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ISU must shore up tackling
By Bobby La Gesse
Date Posted: 2008-09-03
Everything is great with the Iowa State football team after a convincing win to open the season.
But things aren’t perfect.
Even though the Cyclones dismantled South Dakota State 44-17 Thursday, Gene Chizik found enough problems during the game to keep them grounded as they prepare to face Kent State at 6 p.m. Saturday.
“It would seem like we were just going to put on the (game) tape, and we were ready to play the Patriots, but that’s not the case,†Chizik said. “We have a lot of work to do. There are some very glaring mistakes we have to fix.â€
First on the list is shoring up the tackling.
ISU missed tackles throughout the game, which Chizik said allowed the Jackrabbits to gain an extra 70 yards. The missed tackles weren’t a big surprise for Chizik because the Cyclones didn’t practice much in full pads in the final week-plus of the preseason.
Chizik isn’t sure how to remedy the situation during the end of the preseason because he said it’s a fine line between taking it easy on the players and overworking them. Chizik doesn’t want to burn out his players before the season starts, but at the same time he wants to make sure they’ve done enough live hitting to perfect their form tackling.
By making tackling a point of emphasis this week he hopes it won’t be an issue on Saturday.
“Guys were excited and they were trying to fly around and tying to play well and they were a little bit of out of control football players,†Chizik said. “We have to tone them down and concentrate better on things that make us better at tackling like (the taking the proper) angles.â€
ISU tackled poorly against Kent State last year, allowing quarterback Justin Edelman and running back Eugene Jarvis to carve up the Cyclones defense for a combined for 349 total yards.
QB made just enough plays with his legs and arm to keep the chains moving, scoring two touchdowns as part of the Golden Flashes 23-14 win. Jarvis, the nation’s leading returning rusher, ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns as he helped Kent State run out the clock after they build a second-half lead.
Kent State coach Doug Martin said he doesn’t expect the Golden Flashes to have as easy a time in Ames this year. The Cyclones were still learning Chizik’s playbook when the teams met last year and he isn’t sure the Golden Flashes could have pulled off the upset if the teams met in the latter half of the season.
Defensive end Kurtis Taylor hopes Martin is right, but he also knows it doesn’t matter how comfortable the Cyclones are in Chizik’s system if they can’t wrap up Edelman and Jarvis.
“Week to week you have to be a good tackling defense if you want to have a chance to win,†defensive end Kurtis Taylor said.
Note: Saturday’s game is Cardinal Rules Day at Jack Trice Stadium. Official Cardinal Rules T-shirts can be purchased in town at Cy’s Locker Room, Dogtown University, the ISU book store, The Sports Page, The Strawberry Patch and at T-Galaxy.
Bobby La Gesse can be reached at (515) 232-2161, Ext. 358, or rlagesse@amestrib.com.
By Bobby La Gesse
Date Posted: 2008-09-03
Iowa State linebacker Michael Bibbs attempts to tackle South Dakota State's Kyle Minnett in ISU's 44-17 victory.
Photo by Ronnie Miller
Photo by Ronnie Miller
Everything is great with the Iowa State football team after a convincing win to open the season.
But things aren’t perfect.
Even though the Cyclones dismantled South Dakota State 44-17 Thursday, Gene Chizik found enough problems during the game to keep them grounded as they prepare to face Kent State at 6 p.m. Saturday.
“It would seem like we were just going to put on the (game) tape, and we were ready to play the Patriots, but that’s not the case,†Chizik said. “We have a lot of work to do. There are some very glaring mistakes we have to fix.â€
First on the list is shoring up the tackling.
ISU missed tackles throughout the game, which Chizik said allowed the Jackrabbits to gain an extra 70 yards. The missed tackles weren’t a big surprise for Chizik because the Cyclones didn’t practice much in full pads in the final week-plus of the preseason.
Chizik isn’t sure how to remedy the situation during the end of the preseason because he said it’s a fine line between taking it easy on the players and overworking them. Chizik doesn’t want to burn out his players before the season starts, but at the same time he wants to make sure they’ve done enough live hitting to perfect their form tackling.
By making tackling a point of emphasis this week he hopes it won’t be an issue on Saturday.
“Guys were excited and they were trying to fly around and tying to play well and they were a little bit of out of control football players,†Chizik said. “We have to tone them down and concentrate better on things that make us better at tackling like (the taking the proper) angles.â€
ISU tackled poorly against Kent State last year, allowing quarterback Justin Edelman and running back Eugene Jarvis to carve up the Cyclones defense for a combined for 349 total yards.
QB made just enough plays with his legs and arm to keep the chains moving, scoring two touchdowns as part of the Golden Flashes 23-14 win. Jarvis, the nation’s leading returning rusher, ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns as he helped Kent State run out the clock after they build a second-half lead.
Kent State coach Doug Martin said he doesn’t expect the Golden Flashes to have as easy a time in Ames this year. The Cyclones were still learning Chizik’s playbook when the teams met last year and he isn’t sure the Golden Flashes could have pulled off the upset if the teams met in the latter half of the season.
Defensive end Kurtis Taylor hopes Martin is right, but he also knows it doesn’t matter how comfortable the Cyclones are in Chizik’s system if they can’t wrap up Edelman and Jarvis.
“Week to week you have to be a good tackling defense if you want to have a chance to win,†defensive end Kurtis Taylor said.
Note: Saturday’s game is Cardinal Rules Day at Jack Trice Stadium. Official Cardinal Rules T-shirts can be purchased in town at Cy’s Locker Room, Dogtown University, the ISU book store, The Sports Page, The Strawberry Patch and at T-Galaxy.
Bobby La Gesse can be reached at (515) 232-2161, Ext. 358, or rlagesse@amestrib.com.
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