Iowa State’s defense took the Texas Tech loss “relatively personally” ready to bounce back against Kansas

Cyclones have scored an early touchdown in four straight games, but always stood up late to secure the win – until last week

AMES – Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock isn’t mincing his words.

He is blunt and to the point. Just the facts – even if they can be humiliating.

“We had a chance to close it out last night, but we couldn’t,” Heacock said of last week’s 23-22 Big 12 football loss to Texas Tech. “So I think we all took that relatively personally.”

Right. Simple. Honestly. The Cyclones defense gave up a go-ahead touchdown with 19 seconds left against the Red Raiders, but the track record speaks for itself. And on Saturday at 2:30 PM against Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium, expect a strong rebounding effort that – as usual – should give ISU (7-1, 4-1) a robust chance to win against the skilled but snake-bitten Jayhawks (2-6, 1-4).

“Obviously it’s a shame to lose, but our message after the game was that everything, all our hopes and dreams, are still there for us,” said linebacker Kooper Ebel, the team’s third-leading tackler with 45 stops. “So yeah, we just got back to work. Nothing has changed. We are back to work with the same mentality, the same goal.”

Of course, that depends on winning every match and leaving nothing to chance. The Cyclones’ defense has yielded an early touchdown in four straight games, but always rose late to secure the victory – until last week. And as Heacock said, the players took that personally.

“(Losing can) help you refocus, recenter,” Ebel said. “We lived on the edge there for a while and happened to crash in the match. It happens. But we are back to work and there was a great sense of urgency (this week) in training and we are ready to get going.”

ISU’s defense still ranks ninth nationally in points allowed per game at 15.5. The pass defense ranks third (146.6 yards per game) among FBS schools, and the 14 interceptions are among the top five in the country.

The Cyclones also tend to tightly limit opposing offenses as the pressure mounts, allowing an average of 6.6 points in the second half – and just 3.3 points in the fourth quarter. So consider last week’s vulnerability an aberration rather than the start of a trend, as ISU looks to end the regular season with four straight wins, which would almost certainly secure a spot in the Big 12 title game.

“I think this group, since we asked them to come back here in January, has (had) the right mentality to try to turn this whole thing around, to get it going,” Heacock said. ‘They did. And that’s the one thing, when you put your head on a pillow at night as a coach, man, your guys and your staff – everyone – do everything they can, and the answer is yes, we do. And yes, it is, and it has been that way since January. So those guys will put this team together the way they did.

They will also face a Kansas team hoping to rally down the stretch to win enough games to reach a bowl game. The Jayhawks are desperate, but so are the Cyclones, and that should be evident on both sides of the ball for a full 60 minutes (or more).

“We have to come out quick and play better,” ISU quarterback Rocco Becht said last Saturday. “And that applies to all of us.”

Offence. Defense. Special teams. Every player in these units takes the loss personally, but none more so than Heacock’s charges, who have met and often exceeded an exacting standard over the past eight seasons.

“We have to play better football on our side,” Heacock said. ‘We have to help ourselves a little, but we can do that too. We have to do better, but I love this group.”

Love breeds trust, and trust drives performance. The Cyclones have raised expectations, but their margin for error has evaporated. That’s clear, simple and fair.

“What a great opportunity for us to show: are we who we want to be?” ISU head coach Matt Campbell said. “And certainly the team we can become?”

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