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Notes from spring football
Bits and pieces from the start of the Rhoads Era
By Bobby La Gesse
Date Posted: 2009-04-06
The second half of spring practice is going to look a lot like the first half of spring practice, but Iowa State football coach Paul Rhoads hopes the results are totally different.
After spending eight workouts drilling the Cyclones on fundamentals, Rhoads would like to see his team put them to use over the final six workouts and the spring game.
“We got to leave spring ball with the opinion that we can tackle well,†Rhoads said. “That we can block well, that we can do the fundamental things necessary in the game of football to give you a chance for success, and then we will go from there.â€
To get the basics down, Rhoads said he wouldn’t mind if the offense didn’t install another play or the defense put in another scheme this spring.
That means linemen working on their stance. That means receivers working on their routes. That means linebackers working on their form tackling.
“It’s all about fundamentals and technique work right now,†Rhoads said.
QUICKEN THE PACE
Quarterback Austen Arnaud is a big fan of offensive coordinator Tom Herman’s up-tempo offense. Arnaud said it reminds of him of the way Oklahoma played last year as the Sooners racked up 716 points.
“We are breaking big plays, and I love it because coach Herman has that next play, quick call or a little jet call,†Arnaud said. “We get up to the line and make a call and catch them off guard. We’ll have defensive ends standing over here and linebackers looking to the sideline, and we’ll already have the play snapped.â€
Arnaud said the Cyclones have run all of their plays from shotgun this spring in a one-back set, and he likes what he’s seen out of the ISU running backs.
“(Alexander Robinson) has the speed, and Jeremiah (Schwartz), it definitely takes more than one guy to take him down,†Arnaud said. “It takes three or four actually. We have Johnny Bo, too, and he’s doing really well, too.â€
IT’S ALL ABOUT CONNECTIONS
Rhoads gave offensive line coach Bill Bleil credit for ISU being able to land College of San Mateo (Calif.) linebacker Matt Taufoou. Bleil recruits northern California junior colleges for the Cyclones played an instrumental role in landing the California Community College Coaches Association All-American.
Rhoads said it also helped that Bleil and himself coached with College of San Mateo head coach Larry Owens at Pacific in the 1990s.
“It was very good to have input and an opinion from someone we knew and trusted, especially at this point late in the game,†Rhoads said.
SPRING GAME STRUCUTRE
Rhoads said he is still working out the details for the spring game, but he has decided it will be a normal football game and not an offense vs. defense game.
“It will not involve defense scoring points by chest bumping past the line of scrimmage or anything like that, and we will score it traditionally,†Rhoads said. “If you score a touchdown, it will be six points. If you nail the extra point, you get one for it.â€
Rhoads said he will decide this week whether the coaches will draft teams or if they will have the first-stringers go against the second-stringers on April 18.
Bobby La Gesse can be reached at (515) 663-6929, or rlagesse@amestrib.com.
Bits and pieces from the start of the Rhoads Era
By Bobby La Gesse
Date Posted: 2009-04-06
The second half of spring practice is going to look a lot like the first half of spring practice, but Iowa State football coach Paul Rhoads hopes the results are totally different.
After spending eight workouts drilling the Cyclones on fundamentals, Rhoads would like to see his team put them to use over the final six workouts and the spring game.
“We got to leave spring ball with the opinion that we can tackle well,†Rhoads said. “That we can block well, that we can do the fundamental things necessary in the game of football to give you a chance for success, and then we will go from there.â€
To get the basics down, Rhoads said he wouldn’t mind if the offense didn’t install another play or the defense put in another scheme this spring.
That means linemen working on their stance. That means receivers working on their routes. That means linebackers working on their form tackling.
“It’s all about fundamentals and technique work right now,†Rhoads said.
QUICKEN THE PACE
Quarterback Austen Arnaud is a big fan of offensive coordinator Tom Herman’s up-tempo offense. Arnaud said it reminds of him of the way Oklahoma played last year as the Sooners racked up 716 points.
“We are breaking big plays, and I love it because coach Herman has that next play, quick call or a little jet call,†Arnaud said. “We get up to the line and make a call and catch them off guard. We’ll have defensive ends standing over here and linebackers looking to the sideline, and we’ll already have the play snapped.â€
Arnaud said the Cyclones have run all of their plays from shotgun this spring in a one-back set, and he likes what he’s seen out of the ISU running backs.
“(Alexander Robinson) has the speed, and Jeremiah (Schwartz), it definitely takes more than one guy to take him down,†Arnaud said. “It takes three or four actually. We have Johnny Bo, too, and he’s doing really well, too.â€
IT’S ALL ABOUT CONNECTIONS
Rhoads gave offensive line coach Bill Bleil credit for ISU being able to land College of San Mateo (Calif.) linebacker Matt Taufoou. Bleil recruits northern California junior colleges for the Cyclones played an instrumental role in landing the California Community College Coaches Association All-American.
Rhoads said it also helped that Bleil and himself coached with College of San Mateo head coach Larry Owens at Pacific in the 1990s.
“It was very good to have input and an opinion from someone we knew and trusted, especially at this point late in the game,†Rhoads said.
SPRING GAME STRUCUTRE
Rhoads said he is still working out the details for the spring game, but he has decided it will be a normal football game and not an offense vs. defense game.
“It will not involve defense scoring points by chest bumping past the line of scrimmage or anything like that, and we will score it traditionally,†Rhoads said. “If you score a touchdown, it will be six points. If you nail the extra point, you get one for it.â€
Rhoads said he will decide this week whether the coaches will draft teams or if they will have the first-stringers go against the second-stringers on April 18.
Bobby La Gesse can be reached at (515) 663-6929, or rlagesse@amestrib.com.
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