BITCHES.
Holy Shit. What a game. A triple OT thriller in front of a sold out Jack Trice stadium. It had everything. Bank Shot Field Goals. Clutch 4th down conversions. A mobile QB named Steele Jantz going all Seneca '02 on a rebuilding Hawkeye squad. Technical Difficulties. The first OT game in the history of this series. Triple OT. Over three hours of absolutely thrilling college football capped off with a field rushing win. When archaeologists try and understand the popularity of the sport, this is the sort of game that they'll point to.
Some things we learned:
STEELE JANTZ IS FOR REAL
Laugh all you want at his name, Steele Jantz is the second coming of Seneca Wallace. His mobility kept plays alive long after they should have ended. He made numerous clutch 3rd and 4th down conversions, several for TDs. He showed the smarts and the wheels needed to pull it down and run when nothing is available downfield. Steele correctly read the Iowa defense all game long. For the first time in a long time, this team can trust it's field general.
EVERYONE GETS A TURN
This year's offense is built around a very even distribution of the ball. Shontrelle Johnson, Steele Jantz, and James White all had at least ten carries, and Woody got some 3rd and short action as well. 194 yards on the ground total against the IOWA DEFENSE. When was the last time that happened? The short dink and dunk down the field style seemed to work well against Norm Parker's legendary 4-3 Cover Two, but will it be enough to keep up with the likes of Baylor?
WALLY BURNHAM DOES NOT GIVE A FUCK WHAT YOU THINK
Wally Burnham will call Bonzai Blitz when Iowa is backed up to it's own end zone. He will stack the box and shut down the run because he knows Ken O'Keefe is too scared to let Vandenberg try and win the game. Wally Burnham has been coaching football for a great many years, son, and he knows how to win.
I really hope we keep him around for many more years.
THE SCOREBOARD IS AWESOME
Iowa State's fan base just isn't big enough to support a bowled in stadium at the endzone with the Jacobsen Building. But we still want to benefit from the noise-trapping and amplifying nature that helps SEC and Big 10 teams. Enter the loud-as-all-hell scoreboard. Helped get the crowd back into it after the first quarter momentum shift.
THIS TEAM IS A LEGITIMATE FRINGE BOWL TEAM
Who knows how the saga of Paul Rhoads' 3rd year will unfold. Just know that Iowa State is 2-0, and has at least four winnable games left on the schedule. As I said in the preview, if there are six winnable games in the hardest schedule in the nation, Paul Rhoads can find them.
I LOVE COLLEGE FOOTBALL
This one needs no explanation.
THE BIG XII TV PARTNERS ARE FREAKING CLOWN SHOES
This one also should need no explanation. Technical Difficulties? Losing the feed during the critical Iowa Go-ahead touchdown late in the 4th? That's some Clone Zone level shit, Fox. You need to step it up, because you're the only alternative to the evil that is ESPN.
THE CY-HAWK TROPHY IS NO MORE
See the picture above. It was torn apart by a jubilant team and student body. Please do not ask any questions concerning the whereabouts of the small family that once adorned it, as there are some things best left unknown.
THE IOWA TRAVELING TROPHY CASE IS VERY EMPTY
Minnesota now has Floyd. Wisconsin has whatever it is that they play for. We've got the Cy-Hawk back. Their insight bowl DNA Helix football trophy thing is feeling pretty lonely.
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