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Changing it up
ISU to inject a new spread offense into the Iowa rivalry
By Bobby La Gesse
Date Posted: 2009-09-08
The Iowa State-Iowa football game has slowly turned into Thanksgiving dinner. Because Kirk Ferentz has been coaching in Iowa City for so long and because the Cyclones have run similar schemes for the last decade, everyone knows what will happen.
Football will be on TV. The ISU-Iowa game will be close.
Grandma will make her infamous mashed potatoes. The Cyclones tend to pull off upsets in Jack Trice Stadium. Uncle Earl will always have one drink too many. The Hawkeyes will look to establish the run and play a simple 4-3 defense.
But unlike in years past, ISU (1-0) will inject something new into the festivities when it hosts No. 22 Iowa (1-0) on Saturday (11 a.m., FSN). The Cyclones will use a no-huddle spread offense to put pressure on the Hawkeye defense in ways other ISU teams didn’t.
“We have a lot more skill players than we’ve had previously,” quarterback Austen Arnaud said. “We are going to try to utilize those guys in space and see if Iowa can make the tough tackles in space.”
The Cyclones found some success in space during the season opener.
ISU racked up 442 total yards in its 34-17 win over North Dakota State. Arnaud accounted for 305 total yards and spread the ball around to running back Alexander Robinson (119 total yards, one touchdown) and wide receivers Marquis Hamilton (97 receiving yards, two touchdowns) and Darius Reynolds (53 receiving yards).
And with receivers Sedrick Johnson, Darius Darks and Josh Lenz capable of turning any reception into a big play, Arnaud knows the Cyclones will be able to test the Iowa defense in a variety of ways.
“We have a lot of young talent,” Arnaud said. “We have a lot of guys that are going to make plays for us. We have a lot of options.”
Don’t expect the Hawkeyes to change just because the Cyclones did.
ISU coach Paul Rhoads believes Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker won’t veer too far from his base defense when facing the Cyclones’ four- and five-wide receiver sets.
“They are going to line up in what they do,” Rhoads said. “They fly to the football. They tackle very well. They are aggressive.”
Under Parker, the Hawkeyes have placed in the top 10 nationally in rush defense and consistently rank near the top of the Big Ten in points allowed. Offensive coordinator Tom Herman called Iowa’s defense one of the hardest working units he’s seen.
Because both teams will know what the other runs, Herman doesn’t expect either coordinator to have an upper hand.
“It’s going to be about playing football,” Herman said. “Who is going to out hit who and who is going to out physical who and who is going to out think and out work and out passion who.”
For ISU to be that team, the Cyclones will have to avoid a second-quarter offensive lull like it had against the Bison and fine tune the passing game.
Several Arnaud passes were thrown behind receivers and the wideouts also had several drops.
“A lot of that came with jitters and what not … hopefully that is out of my system,” Arnaud said.
Even though they are shaking things up with a new offense, the Cyclones don’t hope to change everything about the yearly gathering.
They wouldn’t mind keeping the tradition of winning at home, where ISU has won four of the last five games at Jack Trice Stadium, ongoing.
“Hopefully the new offense helps us pick up the victory,” Arnaud said.
Tickets still available
Hillside tickets remain for the ISU-Iowa game on Saturday. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased at cyclones.com, by calling (888) 478-2925 or at the ISU athletic ticket office.
Sedrick Johnson expected to play
Rhoads said Johnson (sprained ankle) is expected to play Saturday and that wide receiver Houston Jones (sprained ankle) is doubtful for this week’s game. Houston didn’t dress for the season opener.
Bobby La Gesse can be reached at (515) 663-6929, or rlagesse@amestrib.com.
ISU to inject a new spread offense into the Iowa rivalry
By Bobby La Gesse
Date Posted: 2009-09-08
The Iowa State-Iowa football game has slowly turned into Thanksgiving dinner. Because Kirk Ferentz has been coaching in Iowa City for so long and because the Cyclones have run similar schemes for the last decade, everyone knows what will happen.
Football will be on TV. The ISU-Iowa game will be close.
Grandma will make her infamous mashed potatoes. The Cyclones tend to pull off upsets in Jack Trice Stadium. Uncle Earl will always have one drink too many. The Hawkeyes will look to establish the run and play a simple 4-3 defense.
But unlike in years past, ISU (1-0) will inject something new into the festivities when it hosts No. 22 Iowa (1-0) on Saturday (11 a.m., FSN). The Cyclones will use a no-huddle spread offense to put pressure on the Hawkeye defense in ways other ISU teams didn’t.
“We have a lot more skill players than we’ve had previously,” quarterback Austen Arnaud said. “We are going to try to utilize those guys in space and see if Iowa can make the tough tackles in space.”
The Cyclones found some success in space during the season opener.
ISU racked up 442 total yards in its 34-17 win over North Dakota State. Arnaud accounted for 305 total yards and spread the ball around to running back Alexander Robinson (119 total yards, one touchdown) and wide receivers Marquis Hamilton (97 receiving yards, two touchdowns) and Darius Reynolds (53 receiving yards).
And with receivers Sedrick Johnson, Darius Darks and Josh Lenz capable of turning any reception into a big play, Arnaud knows the Cyclones will be able to test the Iowa defense in a variety of ways.
“We have a lot of young talent,” Arnaud said. “We have a lot of guys that are going to make plays for us. We have a lot of options.”
Don’t expect the Hawkeyes to change just because the Cyclones did.
ISU coach Paul Rhoads believes Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker won’t veer too far from his base defense when facing the Cyclones’ four- and five-wide receiver sets.
“They are going to line up in what they do,” Rhoads said. “They fly to the football. They tackle very well. They are aggressive.”
Under Parker, the Hawkeyes have placed in the top 10 nationally in rush defense and consistently rank near the top of the Big Ten in points allowed. Offensive coordinator Tom Herman called Iowa’s defense one of the hardest working units he’s seen.
Because both teams will know what the other runs, Herman doesn’t expect either coordinator to have an upper hand.
“It’s going to be about playing football,” Herman said. “Who is going to out hit who and who is going to out physical who and who is going to out think and out work and out passion who.”
For ISU to be that team, the Cyclones will have to avoid a second-quarter offensive lull like it had against the Bison and fine tune the passing game.
Several Arnaud passes were thrown behind receivers and the wideouts also had several drops.
“A lot of that came with jitters and what not … hopefully that is out of my system,” Arnaud said.
Even though they are shaking things up with a new offense, the Cyclones don’t hope to change everything about the yearly gathering.
They wouldn’t mind keeping the tradition of winning at home, where ISU has won four of the last five games at Jack Trice Stadium, ongoing.
“Hopefully the new offense helps us pick up the victory,” Arnaud said.
Tickets still available
Hillside tickets remain for the ISU-Iowa game on Saturday. Tickets are $60 and can be purchased at cyclones.com, by calling (888) 478-2925 or at the ISU athletic ticket office.
Sedrick Johnson expected to play
Rhoads said Johnson (sprained ankle) is expected to play Saturday and that wide receiver Houston Jones (sprained ankle) is doubtful for this week’s game. Houston didn’t dress for the season opener.
Bobby La Gesse can be reached at (515) 663-6929, or rlagesse@amestrib.com.
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