Analysis: No. 14 Iowa State, especially its special teams, must improve immediately after Baylor loss

WACO, Texas — Brock Purdy had big-time misses. Special teams reverted to not very good status. The usually dependable defense? For the first time in a long, long time, it wasn’t all that dependable.

Those aren’t only observations, those are facts after 14th-ranked Iowa State lost 31-29 at Baylor Saturday afternoon.

The Cyclones had a chance, though, after scoring with 24 seconds to play, cutting the score to two. Needing a conversion to tie, Purdy went under center for a change. The snap was bobbled. Play timing was a mess. Baylor pressure Purdy, who had nothing left to do but loft the ball toward the end zone.

Interception.

Iowa State loses.

And those lofty expectations for the Cyclones? Let’s just say Iowa State will have to play from behind for a while.

Here’s another thought after Matt Campbell’s team fell to 2-2 overall after losing its Big 12 Conference opener: Radical improvement must happen, and it must happen immediately. It’s already been a long season, and we’re just four games into it.

Breece Hall had a marvelous rushing day, with 180 yards on 27 carries and two touchdowns. Will McDonald had a good game, too, with a sack and a big-time quarterback hurry during consecutive Baylor fourth-quarter possessions.

If the Cyclones’ special teams and defense would have played half that well, they’d be heading to next week’s home game against Kansas with a 1-0 Big 12 record, not 0-1.

Observation: It sure looks like Hall is healthy again

Last season’s 1,572-yard rusher ran hard on Saturday, and especially while rushing for 40 of Iowa State’s yards during a 10-play, 75-yard first-possession scoring drive.

Not only did Hall rush 15 times for 73 yards in the first half, he also ran 21 yards after catching two of Purdy’s 12 first-half completions.

Hall didn’t miss any games despite being hurt late during fall practice, but his performance wasn’t Hall-like against Northern Iowa and Iowa, against whom he combined for just 138 rushing yards.

He showed his stuff in the 48-3 victory against UNLV, with 100 rushing yards, while playing just three quarters. Saturday’s first half against a very good Baylor rush defense shows me he’s 100% Hall again.

Thought: Matt Campbell was correct when he said Baylor would be the fastest team Iowa State has played.

Oh boy, was he right.

Baylor led 14-7 after quarterback Gary Bohanon noticed Tyquan Thornton was behind cornerback T.J. Tampa in the end zone. The ball was thrown perfectly, and suddenly the Cyclones were in a hole.

Tampa started in place of the injured Datrone Young, and it looked as though Baylor’s offensive coaches knew a true sophomore was on the field.

Bohanon was another speed factor, his versatility keeping alive plays that a not-as-shifty quarterback wouldn’t have made.

"One of the fastest football teams we’ve played in a long time," Campbell said of his Saturday opponent.

Correct.

Fact: Special teams were nasty again

Andrew Mevis, who came into the game with 3-for-4 success as the long-range field goal kicker, missed from 47 yards with just more than a minute left in the first half, but there was more.

Baylor deflected a Corey Dunn punt late during the first quarter. The punt ended up a 16-yarder, with the Bears taking possession at their 44-yard line.

Six plays later, Bohanon found Thornton behind Tampa for the touchdown, but there’s more: Trestan Ebner returned a Mevis kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.

Moral of the story: Kick ball out of end zone.

And did I mention Iowa State’s fumbled kickoff return? The Cyclones had one of those, too.

Fact: A sideline interference penalty never should happen, but when it happens in a close game? That’s horrible

At least what happened late in the third quarter didn’t cost the Cyclones a touchdown, but it darn sure could have.

Here’s the setup: Hall broke loose through the left side of the line for a gain near the Baylor 40-yard line with 2:37 left until the fourth. Iowa State fans in the crowd were cheering loudly enough that they could be heard even in the press box, until noticing the flag on the field.

Sideline interference. Instead of having the ball 40 yards from the end zone, Iowa State’s next play started on its side of the 50.

Alas, the drive ended with a 2-yard scoring run by Hall, and it was 28-23 Bears heading into the fourth.

Follow Randy Peterson on Twitter at @RandyPete.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: College football: Baylor exposes No. 14 Iowa State's weaknesses