Panthers vs Cyclones Game Thread

[DomeIsHome]

Are you kidding me Trevor Allen? Couple of really nice plays from him!

[DomeIsHome]

ER downfield? That's...I guess...a good call? Geez....

Also Dunne has GOT to hit that pass in stride. No reason that shouldn't have been 6 (other than the penalty)

[DomeIsHome]

And they go right back to Weston, GREAT play

[DomeIsHome]

Second quarter thoughts:

After Weston's second catch (but only after the one that counted) refs threw a flag for holding on James, which is not a great call. He had an arm around the ISU guy but didn't really hold him. After that play, Fountain really needs to catch that one for the TD. It's a tough catch for sure but that's why we're paying him the big bucks (just a figure of speech, I don't know how much we actually pay him )

3rd and 27... Great to get yards back, and even better to get points out of that drive. Though obviously it would have been good to get more.

Really good to see UNI kicking the ball in the endzone as well, especially in this game. Seems like that doesn't always happen at ISU.

ISU's next drive: ISU's QB scrambled on 2nd and 10, to his right, and the difference between that scramble and Dunne's earlier where he threw the pick-six was that ISU's QB didn't throw it. Good job out of him to recognize that and not risk anything.

After that play, can't let Montgomery break free like that. Had him for a one yard gain, then a four yard gain, then he breaks out for a first down.I actually like the TO called there by UNI. Not sure what happened though, as Montgomery just broke two more for the eventual TD. In what should be (at minimum) a 10-7 game for UNI, they're down 21-10.

2:27 left in the 2nd quarter. And Allen tries to get too cute on the next drive, on 2nd and 9 gets dropped for a loss of four. That's the inexperience from him coming out at RB a little bit.

Hold on, UNI called a timeout with 1:30 left?!?!?!?!?!!? WHY!!!!! Actually I think Iowa State did, the scorebug is just wrong on the screen.

Punt, great punt, good job to pin them down.

On the pick, uhhhh what's up with the penalty? That seems like a super questionable call, even if it was correct. You never see that flag actually thrown - especially if the guy being blocked doesn't actually go down, like Lazard!!! That pushes UNI out of near-FG range right away.

Ok, UNI has 7 seconds left and one timeout, should have tried at least one more play. Freezing actually worked *sigh*

[DomeIsHome]

Panthers actually outplayed the Cyclones by a lot more than I thought initially in the first half.

[DomeIsHome]

Third quarter thoughts:

And remember when I praised the kicking game for kicking in the endzone? *sigh*

Quite a few times when UNI hits Montgomery in the backfield and just can't bring him down for some reason. Got to do better than that. I mean they just couldn't stop him that drive. 28-10 ISU.

And then you get Rima running backwards on the kickoff. I just don't think he's had a good game so far.

Dunne with a terrible pass on first down. That's got to be a completion. One thing I've noticed about Dunne is that he's really carrying out his fakes, on both PA and running plays, he's carrying his fakes through. Nice to see as that's something that has gone away over the years.

Really would have been nice to give the defense a little bit of a break. And we've got to have a better punt there. Those types of things didn't happen at all in the first half.

I don't understand why ISU is blocking their offensive signals when they're on the pressbox side of the field. Just seems unnecessary.

ISU starting to get their running game going, not sure what the answer there is, rotation? D linemen just not that great? Both? Neither? Just not sure.

[Blue42]

Rima not deep to recieve that punt, Jaghai was. Interesting

I think Rima had hurt his hand on a play along UNI's sideline shortly before that. I figured when that happened we'd see another return man.

[DomeIsHome]

One thing about these FBS/FCS games, and especially the ISU/UNI games I've seen over the years. When Iowa State faces 4th and short (1 or 2) in UNI territory, they're going to go for it. If they're in a situation like that against another FBS team, especially another power 5 team. 4th and goal from outside the UNI 5, ISU up 28-10, ISU decides to go for it? Not against any other team in the country would ISU do that.

Forth and one from the UNI 40? Yeah maybe they would in other situations, but they don't even think about it against UNI. Just get the offense back out there and go go go. Against Iowa? Nope. Against Oklahoma? No way.

It's frustrating and annoying as a UNI fan and someone who generally believes in punting haha.

[DomeIsHome]

I think Rima had hurt his hand on a play along UNI's sideline shortly before that. I figured when that happened we'd see another return man.

Huh interesting. Rima was back in after that, hopefully not serious.

[DomeIsHome]

More third quarter thoughts:

That first offensive drive for UNI in the second half killed any momentum they had coming out of half. I mean the missed FG before half didn't help, but still.

4:34 left in the 3rd quarter? Yeah it's time for the refs to start throwing flags on the FCS school! Those took away plays that had some great positive yards.

Also Sage is talking about replays that the viewers can't see. Great production value.

ISU #40 with the late hit OOB after another 10+ yard gain, that's three in a row now! Offense moving the ball well and the late hit gets an automatic first down.

ISU also blocking their defensive signals, just weird.

Dunne needs to feel blitz pressure a little bit better, for the most part he's done well but there were a couple of plays where he just needs to throw it away.

Offense stalled on 2nd and 8 and then 3rd and 8, was Rima actually OOB on that catch? Yes he was on the replay. Roughing penalty though, which is just as good. Didn't look like a *great* call on the replay but couldn't really see it.

Next play a TD to James. Great throw by Dunne. Wow just a really nice play all around. 35-17 ISU lead, and lets say that ISU kicks the FG earlier rather than going for it, it's 31-17 and a two possession game. I guess that's why they went for it?

[sevelev711]

4:34 left in the 3rd quarter? Yeah it's time for the refs to start throwing flags on the FCS school!

I mean, UNI never gets the calls in this game, nor does any FCS school, really.

[DomeIsHome]

4th Quarter:

The Cyclone offensive drive just couldn't be stopped, the defense was too gassed. ISU fourth and 1 from the 6th, and again ISU decides to not kick a FG, but decides to go for it with Lanning in at QB. Again I just don't think that against any other team ISU does that. Only because it's "just UNI" they don't decide to kick the FG and take the points.

UNI did a pretty good job of stopping ISU when they got down in the redzone. The illegal substitution gave up 5 yards, UNI still nearly held them. And no way that was DPI by Washington. Got there as the ball did, not a good call. Only got one look at it though, so maybe it was.

Also how many times do you think ISU will put Lanning out for the Iowa game? I'm going to say none.

Panthers have NO substitutions on defense after the DPI and the hold by ISU. Seems like a mistake to me. Guys are gassed as hell, get them out.

Just a bad play call from UNI on ISU TD play. Lambert, a redshirt freshman, up against Butler is a BIG mismatch. 42-17 ISU, but damn UNI made them earn that one.

[DomeIsHome]

I mean, UNI never gets the calls in this game, nor does any FBS school, really.

Generally I agree, but last year's game was definitely an exception to that.

[DomeIsHome]

More 4th quarter:

Er, 4th and 1 from the UNI 38? Why not go for it? Better kick than before but dang why not just give going for it a try?

ISU going shotgun on their own 3, Applegate gets turned around by a hold, no call, ISU gains 5 on first down. ISU 74 with a nice hold on the next play, no call. I don't care if there are only 5 minutes left in the game and it's out of reach, make the call.

How would you like to be one of the guys who has to hold up the big screen things to block the signals from the pressbox? Man that would suck.

On the ISU punt, it'd be nice to see Rima, you know, run forward, rather than straight to the UNI sideline. Real nice catch and game by Weston, 72 yards and a TD. And then another good throw from Dunne for the TD. The offense really showed signs of being pretty good this year.

Good playcall on the screen to Lazard, though there could have been a cut-block call on ISU (if the penalty earlier on UNI was the standard for such things), but it was a smart call.

Overall, a pretty good game from UNI. The two pick-sixes were KILLERS to UNI chances though. Really feels like once the second one happened they just kind of gave up a little bit. But other than those the offense looked good: they had an identity, no options with Dunne, running wasn't great but felt solid. Defense looked pretty good too, aside from a couple fourth down plays, and one or two longer drives.

I felt like the score should have been closer - If UNI doesn't give up the two pick-sixes it's 28-24, which to me *feels* like what it was. If that was the case, I think UNI plays to win the game at the end (on offense) and maybe sneaks a win out of Jack Trice, but the game wasn't as far and away as the final would make it seem.

I think there are a couple of questions though: how good can the offense be against better teams (namely the DSU's) and can the defense sustain their level of play every week? Dunne has to get better as the year goes on, and it would be nice if we could run downhill a little bit more. I'm having a little bit of a hard time coming up with one or two super-specific things that the offense has to do, as, again, I think they played pretty well.

[UNIdad]

I really appreciated your commentary, Dome. Do you see this much when you attend the game in person? You gave me a bunch of things to look for when I watch the replay. Thanks.