Iowa State football: Midseason grades for players and coaches

Coaching staff

Oct 19, 2013; Waco, TX, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach Paul Rhoads watches his team take on the Baylor Bears during the game at Floyd Casey Stadium. The Bears defeated the Cyclones 71-7. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The honeymoon is long over for Paul Rhoads. Both offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham and defensive coordinator Wally Burnham have been under fire by fans and even some of the media.

Inconsistency has plagued this team all season. There’s been glimmers of hope in the early 0-2 hole, and everything looked like it was trending in the right direction after the Tulsa and Texas matchups. Now, the offense has looked as stagnant as ever with predictable play calling, and the defense is now giving up multiple scores when they’ve been able to hold opponents around 30 or less.

Grade: C-