Peterson: Iowa State takeaways include a big day for Breece Hall

by 24USATVSept. 27, 2020, 6 a.m. 60
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FORT WORTH, Texas — For Breece Hall, it was all about getting in a comfort zone. That, and holding onto the football, of course.

Two weeks after losing a fumble and then having another bobble that wasn’t ruled a fumble, Iowa State’s sophomore sensation tailback scored three touchdowns, rushed 18 times for 154 yards and was one of many big-play guys during the Cyclones’ 37-34 victory at TCU.

Hall took his second handoff to the house — a 75-yarder during which he ran behind the right side of a revamped offensive line. Iowa State’s next possession ended in a Connor Assalley field goal, and the possession after that?

“After that first one, we got comfortable,” Hall said. “We started calling a lot of stuff that was working.”

Hall was one of a few stars for a team that desperately needed to win. Can you imagine starting out 0-2 after losing against a team that hadn’t yet played a game?

And can you imaging being 0-2 heading into next Saturday’s home game against Big 12 favorite Oklahoma?

And now get this: Iowa State enters that game at 1-0 in the Big 12, while the Sooners are 0-1 after losing against a Kansas State team that opened the season with a loss against a team from the Sun Belt Conference.

“In an era and a world we’re living in, it’s not the sellout crowd that’s going to give you emotion and energy, it’s your play,” coach Matt Campbell said. “I’ve always said, at Iowa State, you have to have a great rhythm, and in chunks (Saturday) we did.”

It happened on the game’s first series, when the redshirt senior was credited with a half-sack. That gave him 19, with at least 10 games left to add to it, and he did just that on TCU’s next possession — and this time, he wasn’t sharing.

The record’s been a long-time coming for the personable Floridian. He entered last season tied, but suffered a season-ending leg injury at Baylor in Game No. 4.

Among his 3 ½ sacks Saturday the defensive trifecta — he sacked the quarterback with so much force that he fumbled. Who but JaQuan Bailey, of course.

“We had great coverage on the back end, which enabled us to get to the quarterback,” the humble Bailey said. “It was a boom-boom play. I was focused on closing out of it.”

And topping off the wonderful play by jumping on the loose ball?

“The play just kind of happened,” he said.

Iowa State opponent’s non-offensive touchdown total since last season increased to 11 Saturday. That’s right. Cyclones opponents have 11 non-offensive touchdowns between the 2019 opening game and Saturday’s victory against TCU.

Analyze it all you want, but the conclusion I reach is that the crazy stat tells you that Iowa State’s defense is darn good.

Saturday’s latest addition to that miserable category was the Brock Purdy play — probably the most ill-advised play of his life, and that goes back to pee-wee ball.

Two defenders were rushing him. He got away from one, then while trying to throw the ball away and avoiding a sack, he lofted it toward a TCU defender, who caught the ball and waltzed into the end zone.

What could he have been thinking on that third-quarter play in which he should have just settled for a sack?

“It was like freshman me,” he said.

The injury bug is still biting

Add receiver Tarique Milton to the list of Iowa State injured.

While tight end Charlie Kolar was back on the field, Milton wasn’t, and offensive lineman Trevor Downing missed his second game.

“Both are more day-to-day or week-to-week than long term,” Campbell said “Both guys are tough kids. They’ve both gone through tough stuff before. Nothing is season-ending.”

Oh where, oh where is Iowa State’s offense?

Until Hall’s 75-yard touchdown run with 9:50 left in the first quarter, it was non-existent. TCU controlled the ball 11 of the game’s first 14 minutes. Again, Cyclones receivers weren’t getting open, and passing was the Cyclones’ early-game plan.

How badly did Purdy need Kolar back in the lineup? The all-American caught four of his quarterback’s first seven completions, quick and short passes each of them. Again, the Cyclones’ speed receivers aren’t showing the speed and elusiveness we figured them to have.

TCU gets credit. Gary Patterson-coached teams usually play tight defense. The 2020 version of Horned Frogs defense is a veteran unit and clearly the program's strong point.

Through the right side of the offensive line — the revamped offensive line that included first-game starter Darrell Simmons.

Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson has been writing for the Des Moines Register for parts of six decades. Reach him at [email protected], 515-284-8132, and on Twitter at @RandyPete. No one covers the Cyclones like the Register. Your subscription makes work like this possible. Subscribe today at DesMoinesRegister.com/Deal

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