5 Reasons ISU Will Beat NDSU....Not That It Should Be of Any Surprise

A number of articles (including Bleacher Report) lately have pegged NDSU and ISU as a game to watch in week 1 of the coming NCAA season. What you'll find below is exactly why this game should and will be a "non-event".

1) It comes down to who will have the biggest chip on their shoulder. ISU players have been abandoned on by the last staff. They weren't given the chance to play to their potential and they know it. CPR will be at the helm for the first time ever. Tom Herman will want to prove that last season at Rice wasn't a fluke and that he can coach and win against the big boys. Wally is going to want to prove that he can take the challenge and succeed at taking ISU's sub-par defense and turn it into what it was earlier this decade. Our guys come out and roll NDSU.

2) Offense: ISU produced a nationally ranked 42nd offense last season with 4 games of QB's splitting time. That is nothing to shrug off nor anything the Bison have yet to see. The Bison lost their "star" safety from last year, and 5 players to some form of suspension and arrest so far this year. ISU OC Herman better go 5 wide, all on some form of corner, post or streak routes early, and tire their dbacks. ISU has way more depth, and can turn it into a foot race, every down.

3) Defense: Wally Burnham. Have you heard of South Florida? It's because of his defenses that that school was put on the map.

4) Special teams: Leonard Johnson. That boy can run. Pair him with incoming Darius Reynolds, and you will not catch these guys if they get a few blocks as was seen in last year's Oklahoma State game

5) Head Coach Paul Rhoads. Everything is on the line in his first performance. Ask any that have heard him speak, he's a wonderful motivational speaker. Most ISU fans want to suit up for this guy. He's been in Ames before, on VERY successful bowl teams. He knows what it takes to win at ISU and knows he cannot overlook or even come out flat against NDSU

I'll be in the stands September 3rd, but I won't be holding my breath, I'll be screaming along with 40 thousand of my closest friends. Another thing NDSU has no experience with.

As the Cyclones enter the '09-10 season, they're looking to shake the dust off of the past 2 years and take again steps towards success.

On media day coach Paul Rhoads said he feels that the team has made the necessary strides to get to where it needs to be for the Sept. 3 opener against North Dakota State. Rhoads spoke Wednesday and said his team was filled with excitement and enthusiasm.

“We’re exactly where we wanted to be going into training camp,” Rhoads said.

Fans are hopeful, with Head Coach Paul Rhoads bringing in Mensa member Tom Herman for the Offensive Coordinator.

Tom Herman joined the Cyclone staff after coaching at Rice since 2007. With a reputation for engineering high-powered offensive attacks, and his first edition of the Owls reinforced that notion as they smashed nearly 40 offensive records and Jarett Dillard, Chase Clement and James Casey earned individual accolades.

Over the last seven games of the season, the Owls averaged 374 yards passing and 496 of total offense, and set school season marks for completions (311), attempts (526), passing yards (3,517), touchdown passes (29), total offense (4,848 yards), first downs (279) and points (377).

Rhoads also brings in defensive genius Wally Burnham for the D Cooridator spot.Wally Burnham brings 40 years of experience to Iowa State as the team’s new defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. Burnham comes to Ames from South Florida, where he led a Bulls defense that ranked 10th nationally last season.

Burnham’s South Florida defenses ranked among the top 30 nationally in six of the last seven years. The Bulls ranked 10th nationally in total defense (287.6 yards per game) and run defense (95.2 yards per game) last season.

The cyclones completed their first week of practice on Sunday, going 6 am to 10 pm. Rhoads was quoted by www.cyclones.com as saying his team really got down to business Friday after Wednesday’s media day and practice on Thursday.

“There is always a little bit of a thrill when you come back to practice for the first time,” Rhoads said. “The thrill lessens as the work picks up and that is to be expected.”

Rhoads said the first week of practice can be ragged.

“When you haven’t been out there, you are going to see mistakes as everybody gets into football shape, which is different than coming to camp in great physical condition. They will come around.”

ISU no more 3 yards and a cloud of dust

Iowa State's new Offensive Coordinator, Tom Herman, will attempt to rise from the dust of a 2-10 season to field a more potent offense; just like the Rice Owls where he coached the last 2 seasons. In two seasons with the Owls, Herman’s offenses broke nearly 50 the school records and helped Rice win 10 games in 2008, including the school’s first bowl game since 1954.

Having played in the Big XII and Big 8 for the last umpteen years, ISU had traditionally survived on the prior "smash mouth" football.

Dan McCarney (former Head Coach at ISU) had back to back 2,000 yard rushing seasons in 1995 and 1996. In McCarney's later years, fans routinely booed what they called "Davis up the middle" after the coaches penchant for running between the tackles.

Herman's new spread offense frequently utilizes 4-5 WR's in varying slot, TE, grouped and wideout formations. Luckily Herman inherits a stable full of targets. In last Saturday's scrimmage, Darius Reynolds (a JUCO transfer) separated himself from the newcomers.

“Darius does a great job of snaring the ball,” Herman said. “He is a guy who has worked himself from off the two-deep to a position where he is going to play.”

Darius Reynolds joins Darius Darks, Marquis Hamilton, Donnie Jennert, Houston Jones, and Sederick Johnson for the top 6 WR at ISU.