2008 Iowa State Cyclones Preview

His feet are wet, and now Gene Chizik wants to make a splash in his second season as Iowa State’s head coach. As the new face of the program, Chizik was pulled in a lot of different directions his first year on the job, but the longtime position coach and coordinator has re-connected with his duties on the playing field.

Two Minute Drill

A Quick Look at the Cyclones

There are several reasons why Iowa State should be improved this season, none bigger than Gene Chizik’s intolerance for losing. Chizik has been a part of successful, national championship-caliber programs during his career. Finishing 3–9 last season clearly was hard on him, though the Cyclones did finish with victories in two of their final three games. Most important in continuing that success is settling on a quarterback or a two-man rotation, which looks likely with multi-talented youngsters Austen Arnaud and Phillip Bates. ISU has found a playmaker in the backfield in sophomore tailback Alexander Robinson, who ran wild over the final four games of 2007. Who will be catching passes is still up in the air. Ideally junior college transfer Jason Carlson or highly touted freshman Sedrick Johnson can step in alongside veterans R.J. Sumrall and Marquis Hamilton. Defensively, there are holes in the front seven without NFL Draft picks Ahtyba Rubin and Alvin Bowen. The secondary is solid with four regulars back, though ISU will rely on a few of its incoming freshmen for depth there and in the return game. Chizik now has had plenty of time to evaluate his team and learn more about running a program. A bowl trip would be a nice surprise considering the schedule turns in the Cyclones’ favor, though year three is more likely for a breakthrough.

“I feel like more of a football coach this year,” Chizik says. “Head coaching jobs can make you feel like an administrator three-quarters of the time if you let it. That’s not what I am. I’m a football coach.”

Chizik finally was rewarded with success late last season when the Cyclones won back-to-back games over Kansas State and Colorado. There are gaping holes to fill from departing seniors, most important at quarterback. Sophomores Austen Arnaud and Phillip Bates are competing for the starting job. Both might get it, as coaches are strongly leaning toward using a two-man rotation. Whoever plays will need to increase productivity from a year ago when ISU averaged a Big 12-worst 18.2 points per game.

The Cyclones had very few big plays and need some game-breakers to emerge. “It changes the dynamic of everything you’re trying to do on offense,” Chizik says.

Defensively, there are some good players who need to play above their talent level for ISU to have a breakthrough season. Chizik probably is a year away from reaching the postseason with this program, but he is using every available minute on the practice field or the meeting room to whip this squad into shape.

“He’s business all the time … and that’s good,” Arnaud says. “A head coach has got to be that.”

Quarterbacks

It was assumed Arnaud had the edge because of his game experience, but a disastrous effort in the team’s spring game and a strong showing by Bates proved the competition is real. Bates moonlighted at receiver last season as a true freshman as coaches desperately wanted to get the 6'1", 207-pound athlete on the field. “Phillip is a very talented young man,” Chizik says. A two-quarterback system could be the Cyclones’ most effective way to jumpstart what was statistically the Big 12’s worst offense. Arnaud, whose dad, John, played at ISU in the early 1980s, has good arm strength and is more of a conventional pocket passer. Last year, in limited duty, he completed 20-of-37 attempts for 267 yards with no touchdowns. Bates has more mobility and is dangerous in the open field. The only other signal-caller on the roster is freshman Jerome Tiller, who should redshirt unless Arnaud or Bates get injured.

Running backs

It’s Alexander Robinson’s job to lose. The sophomore tailback had a monster finish to the ’07 season with 391 yards and six touchdowns over the final four games, including a 21-carry, 149-yard performance against Missouri and a 29-carry, 127-yard effort in the win vs. Colorado. Robinson, who only carried the ball 23 times in the Cyclones’ first eight games, continued his strong running this spring. Coaches love his ability to make defenders miss in the open field, which ISU’s other backs do not have. Jason Scales has been good at times but has never made it through a season without an injury. The Cyclones’ other senior back, J.J. Bass, was great at the start of last season but also succumbed to an injury that rendered him non-existent for the final two-thirds of the year. He was suspended from the team in the spring for violating unspecified team rules. Still, Chizik would like to have as many capable ball-carriers as possible heading into the fall. “We feel in a league like this you have to go in with three tailbacks,” Chizik says.

Receivers

Somebody’s going to have to step up to help fill the void left by the school’s all-time leading receiver, Todd Blythe, who caught 176 passes for 3,096 yards in his career. Marquis Hamilton put up good numbers last year in his first season as a regular. R.J. Sumrall led the team in catches but is hardly a game-breaker. The senior has 99 career receptions, none for a touchdown. It’ll be up to veterans Euseph Messiah, Houston Jones and burner Wallace Franklin to step up their games. Iowa State would love to see junior college transfer Jason Carlson or true freshman Sedrick Johnson crack the lineup. Johnson, from Troup, Texas, totaled 79 catches for 1,652 yards and 24 touchdowns his final two prep seasons.

Offensive linemen

Competition is wide open on the line. “We have a lot of starters back, but I say that tongue in cheek,” Chizik says. “We haven’t determined who the starters are. Everybody is starting over.” Ben Lamaak, Doug Dedrick and Brandon Johnson should hold onto their starting spots, though Dedrick may be the only one at the same position. Lamaak has switched from tackle to guard, and Johnson, who started every game last year at center, also could be moving to a new spot. There finally is depth developing here, which will be a huge help to ISU’s young quarterbacks. Gigantic redshirt freshman Kelechi Osemele (6'5", 333) looks like he could be a four-year starter.

Defensive linemen

ISU is set at the end spots with senior Kurtis Taylor and junior Rashawn Parker. Taylor’s first year as a starter last season was a good one — 6.5 sacks and 41 tackles — that will need to be duplicated. Where the Cyclones need the most help is inside with Ahtyba Rubin and Bryce Braaksma gone. “When we played well they were usually the reason why we did,” Chizik says. Sophomore Bailey Johnson is improving, and junior noseguard Nate Frere could be a space-eater if he can stay healthy. Jerrod Black, a 280-pound redshirt freshman, was the team’s defensive scout team player of the year in ’07 and will play a role. Last year’s transfers, Chris Weir and Christopher Lyle, need to have more of an impact in their second tours of duty. “Those kids are working, and I love the way they are wanting to be physical,” Chizik says.

Linebackers

A lot of production is missing from this group with Alvin Bowen and Jon Banks gone. Bowen was twice an All-Big 12 pick and collected 287 tackles in three seasons. Former walk-on Jesse Smith takes over as the leader of this untested group. Smith was a pleasant surprise in his first season as a starter with 79 tackles, highest among returning players. Michael Bibbs played some in his first season after transferring from a Mississippi junior college and is likely to start alongside Smith. On the other side, juniors Fred Garrin and Josh Raven are neck-and-neck in their battle for the No. 1 weak-side spot. Neither has much experience beyond special teams.

Defensive backs

The Cyclones are loaded with experience in the secondary, and they’ll need it more than ever as the Big 12 transitions into a pass-first mentality. As it is, Iowa State allowed opponents to pass for 254.3 yards per game and ranked 113th nationally in pass efficiency defense. Chris Singleton is in his third year as a starting cornerback and has six career interceptions. No newcomer made as big an impact last season as Allen Bell, who started every game opposite Singleton and also returned kicks. Free safety James Smith showed what he is capable of when healthy. Smith totaled 79 tackles, two INTs, forced two fumbles and recovered two fumbles. Chris Brown, Steve Johnson, Brandon Hunley and Devin McDowell will all see playing time, though a few members of a talented freshman class could crack the lineup if there is injury or inconsistency.

Specialists

The placekicking hinges on a pair of true freshmen in Grant Mahoney and Zach Guyer. ISU fans have always crossed their fingers when it’s field goal time, and this year will be no exception. One of the two likely will handle field goals and extra-point tries, while the other takes care of kickoffs. Punter Mike Brandtner will be in his third season as the starter. “Hopefully this year I play a lot less,” Brandtner says. There are several candidates to revive an anemic return game. ISU was last in the Big 12 in both kickoff and punt returns.

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