What's wrong with Auburn's Defense?

Basic Training Helps Cyclones
By Pat Forde
ESPN.com
IRVING, Texas -- If you're looking for reasons why Iowa State vaulted from five total victories in two years under Gene Chizik to seven victories in one season under Paul Rhoads, here's a big one:

Tackling.

"It was horrible," Rhoads said.

So horrible, in fact, that rudimentary tackling had to be retaught.

"The first time we put on pads that first spring, we had to shut practice down for about 15 minutes and go back to Tackling 101," Rhoads said. "We got their attention, and I think they've improved greatly as a tackling football team."

Rhoads didn't want to toss Chizik -- a hugely successful defensive coordinator before becoming a head coach -- and his staff directly under the bus. So he explained that there are different ways to teach tackling -- successful coordinators can disagree on methodology.

According to Rhoads, the methodology under Chizik involved flying full speed at ball carriers more than hitting with form and balance. That might have worked better with star athletes at Texas (Chizik's last stop before Ames) than it did with less-gifted players at Iowa State.

"We control ourselves before we're in a hitting situation," Rhoads said. "So if a ball carrier makes a move, we're not tackling air like a cartoon character."

Last season Iowa State allowed 21.8 points per game, down from 35.8 in 2008 and 31.8 in 2007 under Chizik.