Iowa State hopes to maintain its ‘fight’ after suffering first loss

CINCINNATI — When losing teams talk about how they “fought to the end” when facing long odds, it could be dismissed as rah-rah talk, or relegated to the realm of cliche.

And usually it should be.

But when it’s the players, rather than coaches, who most fervently shine the spotlight on that grit-based aspect of the football game — as No. 21 Iowa State’see did after Saturday’s mistake-filled, 38-30, loss at Cincinnati — it can serve as a harbinger of better days ahead.

Yes, the Cyclones (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) were steamrolled by the surging Bearcats (4-1, 2-0) for most of the first half, but they did whittle a 24-point deficit to single digits midway through the third quarter.

And, sure, ISU never made enough plays at critical junctures to tie or take the lead, but the defense did clamp down in the second half, and the offense moved the football with relative ease.

The Cyclones simply couldn’t start fast or finish crisply enough to beat a good team on the road, and all the errors they made are easily fixable.

So allow them to take pride in their “fight” — unless it’s not on full display in Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. game at reeling Colorado (2-4, 0-3).

“What I am proud of about our team is we continued to fight,” said junior quarterback Rocco Becht, who threw for 300-plus yards for the fifth time in his career and accounted for all four of ISU’s touchdowns (two passing, two rushing). “We were continuously in this game and it just show you how much these guys love this team, love this game, and you’re gonna see a way better Iowa State team this (Saturday) at Colorado.”

That’s yet to be determined, of course, but the Buffaloes have struggled on both side of the ball. They rank 12th or worse in the league in all major offensive and defensive statistical categories and fell, 35-21, Saturday at TCU while coughing up four turnovers.

The Cyclones’ defense, meanwhile, held Cincinnati to just seven points in the second half after allowing 31 points on the Bearcats’ first five possessions.

Why?

ISU went back to basics on that side of the ball after making some ill-fated adjustments in the wake of losing elite senior cornerbacks Jeremiah Cooper and Jontez Williams for the season in the span of several days. That helps explain how Cincinnati racked up 216 rushing yards in the first half, but managed to gain just 44 yards on the ground on 14 carries in the second.

“I think we just simplified some defensive stuff out there,” said Cyclone senior linebacker Caleb Bacon, who had five tackles against the Bearcats. “(Defensive coordinator Jon) Heacock trusted us to play our base stuff and I believe we went out and executed in the second half.”

If that carries over to Colorado, which ranks 14th and 15th, respectively, in the Big 12 in scoring offense and total offense, ISU should re-solidify itself as one of the conference’s stingiest defensive units.

“It’s a big motivation factor going into the next road game, knowing that we’ve just gotta keep on chuckin’ on,” Bacon said.

The Cyclones’ offense finds itself in a similar spot. They amassed 470 yards of offense against Cincinnati, but failed to score on three trips inside the Bearcats’ 35-yard line. A holding penalty hampered one of those promising drives. A rare failed sneak by Becht on fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter quashed another.

But the “fight” remained even as the futility mounted. If that continues to hold true, ISU always will “have a chance,” as head coach Matt Campbell said — and Becht stands front and center in that effort-based equation.

“Everybody’s heads are up,” the Cyclones’ third-year starting quarterback said. “Like I said, I’m just proud about this team. I’m gonna leave this stadium and go back home with a smile on my face because I know that we showed fight today, and we’re gonna continue to show fight in the following games.”

Comments: robgray18@icloud.com