The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Oklahoma State
By Ross
After the big win, I found myself celebrating like the rest of you. I didn’t fit it in this weekly post so here it is, a little late. Anyways, so much went well for the Cyclones on Friday night. I could list everything but frankly, it would take a really really long time.
The Good:
– I must give credit to Leonard freaking Johnson. In his last game at Jack Trice Stadium, Johnson played arguably his best game of his career. Johnson was matched up against Justin Blackmon for most of the night and did a fantastic job. Blackmon did have 10 catches, but most of the them were on quick passes. LJ limited Blackmon’s big-play ability as he only allowed 1 touchdown (LJ played it perfectly but Blackmon made a play). Leonard Johnson may be the biggest reason for Iowa State’s historical win and with his performance, his NFL Draft stock increased. Great job LJ.
– I don’t know how but Jared Barnett did it again. The freshman is 3-0 now in his career as the starter and 2 of those wins were against ranked opponents. He continued to play hard throughout the whole game even after throwing the pick 6 and fumbling deep in OSU’s territory. This kid is the real deal.
– A.J. Klein played one hell of a game and was named the Big 12’s Defensive Player of the Week.
– It was a hard week for WR Albert Gary but played the best game of his young career. The sophomore had 7 receptions including a touchdown. I can’t wait to see how he does next year when he is a junior.
– Jack Trice Stadium was rocking the entire game and especially late in the 4th and OT. Being at the game, I’ve never heard JTS so loud. The student section was going crazy the entire game. Adding Sandstorm and Zombie Nation before the kickoff really got the crowd fired up. They were a big factor in the win.
– Paul Rhoads did it again. He pulled off another big upset and another signature win in his career. For the second time in three years, the Cyclones are going to a bowl game. Before Rhoads, Gene Chizik went 5-19 in his two years at Iowa State. Rhoads is absolutely the perfect man for this job and program. He is currently the lowest-paid Big 12 coach but he definitely should be getting a big raise in the future. Also, did you see the locker room celebration? I love this man.
The Bad
– Josh Lenz had to leave early in the game. According to Andrew Logue of the Des Moines Register, it was nothing more than a calf strain. Logue says he is day-to-day and definitely has a possibility to play on Saturday.
– Turnovers. Iowa State turned the ball over 3 times. Without them, Iowa State would have won in regulation by a score or more.
The Ugly
– Only two games left. I want this season to last forever.