PETE: Seed for ISU’s Baylor win was planted during last spring’s genius hardest-ever workouts

Go back to last spring -- to the part where Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell told us he was intentionally making practice harder than ever.

“I want to put adversity into these guys,” Campbell said about the team’s new spring practice routine. “I want to see failure happen, and I want to see how they respond to it.

“We’ve really tried to amp it up, and tried to make it the hardest, most challenging, mentally and physically, that we could. I think it’s benefitted this group.”

That became another brilliant decision by the Cyclones’ winningest football coach. He knew there would be a time during what could be an historic season, that adversity would show up. Would it be injuries? Bad calls from refs? Losing one-score games?

Would adversity set in with the offense, the defense or special teams?

Sometime, somewhere, something would go bonkers. Saturday, his gritty team went to 5-0 for the first time since 1980, because it knew the toughness it took to bounce back from, you guessed it, something bad.

They did it, because of the practice hell they went through during the spring.

Thus, another stunning example that you play like you practice – and the genius of a coach who has his 11th-ranked team on a path that leads to postseason riches never experienced by a Cyclones football program.

Big 12 Conference championship. College Football Playoffs. Possible home game in the College Football playoffs.

It’s all possible, heading to West Virginia for Saturday’s 7 p.m., “hornets-nest” of a game against the Mountaineers. Those were Rocco Becht’s words, and they fit perfectly the stadium where his father once was a star tight end.

If it happens, go back to last spring – to the tough pre-season practice routine.

“We’ve tried to make spring ball the hardest it’s been since we’ve been here,” Campbell said. “We tried to make it the hardest winter we’ve had since we’ve been here.”

Understandable, considering all the experience that returned from a team whose seven wins in 2023 included six against Big 12 Conference opponents.

That certainly was a major factor Saturday, as the Cyclones rallied from adversity that included:

** Defensive standouts J.R. Singleton, Domonique Orange, Malik Verdon and Ikenna Ezeogu each missing plays Saturday because of injuries.

** Starting freshman sensation linebacker Cael Brezina not playing in the second half.

** Starting cornerback Darien Porter not playing because of an injury.

** Starting linebackers Caleb Bacon and Will McLaughlin still out with injuries, as was backup Carson Willich.

Last spring was for times like Saturday. Last spring was to see who would be tough enough to respond favorably – and who would not.

Last spring was for last Saturday night.

The 21 points Iowa State has allowed in the first two Big 12 games is the fewest since Kansas and Nebraska combined for 17 against the Cyclones in the first two games of 2002.

That’s how well this never-say-die program has maintained, during its rash of defensive injuries.

Even when Iowa State trailed Baylor after the second half’s first possession, there was no concern where Campbell’s team was headed. That was after Baylor drove 65 yards in seven plays for a touchdown on its first after-intermission possession. After that score -- and sideline chat with his guys from defensive coordinator Jon Heacock -- Baylor’s next 19 plays resulted in just 54 yards.

We’ve seen this before. We’ll see it again. It’s how good teams react to adversity.

And Iowa State – on yeah, it’s a good team. A very good team.

“It’s our ability to keep our head down and keep driving,” Becht said. “No matter what’s happened, when adversity hit, we continued to play.”