Ask A Cyclone

Program Changes: I think Rhoads pays more attention to detail than Chizik did. Rhoads is a head coach that’s very much in a coordinator mindset. The new staff re-emphasized the fundamentals quite a bit, especially on the defensive side of the ball with tackling. I think that Coaches and Coordinators often times do is focus 100% on Xs and Os, while development falls by the wayside. At places like Auburn or Texas, maybe you can afford to do that. But with the talent you have at Iowa State, you’ve always got to be working towards developing players. I also think that Rhoads has done a good job connecting with the players and the fanbase. Everyone in Cyclone Nation is pretty unified with this team, and everyone is on the same page. I think it’s tough to tell what the long-term future holds, because eventually these McCarney and Chizik recruits will leave and the program will be filled with Rhoads’ recruits. If he can recruit relativley well, and continue to take the approach he’s taken this year, the program might be headed to where it was in the early 2000s. I can say the fanbase is very optomisitic right now, and how could you NOT be? We’ve gone from 2-10 last year, to at least 6-6 this year with a chance to get into a bowl game, with the same team!

ISU’s Running Attack: Shutting down the running game is going to be the key to beating the Cyclones. All year (with the exception of the Kansas game), the Cyclones have been disappointing through the air. Arnaud has battled injuries, some of the WRs haven’t quite caught onto everything, and overall that unit hasn’t been on the same page all year. ISU does run a zone-read play quite often where Arnaud has the option of handing it off, or keeping it himself. Arnaud isn’t quick, but he’s a punishing runner for a QB that likes to deliver the blow. If the running game as a whole is shut down, I have a hard time seeing ISU break double digits in this one.

ISU’s defense: They have not been very good between the 20s, but have played much better in the redzone. This isn’t an athletic defense, so when the field is shorter, it’s harder for them to get burned. I think the keys would be to put pressure on the QB (which likely isn’t going to happen), forcing a few turnovers, and trying to avoid giving up the “big play”. In the redzone, this D is capable of turning TDs into FGs. Alexander scares the crap out of me, and I would expect him to have a big day against this defense. That said, it’s a team sport, and if you play with enough intensity and heart, anything can happen….

Overall, I think Iowa State is pretty similar to Kansas State (which is part of the reason why I think their game was so damn close). It’s mostly a rushing attack, that is OK at times on defense, but not great. I would say that I think K-State’s defense is better than Iowa State’s, and that their offense is slightly better. If Missouri played how they did against K-State, I would think they win this game easily…

It’s a bit maddening.

On one hand, we were a blocked XP from tying K-State at Arrowhead and played (Then No. 15) Kansas down to the last play in Lawrence. So there’s the “what could have been”

But then there was the 8-turnover fluke in Lincoln. Fate had our back on that one.

Cyclone fans are usually cautious optimists at best, because we’ve been repeatedly let down. And usually, if we are going into the last week of the season (almost always against MIzzou) with something to lose, we end up losing in the most painful fashion imaginable. (See: Early to Mid 2000s). But we’ve got a coach now who actually gives a shit about Iowa State football. That’s tough to find, but I think it could be the key to turning ISU into a team that will be at least competitive in the B12 North.

After beating Nebraska, and coming close against K-State and KU, many ISU fans thought that we’d be able to pick off an A&M or Okie State to compete for the North…. After goig through the dry spell, and our offense taking a step backwards from earlier this season, we were just hoping to get bowl eligible.

Personally, I thought we would get to 6-6, and I can go back and find the preview of the season I did back in August saying so. I felt like ISU was a handful of plays from being a 6 win team last year, and I thought that the experiences last year, would teach them what they need to do in some of those closer outcomes.

I think most fans are excited about being bowl eligible. Of course there will be some that will go back and say “what-if” if they could’ve beaten K-State and KU, but that’s in the past. Most of us want to get to a bowl this year.

Most fans are very optimistic on the future, even though the schedule gets much tougher for the Cyclones. Going from 5-19, how can anyone complain about 6 or 7 wins?