Previewing the 2010 Iowa State Cyclones
by Husker Mike on Aug 9, 2010 6:00 AM CDT
in Nebraska Husker Football
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PrintIowa State's 9-7 victory over Nebraska was one of the biggest upsets of last season. What makes it even more of an upset is the fact that Iowa State's top two offensive players didn't play. What was not a fluke was how hard those Cyclones played that day. While some of those turnovers could be considered flukes (such as Niles Paul's fumble inside the ten yard line), the effort put forth by Iowa State to get to those loose footballs was not.
Last season, the Cyclones finished the season 7-6, winning the Insight Bowl against Minnesota. Quite an improvement over 2-10 in 2008, and quite a testament to Paul Rhoads' coaching ability.
On offense, Austen Arnaud returns as the Cyclones quarterback. In his third offense in four years with the Cyclones, Arnaud had middling success last season, completing 59% of his passes for 2,015 yards and 14 touchdowns. But 13 interceptions last year were a problem. By all accounts, Arnaud had a solid spring practice and people around the Iowa State football program expect big things from him this season. Offensive coordinator Tom Herman's spread offense would seem to be a good fit with Arnaud's physical skills, so developing poise and confidence might lead to big things on offense.
The other offensive weapon that missed the Nebraska game last season was running back Alexander Robinson, who rushed for 1,195 yards and six touchdowns in 2009. Combined with Arnaud's rushing, the Cyclones finished fourth in the Big XII in rushing in 2009. Remember former Florida running back Bo Williams? He's recovering from offseason knee surgery and won't practice until school starts later this month. The former "Rivals 250" prospect had two carries for 50 yards last season. Sophomore Beau Blankenship and redshirt freshman James White are getting more mention as Robinson's backups.
At receiver, both Darius Darks and Jake Williams return to start. Darks fought through a hamstring injury to finish fourth on the team with 28 catches. Williams, a former walk-on, was the steadiest receiver last year, catching 36 passes last season including that 47 yard jump ball for the winning touchdown in Lincoln. Junior Sedrick Johnson was hampered by an ankle injury most of last season, limiting to just seven catches last season. He has the potential to be a deep threat.
Three starters return on the offensive line, led by junior left tackle Kelechi Osemele, who earned second team all-Big XII last season. Senior Ben Lamaack moves to center from right guard, and senior Alex Alvarez returns at left guard.
On defense, only four starters return, but get back two others from injuries. On the line, senior defensive end Rashawn Parker returns from an ACL injury, while sophomore tackle Jake McDonough appears to be recovered from an illness that forced him to lose fifty pounds last season. Junior defensive end Patrick Neal is undersized former tight end who's a speed rusher. The big man in the middle is 279 pound nose tackle Bailey Johnson, who had 22 tackles last season.
The Cyclones will need to replace all three linebackers. Senior Matt Tau'fo'ou was a junior college all-American, but didn't play much behind first team all-Big XII linebacker Jesse Smith last season. Sophomores A.J. Klein and Jake Knott are expected to start on the outside.
Junior cornerback Leonard Johnson is a sure tackler, but the former freshman all-American isn't the strongest in coverage. He loves to specialize in big hits and force turnovers, like the fumble he forced on Zac Lee. Junior cornerback Ter'ron Benton's season ended in Lincoln after he suffered a broken leg. Up to then, he was having a good season with 41 tackles. Senior safety David Sims was Big XII defensive newcomer of the year last year with 88 tackles, five stolen passes, and one stolen credit card. That last stat will keep Sims off the field for the season opener against Northern Illinois. Senior safety Michael O'Connell is expected to start after totaling 43 tackles last year as a backup.
A murderer's row schedule is going to make another return trip to a bowl game difficult in 2010. A three-week gauntlet with #24 Utah (USA Today Coaches Poll), followed by road trips to #8 Oklahoma and #4 Texas is about as tough of a stretch as you could ask for. Then add in a September game against preseason #10 Iowa, and of course, a November date against #9 Nebraska, and you've got five really tough games on the schedule. But I wouldn't be surprised if Iowa State doesn't pull off an upset or two this season.
I mean...who wouldn't play hard for a coach like this?
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ISU will be tough
They seem to have a renewed attitude under Rhoads. One of confidence…no doubt sparked by that win in Lincoln last year. That can go a long way. I believe they are picked to finish last in the North, but something tells me that won’t be the case.
"Not the victory but the action; Not the goal but the game;
In the deed the glory"
GO BIG RED!
Disagree
Don’t get me wrong, I really like Rhodes, but our game against them won’t be competitive. I think this will be one of their two worst losses of the year. I’m feeling something in the neighborhood of 38-6.
"My hardest job is to convince the people of Nebraska that 10-1 is not a losing season." - Tom Osborne
I think we will win
It’s just not in the cards for us to drop 2 straight.
But I think they will jump up and bite anyone that looks past them. Killer schedule though….damn.
"Not the victory but the action; Not the goal but the game;
In the deed the glory"
GO BIG RED!
by Brian Speers on Aug 11, 2010 12:19 AM CDT up reply actions
Definitely
Road games at Texas and Oklahoma in back to back weeks? That’s a stretch where you just want to get out of those two games with only two losses and hope your season wasn’t fatally damaged in the process.
But absolutely, I think ISU is a decent team under a very good coach and won’t roll over for anyone. My comment simply comes from my feeling that we’re in the better place psychologically for that game and we have a much better team.
"My hardest job is to convince the people of Nebraska that 10-1 is not a losing season." - Tom Osborne
Yeah, yeah, that video was a Kodak moment. We get it.
Seriously, why do people (Husker haters AND fans) keep linking to that video? Doesn’t matter how many times its forced down my throat or through my ear canal— it’s painful.
Iowa State fans are confident they can win, so the team must be doubly so. NU fans who think the Huskers will roll this one are dreaming. Thanks to last year’s debacle, the psychological barrier is gone, and ISU will be pumped, no matter how their season is going.
NU is still the more-talented and hungrier team, and they will be going in looking to make amends, so I still have them winning by a touchdown and some change. The key to winning this game will be to not let them get hot early. Take the crowd out, and watch out for trick plays. Much like Boise State, Paul Rhoads and ISU will play like they have nothing to lose and throw the kitchen sink at us. Remember how ISU’s only touchdown drive was kept alive by an unprecedented fake punt? When that happened, I knew they were really in it to win it.
I respect the hell out of them for doing everything they could do to win that game, but even most ISU fans realize that game was about as gift-wrapped as they come. This time, I expect the Huskers to take care of business. It won’t be easy, though.
Nobody forces you to click on it...
…and while the memories of that day are painful, you have to admit that was a great video.
Word on the trick plays.
In the ISU-Iowa game last year, they pulled a surprise on-side kick after their first score. Granted, we recovered that on-side kick and rolled them 35-3, but still: trisky hobbits.
by Third Generation Hawk on Aug 12, 2010 11:02 AM CDT up reply actions
I keep hearing it on the radio.
They love to keep playing it on 1620AM in Omaha, for whatever reason. Also, it was all over the news at the time, and ISU is still milking it. I just say enough is enough, let’s move on.
Nebraska will fall flat against Iowa st
The big red has put so much energy into just beating Texas that they will fall flat against Iowa st. and probably a&m as well. I just dont see that offense being improved at all and the defense cant be better without suh. So I say they will lose three in conference play. Farewell.
Maybe...
…but since the Nebraska/Texas game is three weeks before Nebraska/Iowa State, I don’t think this game is the Longhorn hangover game.
Texas will drop UCLA, OU, and TAM.
If we are making predictions before anything has played out, Texas will drop three games too. Possibly four, I bet Baylor will pull an upset off from one of the big three of the south, that being Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech. Of course they could be subsituted for Texas A&M as well.
by Look_A_Red_Squirrel on Aug 10, 2010 9:04 PM CDT reply actions
Texas has a nightmare of an early schedule
Breaking in a brand new qb with your #1 receiving threat (by far) gone is a vulnerable place to be. Toss in 4 consecutive losable games, two of which they’ll likely be underdogs in the front half of the season and things could go downhill quickly. Not to say I’m predicting a 2-4 or 3-3 start out of them, but if they start 6-0 I’d be stunned and they would absolutely deserve to hold the #1 ranking in the polls.
"My hardest job is to convince the people of Nebraska that 10-1 is not a losing season." - Tom Osborne
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