ISU defense looks to keep improving
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BY CURT McKEEVER / Lincoln Journal Star
Kurtis Taylor spent all last season being thankful for the small victories that came with rehabilitating his surgically repaired knee.
Now he finds himself going through the same process as Iowa State’s football program, under a new coaching regime, tries to build itself back into being a Big 12 North Division contender.
“I think the name of the game has been the same ever since we started this thing,” said the junior defensive end. “And that’s just trying to improve every day and really come out with a humble attitude and understand that we’re not where we need to be, but we’re going to continue to make strides to get there.
“Coaches preach to us all the time small victories. You get enough small victories, hopefully they turn into big victories.”
A year ago this time, Taylor was on crutches after tearing an ACL near the end of preseason camp. With hard work, and good fortune, he put himself in position to actually suit up for the Cyclones’ final game.
Though he knew he’d still watch from the sideline, that step helped him to progress toward his goal of being ready for the start of winter conditioning.
The fact he reached that goal only reinforces his hopes that Iowa State can make a similar climb.
Last year — following back-to-back seasons in which heartbreaking overtime losses in their final game denied them a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game — the Cyclones slipped to 4-8.
Iowa State decided to part ways with Dan McCarney, who led five of his 12 teams to bowls, and ended up hiring Texas’ co-defensive coordinator Gene Chizik. And, as is often the case, trying times have come with the transition.
ISU lost its opener to Kent State 23-14, then was upended by Northern Iowa of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) 24-13. In those games, the Cyclones’ defense allowed an average of 23 first downs and 345 yards.
Undaunted, they came back the following week and held Iowa to 13 first downs and 223 yards to hand the Hawkeyes their first loss of the year. And last Saturday, they held Toledo to 14 first downs and 297 yards. Iowa State lost that game 36-35 only because in the final five minutes, it allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown, had a bad punt snap result in another and then had a field goal with 11 seconds to play blocked.
“We lost as a team,” Taylor said. “Obviously, some things happened that had a definite (effect) in terms of winning and losing the game, but, defensively, I felt like we didn’t do enough.”
It’s clear, though, that the 6-foot-2, 257-pound junior from Fort Dodge, Iowa, likes what is taking place under Chizik, who before spending two seasons at Texas was defensive coordinator at Auburn for three years.
“They’ve got a great scheme in place, it’s just up to us as players to really try and hone in and grasp what they’re trying to get across to us,” Taylor said. “I like the defense we’re running and I feel like it’s a defense where you can really get after people.”
With Taylor helping to force things inside the perimeter, Iowa State is giving up an average of just 3.6 yards per rush. What’s hurt the Cyclones is that they haven’t scored any points off four turnovers, and have given up 37 points off their own turnovers.
Taylor, who has 14 tackles and a team-high three sacks, has tried to keep the same outlook about ISU’s fortunes as he did when he was making his own comeback.
“Throughout the rehab process my faith was built up, and my faith really isn’t in myself and in my own abilities. It was kind of a thing where God is in control and I had to accept that,” he said. “If I keep my faith in Him and stay strong in Him, I can’t go wrong.”
And so once again, he’s seeing a pedal-to-the-metal approach.
“When they came in December,” Taylor said of the coaches, “the attitude wasn’t, ‘Let me come in and go down to your guys’ level.’ The attitude was, ‘Here’s the standard. I want you guys to come up to it. There are no exceptions.’
“Ever since December we’ve been working to strive for what they expect, their tempo, their work ethic. We’ve really been trying to get on the same page with them, and I think we’re seeing some strides in that direction.”
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.
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