Iowa State Cyclones Defensive Coach Still Searching for Answers at Key Position

An Iowa State Cyclones defensive coach is still looking for some answers at a key position.

Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

Heading into their Week 8 bye, the Iowa State Cyclones had a few things that had to be addressed on the roster. On a two-game losing streak, there were plenty of things the coaching staff was looking to address.

For fans watching, the defense was certainly an area to emphasize. Before facing the Cincinnati Bearcats, the first team to hand the Cyclones a loss, they lost key contributors in their secondary in consecutive games.

First, it was Jeremiah Cooper, who didn’t suit up for the game against the Arizona Wildcats because of a knee injury. Prior to that game, it was revealed that he was dealing with a knee injury that would result in him missing the remainder of the season.

Against the Wildcats, their other starting cornerback, Jontez Williams, suffered an injury. He also suffered a season-ending knee injury, decimating the team’s depth at a key position defensively.

Iowa State secondary running thin on depth

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That left defensive coordinator Jon Heacock in a bind. Without Cooper and Williams, other players were going to be relied upon to step into sizable roles. But there were complications in getting them prepared on such short notice.

"The real emphasis became, 'Who can help us? How do we get them enough reps without wearing them out and get them prepared to play in this stretch that we're getting ready to get into?” Heacock said, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network (subscription required).

The results were better than most people would have predicted. Especially when considering they were being thrown into the fire without the luxury of a bye to ease into things. However, the unit was far from as dominant when Cooper and Williams were patrolling the defensive backfield.

Brendan Sorsby and Kaidon Salter both picked apart the Iowa State defense with timely production. Big plays were created not only with their arms but also with their legs.

Credit should be given to Tre Bell, an FCS transfer, and Quentin Taylor, who stepped into roles bigger than anyone anticipated for them. But now it is up to Heacock to figure out a way not to burn them out.

Jon Heacock needs to find more contributors in secondary

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"We got to find guys that can give them a break," Heacock said. "Some of those, they were playing close to 70 snaps in that game (at Colorado)."

Where will that help come from? The cornerback depth was already a bit thin before losing two starters. Beni Ngoyi, who has been contributing mostly on special teams, could see an increased role. Ditto for David Coffey, a redshirt freshman who is healthy and able to contribute.

The secondary is going to be tested in a big way coming out of the bye. This weekend, against the BYU Cougars, they will be tasked with slowing down Chase Roberts. The following week, it will be Jordyn Tyson of the Arizona State Sun Devils that they need to defend.

Top-tier cornerbacks have trouble slowing those two down. The Cyclones coaching staff is going to have to get to work creating winning schemes. Generating more pressure on the opposing quarterback would be a good place to start to take some heat off the secondary.