Peterson: The one player who's helping Iowa State become Big 12 trend-setters on defense

Randy Peterson | The Des Moines Register

Show Caption Hide Caption Brian Peavy knows why Iowa State's three-man line works Ray Lima's ability to clog the middle is the reason Iowa State's defense is transforming the Big 12 Conference

FRISCO, Texas — Stand up if you figured Iowa State would have had the Big 12 Conference’s third-best defense in 2017.

Raise your hand if you figured the Cyclones had a shot to have the No. 2 scoring defense in this high-scoring league.

Holler if you figured an Iowa State front line would ever be able to stop the rush.

Seeing and hearing nothing, I presume you’re just as surprised as everyone else that the Cyclones suddenly went from sieve to stingy, from ugly to transformative, and possibly now to the best Iowa State defense since 2005.

Opponents rushed for an average of 6.4 yards a play in 2014, for example. Last season? The average dropped to 5.2 — and that’s significant during Matt Campbell’s mission to make the program he leads among the nation’s most respected.

“We’ve gone a long way toward having the identity that we’re striving for, but there’s still a ways to go,” Campbell said. “And really, that’s what it’s about. It’s about identity and what you’re trying to accomplish.”

It’s also about recruiting better players. It’s about scheme, and according to all-league cornerback Brian Peavy, it’s about the most unsung player on his side of the ball.

Why’s the defense better than it’s been in a long, long time?

“Ray Lima,” Peavy said. “Two words: 'Ray Lima.'”

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The Akron game: When it all changed

Iowa State went from generous to not-so-generous after last season’s 41-14 victory against Akron. The Cyclones skated through this game, but Campbell was visibly upset afterward.

“The details that it takes to be really successful aren’t there yet,” the coach said shortly after his team’s victory. “There’s a lot of work to do with our football team right now.”

He was perturbed.

“If we’re only going to play a half, then it’s going to be a long year,” he said.

What happened during the Zips’ 14-point second quarter was unacceptable, per Campbell's reasoning.

He’s honest. He doesn’t sugarcoat, even when the scoreboard shows a decisive victory.

“If we’re judging ourselves by a scoreboard, then we’re really wrong,” he said.

The Zips’ 145 yards while scoring two second-quarter touchdowns irked Campbell so much that he made a change that they’re still talking about in the Big 12.

Iowa State has played three-man front defenses before in this passing league, but never played it well.

That changed after Akron — thanks a lot to the 6-foot-3, 302-pound Lima. He manned the middle. He absorbed double-team blocks. He made his share of tackles. When he wasn't doing that, he made life crazy for quarterbacks.

He’s the reason Peavy says the three-man defense worked.

“For our football team and at that point in time, that’s what we had to do,” Campbell said.

Thus, from immediately after the Akron game through the Liberty Bowl victory against Memphis, it was Ray Lima to the rescue.

“When we were able to win that recruiting battle, I thought that was big for us,” Campbell said. “I’ll never forget the day he committed. I’ll never forget the days he stayed with us, even when everybody was beating down his hatch.

“You’re talking about a 3.5 grade-point student. Nobody has more want-to, and nobody wants to change our culture more than Ray.

“Whatever you ask Ray to do — he can do any of those things.”

Three-man line, then defend the pass

“I think everybody is trying to find answers for that new scheme that's being run in the Big 12 by different people,” Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury said. “Defenses are slowing down the game, eliminating drives and keeping things in front of them.

“I think you can see a cyclical trend in our league of trying to run the football more, and using more tight ends and fullbacks as ways of coming up with answers to offset what they're doing defensively.”

More rushes, fewer passes?

There’s no statistical trend yet, but just wait.

“How they adjusted defensively — they did that during the season,” an impressed FOX college football analyst Brian Baldinger said of Iowa State. “It was the right move. That’s great coaching.”

Great collaborative thinking, too, from Campbell to defensive line coach Eli Rasheed and all the way up to coordinator Jon Heacock.

“Great hire by Matt,” Baldinger said of Heacock, one of Campbell’s original staffers that came with him from Toledo. “Jon didn’t have to leave Toledo, but he knew Matt had a plan.”

Heacock recently received the highest raise among Iowa State assistants, jumping from $454,00 last year to $650,000. His contract expires in June 2020, while some others on Campbell’s staff have contracts that are up in June 2019.

Players and coaches working together

“We’re going to have to continue to prove that we can play good and solid defense,” Campbell said. “There was a good sample size a year ago; you saw us get better as the season went on.

"But we need consistency. We have to prove we can do it again."

Heacock listened to Rasheed, to linebackers coach Tyson Veidt and to defensive backs coach D.K. McDonald. He sought their input. He needed to see if three linemen would work as a basic Big 12 defense.

It did.

“TCU and Iowa State proved last year that you can play defense in the Big 12, and proved it at a national level,” Baylor coach Matt Rhule said.

It’s not the first time Iowa State fans saw three defensive linemen. It’s just the first time they saw it work.

Peavy, a senior, has been an important piece of the transition since starting 11 games as a redshirt freshman in 2015 — the year before Campbell became the coach. No one knows better the ins and outs of old versus new.

“It’s a lot about the collaborative effort of everyone pitching in for one common goal,” the cornerback said. “When I got here, the culture wasn’t like that.

“When I first here, I saw a lot of individual activities — guys in the wrong gap, and guys trying to do things to make themselves look better.

“Guys now understand what the process is.”

So Brian, what’s that bottom line again?

Ray Lima.

Of course it is.

Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson has been with the Register for parts of five decades. Randy writes opinion and analysis of Iowa State football and basketball. You can reach Randy at rpeterson@dmreg.com or on Twitter at @RandyPete.