Cael Sanderson’s weekly press conference had an uncharacteristic tone after Sunday’s third-place finish at National Duals.

It wasn’t that the third-year wrestling coach was unhappy with his team’s finish at the tournament. Instead, Sanderson was exasperated by his team’s lack of intensity and effort.

“I’m not getting the best out of everybody,” he said. “We’re getting the best out of maybe five of our guys. That’s what I’ve got to figure out as a coach — that’s my challenge.”

Referencing the Cyclones’ collective lack of fight, Sanderson deviated from his usual, positive tenor during his Monday address to the media. Iowa State’s last competition was a 20-19 win over ranked Nebraska, but the team lost five of their last six matches.

Sanderson insisted he isn’t worried about whether the team wins or loses, but he didn’t feel the team was showing much heart.

“Nothing is harder for me than to sit up here and say ‘ya, we’re fighting, that’s what I talk about — fighting,’ and then we show up to the match and we have five guys fighting,” Sanderson said. “That’s not very fun. That’s what I was raised on is fighting. That’s all I know — that’s what I was raised on is fighting. That’s all I know. That’s all I knew as a competitor, and that’s all I know as a coach, and if you watched our team wrestle, you wouldn’t know what I’m preaching as a coach. Things are going to change.”

Sanderson said he didn’t know exactly what will change. “Approach, accountability, me being a little bit more me — whatever it takes.

“I’ve got to make some adjustments, because everything this program does — everything — is my responsibility,” he said. “It starts at the top, so it’s my mistake. The things that we’re doing — if the product isn’t exactly what I want to be out there, it’s my mistake. I don’t have to put 10 guys out there, you know. So that’s where we’re at.”

Sanderson said the team wrestled fairly well at the Midlands Open on Dec. 29 and 30, when the Cyclones held an 11-point lead going into the finals. All five ISU wrestlers who made the finals lost, and the team lost to Iowa by just three points. Had any of those wrestlers won their matches, the Cyclones would have won the team championship. But Sanderson said he didn’t blame the finalists for the second-place finish.

“The tournament is won both days,” Sanderson said of the Midlands, which Iowa State has won just once since 1972, in 2006. “The tournament is [lost] by the guys that don’t get in there and score team points for us when they should. They’re not fighting for the bonus points, and they win by six points instead of eight. That’s where the tournament is won or lost.

“In the finals there, our guys fought, and we were beat more on counter offense, and that’s really actually where we are getting beat, looking at this weekend.”

Sanderson said “everyone is not the same,” and he needs to start holding each wrestler more accountable.

“I think when you’re kind of thrown in here — and I want to win every time — you kind of let things go by because some things are sensitive — but those days are over,” Sanderson said. “We’ve got to make some changes, and we’ve got to do it now.”

IOWA STATE 20, NEBRASKA 19 (Third-place match)

125 – Tyler Clark (ISU) pinned Andrew Pokorny (UN), 3:58

133 – Nick Fanthorpe (ISU) major dec. Matt Vacanti (UN), 12-4

141 – Nick Gallick (ISU) major dec. Curtis Salazar (UN), 11-2

149 – Mitch Mueller (ISU) dec. Robert Sanders (UN), 7-5

157- Jordan Burroughs (UN) major dec. Cyler Sanderson (ISU), 12-4

165 – Stephen Dwyer (UN) dec. Jon Reader (ISU), 4-0

174 – Brandon Browne (UN) dec. Andrew Sorenson (ISU), 7-4

184 – Vince Jones (UN) pinned Jerome Ward (ISU), 5:50

197 – Jake Varner (ISU) dec. Craig Brester (UN), 10-3

HWT – Tucker Lane (UN) dec. David Zabriskie (ISU), 7-6

IOWA STATE 15, CORNELL 22 (Semi-final)

125 – Troy Nickerson (CU) dec. Tyler Clark (ISU), 4-2

133 – Mike Grey (CU) dec. Nick Fanthorpe (ISU), 7-5 (SV1)

141 – Nick Gallick (ISU) dec. Corey Manson (CU), 4-2

149 – Mitch Mueller (ISU) dec. DJ Meagher (CU), 11-4

157 – Jordan Leen (CU) major dec. Cyler Sanderson (ISU), 13-5

165 – Mack Lewnes (CU) dec. Jon Reader (ISU), 6-5

174 – Steve Anceravage (CU) pinned Chris Pursel (ISU), 2:45

184 – Justin Kerber (CU) dec. Jerome Ward (ISU), 10-5

197 – Jake Varner (ISU) won by inj. def. Cameron Simaz (CU)

HWT – David Zabriskie (ISU) dec. Zach Hammond, 6-0

IOWA STATE 19, BOISE STATE 15 (Saturday’s quarterfinal)

125 – Tyler Clark (ISU) dec. Brian Owen (BSU), 8-2

133 – Andrew Hochstrasser (BSU) dec. Nick Fanthorpe (ISU), 9-6

141 – Nick Gallick (ISU) dec. Cory Fish (BSU), 5-3

149 – Jason Chamberlain (BSU) dec. Mitch Mueller (ISU), 4-2 (TB2)

157 – Adam Hall (BSU) dec. Cyler Sanderson (ISU), 3-2

165 – Jon Reader (ISU) major dec. Tyler Sherfey (BSU), 11-2

174 – Nate Lee (BSU) dec. Andrew Sorenson (ISU), 6-2

184 – Kirk Smith (BSU) dec. Jerome Ward (ISU), 3-1

197 – Jake Varner (ISU) pinned Brent Chriswell (BSU), 2:50

HWT – David Zabriskie (ISU) dec. Sam Zylstra (BSU), 6-2

IOWA STATE 35, INDIANA 0

125 – Tyler Clark (ISU) dec. Angel Escobedo (IU), 3-1

133 – Nick Fanthorpe (ISU) pinned Matt Ortega (4:44)

141 – Nick Gallick (ISU) dec. Andrae Hernandez (IU), 4-2

149 – Mitch Mueller (ISU) dec. Nick Walpole (IU), 3-0

157 – Cyler Sanderson (ISU) dec. Matt Coughlin (IU), 3-1 (SV1)

165 – Jon Reader (ISU) major dec. Paul Young (IU), 9-0

174 – Andrew Sorenson (ISU) dec. Trevor Perry (IU), 2-1 (TB1)

184 – Jerome Ward (ISU) dec. Eric Cameron (IU), 2-0

197 – Jake Varner (ISU) major dec. Justin Kuhn (IU), 9-0

HWT – David Zabriskie (ISU) dec. Nate Everhart (IU), 3-1