Iowa State coach Dan McCarney wants to see the Cyclone defense make more plays this weekend when they host Nevada-Las Vegas. I-S-U yielded 43 points in last weeks triple overtime win against Toledo. McCarney says they weren’t way out of position, but he says instead of being close, they have to be in position to make more plays.
On offense McCarney says they would like to get the ball to receiver Todd Blythe more often without forcing things. McCarney says you can’t be stubborn about it and end up getting turnovers by forcing the ball in. He says they have a lot of quality receivers, so they don’t have to say they can’t win without getting it to Blythe.
But McCarney says Blythe comes through in big situations. McCarney says Blythe has the “eye of the Tiger” and wants the ball, but can still work on improving his routes. McCarney says the Cyclone defense fared well against Toledo but had a number of breakdowns late in regulation and in overtime. He says less than four minutes to go Toledo only had 15 points, and he says in overtime it’s easier to score.
McCarney says UNLV will offer another tough challenge, and he says they’ll have to improve. McCarney says that improvement comes through preparation, and it won’t just happen.