The Iowa St. Cyclones have become one of the darlings of the Xs-and-Os subculture in football thanks to what is widely seen as a cutting-edge approach to defending spread offenses.
Coaches at all levels are now using defensive coordinator Jon Heacock’s dime-based “3-3-3” scheme as a template for their own programs. Heacock’s innovative tactics first gained notoriety in 2017 when the Cyclones flustered the Oklahoma Sooners and quarterback Baker Mayfield for four quarters in 38-31 ISU win in Norman. A year later, the ‘Clones managed to hang tough with OU before giving way in the second half of 37-27 loss to the Sooners.