AMES — Iowa State football released a short-form video on its social media Tuesday with the caption “compete with toughness ‼️👀.” The drill highlighted in the video? Midnight Alley.
“Midnight Alley is who’s got the biggest nuts,” redshirt junior defensive tackle Zaimir Hawk said.
The drill takes place in a tight corner of the field inside the 10-yard line and about five yards from the sideline. Three offensive players line up against three defenders, with the offense trying to score and the defense trying to stop them. The confined space allows for a high-intensity three seconds of football.
“The guys get excited for it,” head coach Jimmy Rogers said. “Just a fun way to start. Get the pads popping and get the excitement up before we start.”
The drill was also featured briefly during the program’s spring showcase at Jack Trice Stadium, with only three total reps.
Rogers displayed the matchups on the video board, and the short session drew a strong reaction from fans, especially with it taking place in the northeast corner of the field, closest to most spectators.
The first rep resulted in a walk-in touchdown for redshirt senior wide receiver Ray Coffey. The entire offense celebrated, with senior quarterback Jaylen Raynor showing plenty of emotion.
The drill is highly physical, so having a potential starting quarterback participate was never likely. But Raynor’s reaction showed he would have joined in if given the chance.
“That drill embodies not both sides of the ball, but the entire team,” offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl said. “I bet if [Kyle] Konrardy wanted to get in that drill, he probably would’ve.”
The defense stopped freshman tight end Drew Byrd on the second rep, bringing him down just short of the goal line.
Redshirt junior running back Easton Miller handled the third and final rep. Miller was dragged out of bounds by freshman cornerback Toe Sanders.
Though brief, the sequence energized both fans and players and helped set the tone for a successful spring practice.
“Let’s go make plays when the spotlight’s on you,” defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit said. “To do it out here in front of the fans, and in that setting, I thought was a really cool thing.”
