Mailbag: Can ISU keep up passing attack?
AMES — Iowa State finally acknowledged the obvious.
Its running game has been no good, and it wasn't getting any better against Oklahoma State. So the Cyclones, at long last, went to the air.
The result was 348 yards and three touchdowns from quarterback Rocco Becht, and, more importantly, a 34-27 victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday to stop a two-game skid and start Big 12 play 1-0.
“I thought Rocco played an incredible game,” Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said.
It was certainly the best performance by an Iowa State quarterback since Brock Purdy was throwing passes in cardinal and gold, and it was the offensive breakthrough so sorely needed after a 10-7 loss to Ohio last week and a 20-13 loss to Iowa the week prior.
Iowa State didn't reveal itself as a newly-fashioned offensive juggernaut, but progress was all the Cyclones really needed to show. Saturday's performance was undoubtedly progress.
The scoring burst and the victory also halt a slide into further negativity that has embroiled a program coming off a 4-8 season, lost five starters to a state gambling probe in the offseason and saw a reconfigured offense flounder through three weeks.
No one will mistake the Cyclones for a Big 12 contender, but it looks as though they've at least grabbed ahold of their season and kept it from slipping into the abyss before October.
A week after hitting rock bottom, the Cyclones stopped digging their own hole and instead started their ascent. Who knows how high they're able to climb, but at least they put down the shovel.
Let's get to your questions in this week's mailbag.
Did we see a change in Iowa State’s offensive philosophy?
I don't think we necessarily saw Iowa State change the way it wants to operate offensively, but I do think we saw Campbell acquiesce to reality.
Not only is Iowa State's offensive line a poor run-blocking group, the Cyclones also don't have apparent NFL talent at running back. Opposing defenses are also stacking the box to make running even harder.
You can try to run the ball that way, but the results aren't likely to be helpful to putting points on the board and wins in the standings.
So Iowa State coordinator Nate Scheelhaase handed the ball to quarterback Rocco Becht and asked him to go win the game.
Which is basically what Becht did in throwing for 345 yards and three touchdowns.
“You're going to be great on offense when that guy has elite leadership,” Campbell said, “and that guy takes the reins and demands to lead with courage and character. He's doing a great job so far.
“His ability to manage the football game today was elite.”
Iowa State finished the game with 38 passes to 34 rushes, but 10 of those rushing attempts came after the Cyclones went up two scores in the fourth quarter. So, really, the play-calling was skewed heavily toward the pass as Iowa State put points on the board.
Still, Iowa State isn't likely to become an Air Raid team the rest of the way. Campbell seemed most happy about the passing output not for its own sake, but that it could help soften things up for the run in the future.
“To get people out of the box, you've got to prove you can throw the football,” Campbell said, “and prove you can throw the ball vertically.
“Hopefully today will help us immensely as we move ourselves forward.”
Why so many inside runs?
I don't know.
That's not a particularly insightful answer, but it's an honest one. It has become painfully apparent that Iowa State's straight-forward, between-thetackles running game is going to be challenged. The offensive line simply cannot block well enough, and the running backs can't run around or through tacklers.
The optimism about Iowa State's passing game is well-deserved, but it's hard to look at the running game and see anything but issues.
Iowa State hasn't been able to average 3 yards per carry against any of the three FBS opponents it has faced this year, and the Cyclones barely squeaked over the 2.0 mark vs. Oklahoma State.
I don't know if we've gotten a true sense of how good any of Iowa State's running backs can be because the offensive line has gotten so routinely defeated. It got to the point against the Cowboys that Iowa State played a true freshman, Brendan Black, at guard while benching a senior and three-year starter, Darrell Simmons.
That is not the sign of a healthy offensive line.
Jake Remsburg should help stabilize things when he's eligible to return from his NCAA suspension for gambling in a few weeks, but this group has a long way to go to get to passable.
What’s Iowa State’s injury situation?
The Cyclones were pretty beat up Saturday with defensive backs Malik Verdon and Darien Cooper out along with tight end Tyler Moore. Campbell said he expected all three to be able to play next week.
Starting running back Cartevious Norton also left the game with an injury, and he spent the second half with his right arm in a sling. Campbell called it a “stinger,” and said he was hopeful Norton would be available next week.
Travis Hines covers Iowa State University sports for the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune. Contact him at thines@amestrib.com or (515) 2848000. F ollow him on X at @TravisHines21.