Name: Iowa State defense looking to rebound from 'unacceptable' showing
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Iowa State defense looking to rebound from 'unacceptable' showing

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Skip to main contentSkip to main contentBack to homepageSubscriber LoginPlease subscribe to keep reading. You can cancel at any time.Loading&amp;hellp;{{title}}{{description}}{{banner}}(renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax){{action_button}}{{tagline}}{{action_button}}{{special_title}}{{html}}You have permission to edit this article.EditRead Today's E-edition© 2023 Lee EnterprisesTerms of Service Privacy PolicySubscribeRead Today's E-editionShare ThisIowa State defense looking to rebound from 'unacceptable' showingCommentsShare thisAMES&nbsp;— Iowa State's defense was torched by No. 12 Oklahoma for over 500 yards and 50 points. It was its worst performance of the season.For a defense that has ranked amongst the top of the Big 12 in every defensive metric over the past half decade, Saturday's showing was an anomaly, but it also showed some of the issues on that side of the ball for the Cyclones this season.Safety Jeremiah Cooper went far in his criticism of the 50-20 loss to the Sooners."Looking at that game, we have to fix everything," he said. "Fifty points for Iowa State defense is unacceptable. When we looked back at it, we have to go back to square one and just keep fighting from there."The Cyclones coming into the Oklahoma game were allowing 177 passing yards per game. Oklahoma State threw for 278 yards on Iowa State, but Cowboy's quarterback Alan Bowman completed 48% of his attempts.Dillon Gabriel completed 26-of-39 passes for 366 yards against Iowa State on Saturday and the Sooners rushed for 157 yards too, another season-high allowed by ISU.When talking about the loss, linebacker Gerry Vaughn said it was more a Cyclones issue for the breakdowns."I would not say it was anything they did really," he said. "Our eyes weren't the best at times and our communication was not the best. ... As a defense, we talked last week about how we need to be better at communication, alignment and assignments and having our eyes right and those little things."The defensive issues are starting to circle back to the defensive line play for Iowa State. So far this season, the team has just eight sacks. Linebacker Caleb Bacon leads ISU with two&nbsp;— both coming in the season-opening win against Northern Iowa.&nbsp;In the Oklahoma loss, the Cyclones generated little pressure on Gabriel and the fifth-year senior made them pay with his arm and legs.Head coach Matt Campbell said the line needs to make a big step in the next few weeks to help Iowa State get back to having one of the best defenses in the conference."We've got to be able to affect the quarterback and I don't think we've done a good enough job over the course of the last couple of games," Campbell said. "We have had the opportunity or you are a fraction of but you have to make the play."Cooper, a sophomore, said it's a full team effort to make improvements while expressing support for the defensive line.&nbsp;"D-Line is going to get there," Cooper said. "They going to get home. I believe that they will keep improving. Once they start to click, and I know they will, it will make everything easier for us."Of course pressure is important, so once we start getting that, it's just going to make the whole defense better. ... They going to get it. They've been working; we've been working. It was a real eye opener last week."Campbell noted the lack of experience amongst the defensive line rotation.&nbsp;Tyler Onyedim, Dominique Orange and Joey Petersen&nbsp;— who have each started all five games&nbsp;— came into this season without starting a game previously. Everyone else has had no significant playing time."They've had some some really good moments," Campbell said. "The consistency you need to play in that unit&nbsp;— to be able to be in those environments, against those teams and offenses&nbsp;—&nbsp;it takes your very best."I think pressure wise, we mix and match. And after the Oklahoma State game, there is a price to pay when you are going to pressure people. I think you have to have a great mix of that."The Cyclones face another big offense this week in TCU coach Sonny Dykes and quarterback Chandler Morris. The Horned Frogs average 34.8 points per game this year, but put up 62 last season on ISU.Morris has 1,419 passing yards already this season and poses a similar threat to what Iowa State faced in Gabriel last week: an accurate quarterback that can make plays with his legs.But Vaughn said it's still a different challenge and one that ISU has to get up for."TCU is a unique team," Vaughn said. "They are a good team and we are just looking forward to the challenge."CommentsIt will be the Hawkeyes' third game on a major over-the-air network in a four-week span.&nbsp;Deacon Hill is ready for his opportunity under center for Iowa as the Hawkeyes lose starter Cade McNamara for season.Iowa's 48.8 percent passing is dead last in the nation.&nbsp;A former four-star quarterback recruit left the Badgers last season. He may be starting for the opposite sideline when the Hawkeyes visit in t…A Story County judge granted the prosecution’s motion to dismiss a misdemeanor tampering with records charge against tight end DeShawn Hanika …

Skip to main contentSkip to main contentBack to homepageSubscriber LoginPlease subscribe to keep reading. You can cancel at any time.Loading&amp;hellp;{{title}}{{description}}{{banner}}(renews at {{format_dollars}}{{start_price}}{{format_cents}}/month + tax){{action_button}}{{tagline}}{{action_button}}{{special_title}}{{html}}You have permission to edit this article.EditRead Today's E-edition© 2023 Lee EnterprisesTerms of Service Privacy PolicySubscribeRead Today's E-editionShare ThisIowa State defense looking to rebound from 'unacceptable' showingCommentsShare thisAMES&nbsp;— Iowa State's...

Iowa State defense looking to rebound from 'unacceptable' showing

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