2015 CFB Preview – Iowa State


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It’s not just that Iowa State isn’t winning, it’s that it wasn’t even close over the last few years.

By Pete Fiutak | @PeteFiutak

At least Kansas can make the claim that it’s blowing up the ship and creating something new after falling down very far very fast. Iowa State is only a few years removed from a bowl appearance, and head coach Paul Rhoads has had some success, but the new era of the Big 12 hasn’t been kind.

At least when the league was in the two division format the Cyclones could occasionally miss the big boys from the Big 12 South, but now it’s a big problem that they have to play nine conference games, and everyone but Kansas is better.

And Kansas beat them last year 34-14.

Iowa State is still the plucky conference team – pushing hard in losses to Kansas State, Texas and Texas Tech – but that’s being kind. There could be hope that 2014 was a chance to get several young players the experience needed to be ready to do far more this season, but there’s still a talent gap and there’s still the problem that the Big 12 is really, really good.

So now comes the big question mark for Iowa State fans and what they’re hoping for. Obviously they’d like a winner, and Rhoads wouldn’t still be around if he wasn’t a relatively likeable coach, but going into his seventh year, is he going to be the guy who can turn Iowa State into another Baylor or another TCU?

Would a 6-6 season be a positive, or would it mean that the program is just treading water? Gene Chizik won a national title after leaving Iowa State, is Chizik a really good head coach stuck in an unwinnable situation, or does the program need a new idea and a new direction?

The basketball program turned itself into a championship-level thing, so is it possible the football program can eventually be more than this?

At the very least, the 2015 team is better with easily the best receiving corps yet in the Rhoads era to go along with veteran quarterback Sam Richardson. Help from the JUCO ranks should fill in some key gaps on defense, especially up front with Demond Tucker at tackle, and the secondary has excellent upside.

But even an improved Iowa State still has to contend with a daunting Big 12 slate. Even so, after a few ugly years, the Cyclones are due to have more fun. They will this season.

What You Need To Know About The Offense: The Cyclones weren’t consistent and they couldn’t keep up the pace with the high-powered Big 12 offenses. The ground game didn’t work early on, and then it was abandoned time and again after getting down too quickly. This year, the passing attack should be able to shine just enough to make some big moments with a deep, talented and very big receiving corps. Sam B. Richardson has been around long enough to be a more consistent quarterback, but he needs time to work behind a veteran line that gets four starters back. The running backs might be young and inexperienced, but they’re good enough to add a little more pop.

What You Need To Know About The Defense: Awful, the Cyclones finished dead last in college football in total defense, having equal problems against the run and the pass. The defensive front might be full of new starters, but it should be a wee bit better – it can’t be any worse – with JUCO transfer Demond Tucker helping the interior. The secondary should be okay if it’s helped by a pass rush – there are enough veterans to expect more big plays. Luke Knott and Kane Seeley form a decent 1-2 linebacking punch, but they have to hold up far, far better against the run.

What to watch for on offense: Get ready for a Big 12 big boy receiving corps. Iowa State finished 102nd in the nation in passing efficiency, but it averaged close to 250 yards per game. The receiving corps, though, is absolutely loaded coming into this season with D’Vario Montgomery looking like the next big thing – literally – at 6-6 and 236 pounds working on the inside, and with the healthy return of 2013 leading receiver Quenton Bundrage from a torn ACL. To add to the bulk, 6-5 Allen Lazard came up with a strong 45-catch freshman season. There’s no excuse for Sam Richardson not to put up massive numbers with this group.

What to watch for on defense: Something. Anything. 128 teams played college football last season, and 127 of them were better at playing defense than Iowa State. That’s life in the Big 12, to some extent, but the pass defense was miserable and the run D was worse. The main problem was the line, but there’s hope for a quick improvement with JUCO transfer Demond Tucker one of the standout stars of spring ball to go along with a couple of big bodies in Devlyn Cousin and Pierre Aka to try gumming things up. It all starts with …

The team will be far better if … the run defense is better. Stopping all the high-octane passing games in the Big 12 is the toughest task, but for Iowa State to improve at all, it needs to be far, far better at holding up on the line. The Cyclones allowed 190 yards or more in every game by two – the win over Iowa and the loss to Oklahoma State – and was ripped apart for 5.67 yards per carry with 35 scores. It’s no coincidence that when Iowa State went to bowls in 2011 and 2012, it allowed under five yards per pop.

The schedule: The Northern Iowa game is never easy for the in-state big boys, and followed up by the rivalry date against Iowa, it’s going to be an emotional start to the season.
– The finishing kick is a bear, going on the road for three of the last four games in November. Considering the Oklahoma State game is at home, it’s going to take a big upset to get a win after Halloween.
– TCU, at Baylor, Texas and at Oklahoma. It’s not going to be an easy mid-season stretch before dealing with the final few weeks, either.
– The Cyclones have to play five Big 12 road games and are on the road for six of the last ten games.
– WATCH OUT FOR … the road trip at Toledo. Unless the Cyclones can beat Iowa, it could be a make-or-break moment going to Toledo to face one of the MAC’s best teams. They can’t be looking ahead to the week off and the Big 12 slate.

Best offensive player: Senior QB Sam Richardson. The receivers should shine bright and one of them might earn all-star honors, and Richardson still has to hold off solid No. 2 man Grant Rohach, but he’s the veteran who has to make everything go. A baller who runs well and can spread the ball around, but he never seemed to come up with the same performance twice. Put it this way; he has to be the team’s best offensive player.

Best defensive player: Sophomore FS Kamari Cotton-Moya. The defense didn’t have many positives, but the emergence of Cotton-Moya as the team’s leading tackler showed how porous the front seven was and how good he could be. Fellow defensive back T.J. Mutcherson finished second on the team in stops – again, showing the problems. The 6-1, 194-pound Cotton-Moya is decent with the ball in the air, and with a veteran secondary returning, there should be some improvement.

Key player to a successful season: Sophomore DT Vernell Trent, Junior DT Demond Tucker, Junior DT Devlyn Cousin. Everything about the Iowa State season centers around the interior of a defensive line that was ripped to shreds throughout last year. There’s size on the inside, there’s depth, and there’s the potential to be far better, but this group has to be night-and-day better against the run.

The season will be a success if … the Cyclones get to a bowl game. There were enough close calls last year, and there’s enough experience returning, to hope for a few more wins and a shot at a six-win regular season. It’ll all come down to the early part of the schedule – needing to beat Northern Iowa, Toledo, Kansas and Texas Tech, while hoping for yet another win over Iowa. Here’s the problem – they’ll almost certainly be the underdog over the last seven games. It’s going to take at least two big upsets to get close.

Key game: Oct. 10 vs. Texas Tech. If the Cyclones can’t start the season 3-1 against Northern Iowa, Iowa, at Toledo and Kansas, forget about it – they’re not going to be able to do much more after the following date against Texas Tech. The Red Raiders came up with a tough 34-31 win last year for its third win in a row in the series. It’s a winnable road game for ISU, and with TCU, Baylor, Texas and Oklahoma up next, it’s a must win.

2014 Fun Stats:
– First Quarter Scoring: Opponents 124 – Iowa State 55
– Sacks: Opponents 30 for 188 yards – Iowa State 15 for 73 yards
– Penalties: Opponents 79 for 663 yards – Iowa State 51 for 490 yards

Players You Need To Know

1. FS Kamari Cotton-Moya, Soph.

It took a year before he got to show what he could do, and then he proved to be the team’s most statistically productive defensive back with a team-leading 77 tackles with eight broken up passes. The 6-1, 194-pound California native is a natural free safety with the right body type, range and hitting ability, turning into the last line of defense time and again to help out a bad run defense. Very, very quick, he was a dangerous high school running quarterback, and now he’s showing off the range, along with the toughness, to be a leader in the secondary.

2. WR D’Vario Montgomery, Jr.
One of the Big 12’s most interesting receivers, he’s a massive 6-6 and 236 pounds with the physical ability to come up with plays by using his strength to fight off defenders. He’s not a speedster and is more like an athletic tight end at the Z position, but the Florida native was the high school teammate of Sam B. Richardson and has a good rapport with him. He led the team with 605 yards on 44 catches with two scores, doing the most damage against Toledo and Texas making nine catches against each, and with a season-high 130 yard and a score against Kansas. With a good group around him, he’ll once again be a matchup nightmare.

3. WR Allen Lazard, Soph.
At 6-5 and 218 pounds, he looks like a basketball forward, and he’s able to use his size and athleticism to be a factor. Wanted by the big boys, he has a world of talent and upside to grow into the team’s No. 1 receiver sooner than later, starting out making 45 catches with 593 yards and three scores as a true freshman. He doesn’t look the part of a physical receiver, but he was a whale of a high school defensive back and a great hitter. With dad, Kevin a former Cyclone, and brother, also Kevin, a linebacker, Allen wasn’t going anywhere else, even though Notre Dame and Stanford came calling.

4. WR Quenton Bundrage, Sr.
Back after suffering a torn ACL, the 6-2, 192-pound veteran is ready to roll. Fortunately, the injury happened early enough to give him plenty of time to heal. When he was on early in his career, he was a devastating weapon catching seven passes for 146 yards and three scores against Iowa and making two touchdown grabs against both Oklahoma State and West Virginia in 2013. The problem was that he went silent at times, catching three passes or fewer six times. The talent and ability are there, and now that he’s 100%, he has the chance to be even more of a key part to the offense if he can stretch the field on a regular basis.

5. QB Sam B. Richardson, Sr.
He hasn’t been consistent, and he hasn’t been able to rise up and do what’s needed against the more dangerous Big 12 teams, but even though he lost the starting gig a few years ago, he has shown enough magic at times to potentially run the attack again if he can be a little stronger throwing the ball. The Florida native is a top dual-threat option with a good enough arm to get by and 6-2, 214-pound size, but he didn’t stretch the field after averaging under six yards per pass completing 56% of his throws for 2,669 yards and 18 touchdowns with nine picks. A good enough runner to take off once in a while, he finished with 421 yards and three scores, but he has to throw far better for Iowa State to start winning.

6. LB Luke Knott, Jr.
The brother of former Iowa State tackling machine Jake Knott, Luke is showing off many of the same abilities with 6-1, 221-pound size and good range making 74 tackles with an interception and 3.5 tackles for loss. Okay on the weakside, he made 15 tackles against Baylor, but wasn’t disruptive enough for a run defense that needs more of an impact. An Academic All-Big 12 performer, he knows what he’s doing and he’s good enough to make plenty of stops, but he has to stay in one piece after suffering a hip injury as a freshman and with his physical style.

7. NG Demond Tucker, Jr.
Someone has to be a factor in the interior, and while Vernell Trent is the veteran on the nose, the 6-0, 287-pound Tucker was the star of the offseason looking exactly like the player the Cyclones desperately need. The JUCO transfer from Copiah-Lincoln was a dominant force at the lower level showing off tremendous quickness and interior pass rushing skills. Now he might take over and be dangerous with the disruptive ability to camp out in opposing backfields. Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Mississippi State were among several big name schools that wanted the Mississippi native, but now he might be the main man for the Iowa State line.

8. PK Cole Netten, Jr.
The Big 12 all-star was one of the only saving graces at times. Netten has good range and can be tried out from 50+ yards, but his longest boot was a 47-yarder last season. He connected on 11-of-14 field goals after hitting 13-of-18 as a freshman – almost all of his misses were bombs. With 6-1, 219-pound size and a big leg – and now with two years of experience – he’ll be counted on even more.

9. QB Grant Rohach, Jr.
Can he be thrown in the mix if Sam B. Richardson is inconsistent again? The 6-2, 220 pound junior doesn’t have the typical size or stature, but he’s a good runner with a live arm and decent passing skills, lighting up Kansas and West Virginia throwing for 300 and 331 yards, respectively, with six scores two years ago, but not getting too much of a shot last year. He hit half his passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns with a pick, and didn’t run much, but he completed 25-of-40 passes for 275 yards and two score with a pick in the loss to Kansas the week after Richardson was miserable against Oklahoma. At the very least, he has experience to step in if needed.

10. CB Sam E. Richardson, Sr.
The 5-8, 189-pound baller out of Texas will combine at one corner spot with senior Kenneth Lynn, and could end up seeing time as a nickel and dime defender to make sure he’s on the field. A feisty tackler, he did what he could making 58 tackles last season with six broken up passes and four picks – he was one of the few defenders who produced and was the lone bright spot in the blowout loss to Oklahoma coming up with two interceptions. With a knack for making open field stops – he came up with 19 solo tackles against Baylor over the last two seasons – he’ll come up with the stats.

Head Coach: Paul Rhoads
7th year: 29-46

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Schedule
Sept. 5 Northern Iowa
Sept. 12 Iowa
Sept. 19 at Toledo
Sept. 26 OPEN DATE
Oct. 3 Kansas
Oct. 10 at Texas Tech
Oct. 17 TCU
Oct. 24 at Baylor
Oct. 31 Texas
Nov. 7 at Oklahoma
Nov. 14 Oklahoma State
Nov. 21 at Kansas State
Nov. 28 at West Virginia
Ten Best Iowa State Players
1. FS Kamari Cotton-Moya, Soph.
2. WR D’Vario Montgomery, Jr.
3. WR Allen Lazard, Soph.
4. WR Quenton Bundrage, Sr.
5. QB Sam B. Richardson, Sr.
6. LB Luke Knott, Jr.
7. NG Demond Tucker, Jr.
8. PK Cole Netten, Jr.
9. QB Grant Rohach, Jr.
10. CB Sam E. Richardson, Sr.