Iowa State blown away by the Aggies

2009 Iowa State Cyclones ... Head Coach: Paul Rhodes

2009 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 3-9
2009 Record: 5-4

9/3 North Dakota St W 34-17
9/12 Iowa L 35-3
9/19 at Kent St W 34-14
9/26 Army W 31-10
10/3 Kansas St (KC) L 24-23
10/10 at Kansas L 41-36
10/17 Baylor W 24-10
10/24 at Nebraska W 9-7
10/31 at Texas A&M L 35-10
11/7 Oklahoma State
11/14 Colorado
11/21 at Missouri
11/28 OPEN DATE

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 6-6
2008 Record: 2-10

Aug. 30 S Dakota St W 44-17
Sept. 6 Kent State W 48-28
Sept. 13 at Iowa  L 17-5
Sept. 20 at UNLV L 34-31 OT
Sept. 27 OPEN DATE
Oct. 4 Kansas L 35-33
Oct. 11 at Baylor L 38-10
Oct. 18 Nebraska L 35-7
Oct. 25 Texas A&M L 49-35
Nov. 1 at Oklahoma St L 59-17
Nov. 8 at Colorado L 28-24
Nov. 15 Missouri L 52-20
Nov. 22 at Kansas State L 38-30
Nov. 29 OPEN DATE

Iowa State Cyclones

Oct. 31
at Texas A&M 35 … Iowa State 10
Texas A&M dominated from the start as Jerrod Johnson ran for a one-yard score and threw two first half touchdown passes including a 32-yarder to Jeff Fuller. He threw a third scoring pass early in the fourth on a seven-yard play to Howard Morrow. Iowa State was outgained 501 yards to 324 and didn’t get into the end zone until early in the fourth quarter on a four-yard Jerome Tiller run.
Player of the Game: Texas A&M QB Jerrod Johnson completed 23-of-28 passes for 234 yards and three scores, and he ran for a touchdown.
Iowa State: Passing: Jerome Tiller, 18-27, 155 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Alexander Robinson, 20-76, Receiving: Josh Lenz, 7-63
Texas A&M: Passing: Jerrod Johnson, 23-28, 234 yds, 3 TD
Rushing: Cyrus Gray, 21-119, Receiving: Howard Morrow, 6-49, 1 TD
What It All Means: The Cyclones got Alexander Robinson back from a groin injury and he helped make the ground game go, but Jerome Tiller, who’s playing in place of Austen Arnaud, doesn’t add as much pop at quarterback and it showed against the Aggies. The bigger problem was a defense that couldn’t get off the field and struggled to make a stop on third downs. The lack of a pass rush continues to be an issue, and there’s no way the Cyclones can beat Oklahoma State unless the offense does more and the defense come up with more key plays. 

Oct. 24
Iowa State 9 … at Nebraska 7
Iowa State stunned the Huskers with eight takeaways and including four inside the Cyclone five. Nebraska, as poorly as it played, still had a chance late, but Zac Lee was picked off. All the scoring was done in the first half as Iowa State got a 47-yard Jake Williams touchdown catch in the second, along with a 52-yard Grant Mahoney field goal in the first, while Nebraska scored on a three-yard Dantrayevous Robinson run. Nebraska outgained the Cyclones 362 yards to 239.
Player of the Game: Iowa State LB Jesse Smith made 12 tackles, two tackles for loss, forced a fumble and picked off a pass.
Nebraska: Passing: Zac Lee, 20-37, 248 yds, 3 INT
Rushing: Dontrayevous Robinson, 15-77, 1 TD, Receiving: Niles Pau, 6-143
Iowa State: Passing: Jerome Tiller, 9-19, 102 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Jerome Tiller, 19-65, Receiving: Josh Lenz, 3-32 
What It All Means: 5-3 with a win at Nebraska?! The Cyclones are roughly two big plays away from being 6-1, but being in range of a bowl game and Big 12 North title contention is enough for now. The offense didn’t do anything against Nebraska, and it has to be a concern that QB Austen Arnaud wasn’t under center and the offense was so bad with him on the sidelines, but the defense that had struggled so much at times this year came up with big turnover after big turnover. If the Cyclones can win at Nebraska, it can win at Texas A&M next week.

Oct. 17
at Iowa State 24 … Baylor 10
Baylor scored first on a 38-yard Ben Parks field goal, and then it was all Iowa State with Austen Arnaud running for a one-yard score and connecting with Derrick Catlett for a four-yard score in the second quarter. Jerome Tiller closed off the 24-point Cyclone run with a 20-yard scoring dash. Baylor turned it over three times and didn’t get into the end zone until Justin Akers caught a three-yard pass with nine seconds to play.
Player of the Game: Iowa State LB Jesse Smith made 11 tackles and a tackle for loss
Baylor: Passing: Blake Szymanski, 23-38, 223 yds, 3 INT
Rushing: Jarred Salubi, 10-44, Receiving: Ernest Smith, 7-125
Iowa State: Passing: Austen Arnaud, 18-28, 166 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Alexander Robinson, 19-83, Receiving: Marquis Hamilton, 9-97
What It All Means: After tough losses to Kansas State and Kansas, Iowa State proved it could win a game when everything isn’t working quite right. The offense was fine and it came up big when it had to on third downs. Austen Arnaud helped keep the defense off the field, and he’s going to have to keep being just as effective with road trips to Nebraska and Texas A&M up next. A bowl game is still possible, but the O needs more pop and the pass defense needs to be stronger, but there’s a lot to be excited about in Year One of the Paul Rhoads era. The win shows that the team appears to be on the right track. 

Oct. 10
at Kansas 41 … Iowa State 36
Todd Reesing threw four touchdown passes and Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe combined for 28 catches and four scores as KU rolled up 551 yards of total offense, but the defense had to hang on as a last-gasp touchdown pass attempt sailed just out of the end zone. Iowa State got a huge day from Austen Arnaud, who threw two touchdown passes and ran for a two-yard score, but Reesing and the KU passing game were too much with a 46-yard scoring pass to Briscoe and a six-yarder to Kerry Meier. Alexander Robinson ran for two short scores in the first half for the Cyclones.
Player of the Game: Kansas WR Dezmon Briscoe caught 12 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns and Kerry Meier caught 16 passes for 142 yards and two scores.
Iowa State: Passing: Austen Arnaud, 25-40, 293 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Alexander Robinson, 27-152, 2 TD, Receiving: Jake Williams, 7-58
Kansas: Passing: Todd Reesing, 37-49, 442 yds, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Toben Opurum, 24-98, 1 TD, Receiving: Kerry Meier, 16-142, 2 TD
What It All Means: After the Cyclones close to turning a corner and being good, or was this just an aberration? With the 1-2 punch of QB Austen Arnaud and RB Alexander Robinson leading the way, the offense is moving the ball well. Now there needs to be more consistency after struggling against a bad Kansas State defense and lighting up KU this week. The Baylor game next week is a must to keep bowl hopes alive, and with the special teams playing well and the offensive line playing as well as any in the Big Ten, there’s a shot to get a key win before going to Nebraska.

Oct. 3
Kansas State 24 … Iowa State 23 (in Kansas City)
Iowa State’s Austen Arnaud hit Grant Gregory for a 23-yard touchdown pass with 32 seconds to play to seemingly force overtime, but Emmanuel Lamur blocked the extra point to give KSU the thrilling win. The Wildcats got two Grant Gregory touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, highlighted by a 54-yard scoring pass to Brandon Banks, but Arnaud did what he needed to do to get the Cyclones back in the game. He threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Catlett in the second quarter and ran for a three-yard score in the third.
Player of the Game: Kansas State’s Emmanuel Lamur made seven tackles and blocked the extra point to give KSU the win
Iowa State: Passing: Austen Arnaud, 13-27, 164 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Austen Arnaud, 16-84, 1 TD, Receiving: Jake Williams, 5-61, 1 TD
Kansas State: Passing: Grant Gregory, 16-23, 206 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Daniel Thomas, 25-96, Receiving: Daniel Thomas, 5-38 
What It All Means: The Cyclones didn’t get a good day out of Austen Arnaud and the passing game, but he ran well to make up for loss of RB Alexander Robinson to a pulled groin muscle. Arnaud tried to win the game on his own, and while he came close, the special teams couldn’t come through and now all bowl hopes might be gone. It’s going to take a more balanced offensive effort, and a whole bunch of firepower, to keep up with Kansas next week, but there’s a chance to stay with a Robert Griffin-less Baylor in Ames the week after. Getting Robinson back, though, is a must.

Sept. 26
at Iowa State 31 … Army 10
Alexander Robinson caught a two-yard touchdown pass and ran for a 68-yard touchdown in the second quarter, on the way to a 17-3 lead, and he put the game away in the fourth quarter on a 32-yard scoring play. Army stayed alive in the first half with a five-yard Ali Villanueva touchdown catch with 13 seconds to play, but the offense was shut down in the second half as Robison took over. Austen Arnaud threw two touchdown passes and ran for a 14-yard score for the Cyclones.
Player of the Game: Iowa State RB Alexander Robinson ran 21 times for 127 yards and two touchdowns, and he caught three passes for 51 yards and two scores.
Army: Passing: Trent Steelman, 8-21, 87 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Patrick Mealy, 8-54, Receiving: Ali Villanueva, 6-77, 1 TD
Iowa State: Passing: Austin Arnaud, 11-20, 175 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Alexander Robinson, 21-127 yds, 1 TD, Receiving: Marquis Hamilton, 4-76 
What It All Means: This was a more dangerous game than it might appear. Army has a quirky offense that stopped working when starting QB Trent Steelman got hurt, but the Cyclone offense did its part with the spread starting to produce nicely in the second half. Alexander Robinson and Austen Arnaud are handling the new spread well, and if they’re playing at the high level they were at this week, they should be enough to get by Kansas State on the way to a 4-1 record before hosting Kansas. The defense got 13 tackles from Jesse Smith, 11 of them solo, as he’s emerging as the star of the defensive front.

Sept. 19
Iowa State 34 … at Kent State 14
Iowa State broke a 17-game road losing streak with two touchdown passes and a touchdown run from QB Austen Arnaud, and a 15-yard scoring dash from Alexander Robinson. Kent State held an early 7-3 lead on a 44-yard Dri Archer touchdown catch, but the Cyclones scored 31 straight points before Derek McBryde found the end zone on an eight-yard catch late in the fourth.
Player of the Game: Iowa State RB Alexander Robinson ran 23 times for 143 yards and a score
Kent State: Passing: Spencer Keith, 21-32, 255 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Andre Flowers, 21-45, Receiving: Andre Flowers. 4-21
Iowa State: Passing: Austen Arnaud, 13-21, 144 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Alexander Robinson, 23-143, 1 TD, Receiving: Jake Williams, 4-51, 1 TD
What It All Means: After getting benched against Iowa, QB Austen Arnaud came back with a decent game, but not a great one. He wasn’t quite sharp enough in the passing game, completing 13-of-21 passes, but he moved the offense in the easy win. Alexander Robinson is the star to work around, but he’ll be the main focal point of every defense the rest of the way. The success of the season rests on Arnaud, who has to be nearly perfect for the Cyclones to do much in the Big 12.

Sept. 12
at Iowa 35 ... Iowa State 3
Tyler Sash came up with three interceptions and Ricky Stanzi threw four touchdown passes as Iowa overcame last week's clunker agaisnt Northern Iowa to win a laugher. The Cyclones scored first on a 46-yard Grant Mahoney field goal, and then it was all Iowa with Stanzi connecting with four different receivers for scores, highlighted by an 18-yarder to Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, while Brandon Wegher got the ground game going with 101 yards and a one-yard score.
Player of the Game: Iowa SS Tyler Sash made ten tackles, two tackles for loss, and three interceptions.
Iowa State: Passing: Austen Arnaud, 10-22, 79 yds, 4 INT
Rushing: Alexander Robinson, 19-100, Receiving: Darius Reynolds, 7-19
Iowa: Passing: Ricky Stanzi, 18-34, 197 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Brandon Wegher, 15-101, 1 TD, Receiving: Derrell Johnson-Koulianos, 3-39, 1 TD
What It All Means: Iowa State has to be perfect to have a shot against the brand name teams. The six turnovers against Iowa never gave the team a chance, and while the ground game did a nice job, rushing for 190 yards, Austen Arnaud couldn't stop throwing the ball to the other side. With Kent State up next, the Cyclones have to be far tighter, far better through the air, and far sharper before dealing with Army and its dangerous attack. 

Sept. 3
at Iowa State 34 … North Dakota State 17
Paul Rhoads got his first win as the Iowa State head man with Austen Arnaud throwing two touchdown passes to Marquis Hamilton, with the second one coming from 42 yards away to finally allow the Cyclones to pull away. Arnaud also added a five-yard scoring dash for a 14-0 lead, but NDSU worked its way back coming within seven on a 15-yard Matt Veldman catch in the third quarter. ISU’s Grant Mahoney connected on a 50-yard bomb, to go along with a 38-yard field goal, to stop the Bison run.
Player of the Game: Iowa State QB Austen Arnaud completed 16-of-28 passes for 227 yards and two touchdowns and ran 17 times for 78 yards and a score.
Iowa State: Passing: Austen Arnaud, 16-28, 227 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Alexander Robinson, 16-83, 1 TD, Receiving: Darius Reynolds, 6-53
North Dakota State: Passing: Nick Mertens, 15-27, 178 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Pat Paschall, 21-146, 1 TD, Receiving: Warren Holloway, 4-68
What It All Means: It might just have been a win over North Dakota State, but Paul Rhoads has already won a third of what Gene Chizik was able to come up with during his time in Ames. The defense might not have been a rock against the run, and that’s going to be a major problem against Iowa next week, but Jesse Smith got in on everything with a 15 tackle game with a key forced fumble. Grant Mahoney showed that he’s going to be a major weapon with his 50-yard field goal and his miss coming from 57 yards away, but the excitement has to be over the way Austen Arnaud played showing a good command and a nice connection with Marquis Hamilton that has to continue.