Peterson: Register’s Iowa State text group has lots of thoughts after the Oklahoma State game

Interacting with The Register’s Iowa State texting group this season has been informative and interesting. The back-and-forth has opened my eyes to a lot of things, but Sunday night topped them all.

I always send the group a text, asking for their questions about the most recent game. This time, I thought I’d change it up. I simply asked for their takeaway about what happened at Oklahoma State.

These people are smart. They know their stuff. They're witty. So when I sent out what I thought was a harmless “What are your takeaways from what happened Saturday?” I didn’t expect multiple responses similar to this:

Takeaway? You’ve got to be kidding. Too many of them.

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I chuckled, once I figured out that “takeaway” wasn’t my best choice of words a day after the Cyclones committed five turnovers during Saturday’s 20-14 loss at Oklahoma State.

That inability to take care of the ball, plus another dropped pass, another missed field goal, an iffy play call, and the continued woes of the running game were reasons behind the sixth loss.

But the five “takeaways” stood out.

Beyond them, what else did the text-group offer?

Text-group takeaway: I'm seriously losing faith in the coaches.

My comment: I wouldn't get too carried away with that. Remember Iowa State pre-Matt Campbell? Some of those seasons, you’d be all right with four wins heading into the regular season’s final two games.

Under Campbell, three running backs the past four seasons were selected in the NFL Draft. Four players from the 2021 team were drafted. The quarterback who broke all Iowa State season and career records played for Campbell and ran plays called by offensive coordinator Tom Manning.

Good coaches sometimes need to re-evaluate the “players, formations and plays” Campbell talks about. Coaches who already have proven to be good and coaches who have led programs to places they’ve never been – they don’t suddenly become bad coaches.

More:Join Randy Peterson's Iowa State Cyclones text-message group

Text-group takeaway: In hindsight, I'd trade that Iowa win for six Big 12 wins.

My comment: You’re probably not alone. Did that victory at Kinnick Stadium provide false hope that the offense just might be decent? If it did, I get it. That 99-yard, 21-play drive was 12 minutes of Cyclones offensive beauty. Quarterback Hunter Dekkers was at his best. The play-calling was superb. I didn’t hear anyone criticizing the offensive line.

The fact that it happened against one of the nation’s best defenses provided hope for good offensive things to come.

That obviously hasn’t been the case. The running backs were healthier. Back then, Campbell wasn’t announcing tailback Jirehl Brock was finished for the season (broken foot) like he told us Saturday night. The offensive line hasn’t improved, and at times hasn’t played as well as it did on that rainy day in September.

The offense that put together one great drive against Iowa isn’t the offense that will face Texas Tech on Saturday and TCU in the regular-season finale, that’s for sure.

Text-group takeaway: Dekkers has great physical skills, but does not have the vision needed, and that is hard to develop. Brock Purdy had great field vision, and that is why he was so successful.

My comment: People underestimate how good tight ends Chase Allen and Sam Seonbuchner were at blocking. Those former Cyclones made up for offensive line deficiencies, and that’s a big deal.

Opponents don't have to focus on Iowa State’s running game this season, which means heavy defensive attention to the receivers. Dekkers has been forced to find someone open, while also dodging defenders who have broken through the offensive line.

And comparing Dekkers to Purdy? That’s unfair. Purdy had a complementary running game. Dekkers does not.

Mailbag:Why is Iowa State football losing in 'the margins' it says are so important?

Text-group takeaway: Give defensive coordinator Jon Heacock a pay raise. That side of the ball is the only reason the Cyclones have a chance to win. Need new offensive line coach and quicker offensive linemen. Trevor Downing has not played up to expectations.

My comment: Iowa State football would be sunk without the great play of its defense, and it’s interesting what you say about pay raises.

Contracts of both Heacock and Manning say they’ll each receive a base salary of $1 million starting July 1, 2023. That’s up from the $950,000 they’re now making.

As for Downing not playing up to expectations part? I’ve heard that one, and I wonder if people would be saying that if Iowa State would put Dekkers under center on short-yardage plays and if that traditional formation results in first downs?

And for the offensive line as a whole, here’s a fact that’ll open your eyes: Iowa State hasn’t had an offensive lineman drafted since tackle Carter Bykowski in 2013.

During those nine following seasons, each Big 12 opponent has had at least one O-lineman picked. Iowa has had six and Northern Iowa two since Iowa State’s last offensive line pick. I threw out that comparison because they’re opponents the Cyclones customarily play.

Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson embarked on his 50th year of writing sports for the Des Moines Register in December 2021. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, 515-284-8132, and on Twitter at @RandyPete.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Register's Iowa State text group sounds off after loss to OSU football