Iowa State football mailbag: What's wrong with the Cyclone offense?
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AMES — That 3-0 start for Iowa State is feeling like a mirage.
It made it seem as though the Cyclones were reloading rather than rebuilding. That losing some of the best players in program history wasn’t going to mean a loss in relevancy in the Big 12.
Now, though, as Iowa State sits 0-3 in the conference after a 10-9 loss Saturday to No. 25 Kansas State, that optimism has evaporated.
The reality seems to be the excitement was built on two wins over overmatched, lower-division programs and the worst offense in the country.
And that truth has emerged for an Iowa State team that not only fails to have the look of a bowl team at the moment yet alone as a dark horse Big 12 contender, but now is facing existential questions about its offense after lackluster showings.
It’s a gnarly place to be.
Let's get to your questions in the post-game mailbag:
What will it take for Matt Campbell to make a change with this offense?
It’s best to analyze this question from a couple different angles.
The most straightforward is probably in terms of personnel.
From there, the most obvious and drastic change teams struggling on offense make is at quarterback. But does that make sense for Iowa State?
Hunter Dekkers hasn’t been perfect, certainly, but he’s completing 69 percent of his passes and has 11 touchdowns against six interceptions. Those are solid numbers for a rookie starter, which is important context.
Iowa State knew Dekkers was going to be inheriting a big role and would likely have some growing pains. They didn’t pursue a transfer portal vet to push him. They were content to go all-in with him — likely with an eye toward the future just as much as the present.
Dealing with imperfection at quarterback would seem like it’s part of the plan. Especially when the alternative is a true freshman quarterback.
So don’t expect a change there.
Elsewhere?
Running back? Wide receiver? Offensive line? Tight end?
There doesn't seem to be any obvious change there that would move the needle.
Jirehl Brock and Cartevious Norton getting healthier probably would help at running back, but that’s out of the staff’s control.
Personnel doesn’t seem to be an issue at wideout with the likes of Xavier Hutchinson, Jaylin Noel and Dimitri Stanley.
They’re already playing three tight ends, and they experimented with different combos on the right side of the offensive line Saturday. Didn't seem to change a whole lot.
So personnel doesn’t seem like the obvious or likely fix.
What about strategy?
There’s some arguments to be made here.
Iowa State could try to stretch the field more aggressively with Dekkers’ big arm and the speed they have at wideout. Turning in some of those shallow crossing routes into more attacking play designs? Sure.
Playing without a fullback or second tight end as often? You could make that case.
But we’ve seen largely similar things from Iowa State week in and week out. Even with diminishing returns, there doesn’t seem to be an urgency to scrap the plan and revisit the bigger picture.
That leaves better execution as the likeliest path to improvement.
Because the question so many of you asked — and that fans everywhere ask when offense struggles — seems like a nonstarter.
So about that question:
Is firing a coordinator even something Campbell would consider doing?
Setting aside the question of whether this is something a coach — or even this coach — should consider doing, I think the answer here is no.
Loyalty and continuity are central to Campbell’s coaching character. He brought darn near his whole staff over from Toledo, and the turnover from that original group seven years later has been incredibly low.
He’s a guy who trusts the people he trusts, and he sticks by them.
Then, because this question is obviously aimed at Tom Manning after the offense scored one touchdown in two weeks, it’s worth remembering 2018.
That was the year that Manning left Iowa State and Campbell to take the tight end coaching job with the Indianapolis Colts. When asked that summer about who would replace Manning, Campbell demurred and deflected. He never really gave a straight answer.
Until one became obvious as summer turned to football season: There wouldn’t be a replacement.
Rather than give his offense — and the high-six-figures salary that comes with it — Campbell kept the position open. Where it was waiting for Manning when he left the Colts to return to Iowa State in 2019.
You don’t hold a that big and that important open for a year for a guy you don’t completely trust with your career.
On the merits, an in-season offensive coordinator change for this team would be extreme. Given what we know about Campbell, it would be beyond shocking.
Will Iowa State make a bowl game?
It’s certainly trending in the wrong direction — and quickly.
Trying to find three wins in the remaining schedule (at Texas; vs. Oklahoma; vs. West Virginia; at Oklahoma State; vs. Texas Tech; at TCU) is no easy task. Will Iowa State be favored in more than one of those games?
And if the Iowa State offense doesn’t improve drastically and quickly, it’s got no shot of three more victories. That’s where things have to start.
Iowa State can’t get better until its offense does.
Travis Hines covers Iowa State University sports for the Des Moines Register and Ames Tribune. Contact him at thines@amestrib.com or (515) 284-8000. Follow him at @TravisHines21.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State football mailbag: Should Matt Campbell shake up his staff?
