind of line that stops you cold.
The first-year Cyclones coach, already four games into his run, was talking Tuesday when he veered off script and addressed fans who sat through last Saturday’s miserable first half against Utah - a stretch remembered, in part, for kids sliding down the muddy hills at Jack Trice Stadium.
“Although you might want to rip your hair out with this football team - sometimes we can be bald together - but you’ve still got to show up and stick with us and work through the hard times, because I can promise you it will only get better and better, the more we learn and grow as a football team.”
That is not standard coach-speak. That is not the usual polished, safe stuff. Rogers said it straight, and it landed that way too.
Iowa State has had its share of blunt public moments over the years. Jim Walden once told me, after I asked whether an athletics director’s endorsement during a rough season felt like a reprieve, “Reprieve? Hell, I feel like a guy who was just told that he didn’t do it,” he said in a phone interview early during what would be his final season in 1994.
Paul Rhoads had his own memorable turn in 2014, when he used a recruiting press conference to blast schools that tried to flip receiver Allen Lazard late in the process.
“He’s not going to a school in Northern Indiana,” Rhoads said, holding up Lazard’s signed letter of intent for proof. “Boy, they wasted a lot of time and money. He’s not going to another school in this state who feverishly tried to call him about a half a dozen times in the last week. . . .
“Much to the dismay of people in this room who wasted a lot of space and time challenging his words of commitment - he’s going right here to Iowa State University.”
Rhoads didn’t name the schools, but the point was obvious enough.
Then there was Matt Campbell in 2022, defending kicker Jace Gilbert after a game in which Gilbert made three field goals following three misses the week before.
“Our fanbase unfortunately tried to fry an 18-year-old kicker last week, and our 18-year-old kicker responded and went 3 for 3 tonight in a big-time situation.”
Rogers has now added his own line to that collection.
“Bald together” is a new one.
The bigger issue, though, is far less amusing: Iowa State’s offense is not going to survive much longer if the passing game stays this limited.
The Cyclones come out of their two-touchdown loss to 15th-ranked Utah needing answers, and they need them fast. Through four games, Iowa State is averaging 7 yards per passing attempt, completing 55% of its throws and producing 165 passing yards a game. That is not enough to win consistently in even a modest Big 12.
Rogers was asked Tuesday about the blame game, and he wasn’t interested.
“I know the world expects me to point the finger at one person,” Rogers told reporters Tuesday. “I refuse to do that. This is a team sport.”
Fair enough. But defenses are going to keep crowding the box to slow Aiden Flora and Cameron Pettaway until Iowa State can make opponents pay through the air.
If that means Jaylen Raynor gives way to Connor Moberly on Saturday against West Virginia at Jack Trice Stadium, then that’s the move. If it means reworking this new staff’s first Cyclones offensive playbook, then pull out the erasers.
Whatever the fix is, it has to arrive quickly. The overthrows, the underthrows, the missed routes, the routes that come up short of the first-down line - all of it has become too familiar. The roster has 83 newcomers, but eight months and four games should still be enough time to look a little more synchronized than this.
There is one clear path to a win Saturday: improve the passing game enough to keep the offense moving, and do it against a West Virginia team whose passing attack has been almost an afterthought. The Mountaineers have run 65 passing plays and 229 rushing plays in their option offense, and they lead the Big 12 with 295 rushing yards a game through four games, which ranks fourth nationally and first among non-service schools.
That means Iowa State’s defense has to be better too. Rogers said the Cyclones missed 29 tackles last week, and he made it clear that won’t cut it.
“I think we had 29 missed tackles, which is high,” Rogers said Tuesday. “We missed too many tackles in too many different spots.”
If Iowa State can slow the run and find even a glimmer of passing production, Rogers has a real chance to get his first Big 12 victory.
And if not, the same problems will keep showing up, no matter who lines up at quarterback.
For what it’s worth, there’s a little forecast tucked into all this too: Raynor leading Iowa State to Rogers’ first Big 12 win, followed a few hours later by Ohio State making a statement to the CFP committee against Iowa at Kinnick Stadium.
Also on the board: Arizona over Cincinnati, Texas Tech over Colorado, BYU over TCU, Arizona State over Baylor and Houston blanking UCF.
For entertainment only, of course.
In Other News...
Iowa States Early Problems Are Getting Harder To Ignore
Iowa State has already shown enough through four games to suggest it can hang with quality opponents, but the Cyclones have also made the kind of early mistakes that can turn a promising start into a frustrating fall. A 2-2 record leaves room for optimism, especially with competitiveness against ranked teams on the rsum, yet the recent loss after a flat first half also put a spotlight on problems that have been there from the start.
The issues are showing up in more than one phase. The tackling has been shaky, particularly in the space between the cornerbacks, and the defense has had trouble closing off runs to the outside. On offense, quarterback Jaylen Raynor has been uneven as a passer, and the missed opportunities on deep throws have made it harder for the Cyclones to push the ball downfield with any consistency. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Faces A Bigger Problem Than Just Bouncing Back
West Virginia and Iowa State both head into Ames looking to steady themselves after recent home losses, and the matchup brings a little extra weight because both coaches know their teams are searching for more than just a quick reset. Rich Rodriguez and Jimmy Rogers each had to address what went wrong and what needs to change, and that makes this a useful early-season checkpoint for two programs trying to define themselves in Big 12 play.
For the Cyclones, the backdrop is bigger than simply getting back in the win column, because the next step has to come with cleaner execution against a West Virginia team that is also trying to find its footing. The game also gives the spotlight to two of the leagues top running backs in Cam Cook and Aiden Flora, a matchup that could shape the rhythm of the afternoon even before either side starts worrying about the long view. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Fans Just Set The Stage For A Big Next Stretch
Iowa State football has spent the season leaning on a fan base that has shown up even while the on-field results have been uneven. During a recent press conference, coach Jimmy Rogers made a point to thank supporters for sticking with the Cyclones, and the home crowds have backed that up by drawing at least 50,000 fans to every game in Ames so far.
There is still plenty on the calendar to keep attention pointed toward the Cyclones, starting with a homecoming game that could bring another attendance boost. Basketball season is also beginning to peek into view, with local media availability set for Oct. 12 before the team heads to Big 12 Basketball Media Days, where new player Tamin Lipsey will be introduced, giving Iowa State fans another reason to stay engaged as the fall stretch unfolds. [Read more 🡒]