AMES — From the very first snap against BYU, it was clear that Iowa State’s defense was going to give the Cougars a long day.
BYU opened the game by almost fumbling a kickoff. The Cougars ended up fumbling the ball on the second kick.
However, the first turnover came on BYU’s first offensive snap of the game. BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff fired the ball right to Iowa State’s Will McLaughlin.
From that point on, it was all Iowa State.
“When we’re on the road, the biggest thing that we gotta do is get the crowd out of it. Having something flip the tides like that, that early in the game, that’s huge for us,” McLaughlin said.
Iowa State has been trying to find its identity on defense throughout the season. With many new and changing faces in positions across the board, the defense has varied every time it’s been out.
However, the Cyclones knew they would have to get creative with lineups, which is why they have not missed a step this season. That was on display against BYU, when another new lineup made its emergence.
“We always try to talk about pairs and spares in the room, trying to develop the first team to back up and then the spares and who those guys are. Last week in a couple spots, we were using spares, and they’re as important as the starters,” said Jon Heacock, Iowa State defensive coordinator.
With injuries plaguing the lineup, most notably defensive back Jeremiah Cooper, new players have had to step up and fill important roles. The defense had some hiccups early on against Kansas, but those hiccups were nowhere to be seen against BYU.
The new players filling in did their best to keep Iowa State’s defense at its elite form. One name that stood out was true freshman Jamison Patton, who was taking over for Cooper. Patton caught one of the two interceptions and returned it for 30 yards.
“Honestly, [there is] probably a lot of excitement around that true freshman’s performance,” Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell said. “I thought [Patton] was terrific as he settled into the game after that first drive. I thought he played an incredible football game. You never like to lose a guy that has veteran leadership and playing as well as [Cooper] has played, but I think it’s veteranness and confidence in the defense to do its job.”
The defense did its job all night and only allowed 13 points. That was good enough for the offense to come out with a comfortable win.
When Iowa State needed new faces to step up, they did. That has been the case all season.
When the year started, new guys had to immediately step up and take over for players who were not able to play during the season. They did not accept any low expectations but instead carried on and put themselves in a position to possibly make it to the Big 12 Championship.
“‘You know, man, this is gonna be tough. We lost some of our guys…’ Sob story, and they realized that nobody really cares,” Heacock said. “They were smart enough to realize, ‘Man, let’s look around here. We need all these cats. We’re gonna have to teach them and help them and coach them.’”
That is exactly what the veteran leaders did. They taught the young guys in the room, and the group has grown since game one.
With the talent of the veterans on defense, it was expected that older players would carry the team. However, the veterans moved aside at times and have let the younger players help get wins, which has benefitted the Cyclones on many fronts.
“I think the coolest thing for me with the seniors has been that they realized early on, ‘We can’t do this by ourselves,’” Heacock said.
Although there have been struggles by the defense, it was all part of the process. The group has been growing so that when it was time to get called up, they could perform at a high level.
“It’s kinda hard having our young guys playing, starting for the first time in these late games, especially we’re playing good football, so these games are key games,” T.J. Tampa said. “It’s kinda hard, but everybody is together all the time. And we believe in each other, and it works.”
The fruits of the defense’s labors paid off in a big win over BYU. Besides a few plays given up, the defense played lights out.
According to Heacock, the success of the defense starts with sticking to the basics.
“Just football 101,” Heacock said. “Just understanding the simple concepts that we view as simple, but they’re not when you’re playing.”
When the group plays together and with intent, there is no telling how good it can be. Iowa State’s defense was at the top of the Big 12 a season ago, and so far, it looks to have returned to elite form.
The young group is continuing to grow every week, which bodes well for its bright future ahead. With just two games left, the defense has two more chances to finish on a strong note and enter the postseason with momentum.
“It takes everybody,” McLaughlin said. “Being a young team especially, getting as many reps as we possibly can, that’s big for everybody whether that’s in practice or in game. I think that’s more kinda down the line what’s gonna make us a great team.”
