Visiting the Iowa State University Football Scrimmage

Saturday, Linda and I went to Ames to see the Iowa State Cyclone football scrimmage. We were impressed with the number of people who showed up to see the Cyclone offense run plays against the Cyclone defense. Unlike a game, the idea here was to run the plays, not be entirely accurate with placement of the ball or even actually tackle the ball carriers. That said, we did see some excellent play. This was also the first time I had set foot inside the stadium so it was nice to see the layout and viewing angles.

One of the coaches, I'm thinking an offensive line coach, was very entertaining to watch as he'd work with the players between series. As you can see, his hand gestures were a major part of his communication to the players. Contrary to some of the notorious coaches we've seen before (see Ditka), he often had a smile as he shared his insights and instruction.

In the end, I believe that the offense outscored the defense. Linda and I were a bit puzzled about how the points were awarded. It looked like the offense got the normal points plus a point for a first down. The defense seemed to score when they forced a fourth down or forced a turnover. In the end, the offense was victorious. I enjoyed getting to see the team, the stadium, and some plays.