Iowa State football: Why everyone should have left Jack Trice Stadium vs. Oklahoma

If you were in Jack Trice Stadium in the second half of Iowa State’s blowout against Oklahoma, then I do commend you for sticking around. But there’s a reason why everyone still watching the hopeless adventure should have left with the rest of the troops.

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Some people will misinterpret fans leaving for all wanting head coach Paul Rhoads gone. That’s not true. In the first really cold game of the season, people were fed up with watching Iowa State being uncompetitive at freezing temperatures.

Rhoads completely gets it. Here’s a quote from him in The Des Moines Register:

"“Sometimes the beer outside being colder is better than football inside being not very good,” Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads said.“People like to watch a winner, and when it gets in a position where it’s pretty hard to see that, it’s going to happen. I get that to a certain extent.”"

I’m sure Rhoads wouldn’t have minded leaving the stadium before half, sitting with a few fans, and popping a cold one after seeing one wrong thing after another. I even had it after the extremely botched punt fake.

You’re not a terrible fan for leaving the stadium early. No one, even the snobbiest of die-hard fans, wanted to stick around and watch that wretched filth that was on display in the last 30 minutes. In fact, it’s better to send a message to the team on the field.

Nov 1, 2014; Ames, IA, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach Paul Rhoads watches action from the sidelines against the Oklahoma Sooners at Jack Trice Stadium. Oklahoma defeated Iowa State 59-14. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

Iowa State fans have been in full support of this team. More often than not, the football team still delivers a competitive game on the field. Last season at 1-7? Packed house against TCU. The Cyclones delivered and almost got the victory. North Dakota State throws up 34 consecutive points in this season’s opener? The team responds with nearly knocking off Kansas State.

But last Saturday? After seeing the team revert to crap following two games of great offensive production, everyone should be pissed. You can’t blame a single fan that either left the stadium or turned off the game.

The football team generally can lean toward the fans for support when things get dire, but last Saturday was a time they couldn’t. They can’t get comfortable. They have to compete. Similar to the 71-7 blowout against Baylor last year, this team was lifeless for nearly the entire 60 minutes. It just wasn’t AS dismal on the scoreboard.

Iowa State’s mission on Saturday is to start winning some fans back and continue to build this product in the right direction in the final four games of the season.

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