Iowa State football: Five takeaways from loss against Baylor Bears

No, there isn’t anything good that can be said about the Iowa State Cyclones’ 64-point loss to the Baylor Bears. But here’s some reaction and what everyone can take away from Saturday night’s demolition derby.

Oct 19, 2013; Waco, TX, USA; Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Grant Rohach (3) hands off the ball to running back Jeff Woody (32) during the second half against the Baylor Bears at Floyd Casey Stadium. The Bears defeated the Cyclones 71-7. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

1. There’s going to be a quarterback controversy for the rest of the season.

Can Iowa State ever get through a season where fans aren’t screaming to bring in the backup quarterback, and then we become engulfed in debate on who should start on Saturdays? It was hinted that Grant Rohach would see time under center if Sam Richardson didn’t look well enough out of the gate against Baylor. The game then turned into a constant switcheroo between both QBs and will make consistency even harder to reach.

2. Iowa State’s defense has become predictably awful.

In the preview, I put down that the Cyclones would give up over 700 yards of offense. Well, that’s exactly what they did after Baylor threw for 423 yards and ran for another 291 yards. That’s an absolute joke, and the defense has been this way without signs of getting any better. They have held off teams from pounding them on the scoreboard until these last couple weeks. With the exception of Jake Knott and A.J. Klein, the defense under Wally Burnham has been completely unacceptable for a major conference school.

3. The entire coaching staff and team is to blame.

Fans are pointing to Paul Rhoads, Courtney Messingham, and Burnham for the entire mess that happened on Saturday. They deserve criticism, and so do the players. This team walked into Waco knowing they were going to lose by 70, and that’s exactly what happened.

4. A complete turnaround at a program like Baylor should give ISU fans some hope.

Art Briles came in to Baylor five years ago, and what a difference he has made for them since they began their consistent, winning ways in 2010. Anyone can succeed at a program if they know how to tackle it, and at times it looks like Rhoads knows what he’s doing. There just needs to be more consistency.

5. There was nothing good about Saturday night, so rip the page out and focus on next week.

Fans and players can’t dwell on the worst loss in Iowa State football history, and that’s saying something for how bad this team has been in that history. What happened Saturday is what it is, and everyone involved with the program should be ashamed and embarrassed at what happened on the field. Don’t try to find positives; rip it out, and focus on the next game.