CFN Spring Preview

Another CFN outlook...

Iowa State Spring Practice Begins: March 25 Game: April 20
The early spring buzz … Head coach Gene Chizik’s era struggled out of the gate, but improved mightily over the second half of the season (other than the 45-7 lambasting from Kansas). The KU loss obviously wasn’t the “finishing-on-an-upswing” performance that Chizik was hoping for, but the last five games showed that the Cyclones can compete, and more importantly, that the staff can make chicken salad out of chicken spit. Do most expect a return to a bowl game this year? Not quite, but this is a program that’s trending back upward. It just may take another year.
The big spring question is … is there a running game? Last season, the Cyclones leading rusher, Alexander Robinson, ran for 465 yards and fewer than four yards per carry. With record setting quarterback Bret Meyer graduating, along with star receiver, Todd Blythe, establishing a ground attack is going to be project No. 1 this spring for offensive coordinator Robert McFarland. The Cyclones return all five offensive line starters from the end of the season, but they need to be better.
The most important position to watch is … Linebacker. The defense revolved around tackling machine Alvin Bowen, who is moving on to the NFL, and Jon Banks. No one will provide Bowen-type leadership, but someone has to step in and replace his triple-digit tackle effort. Former JUCO transfer Michael Bibbs and sophomore Josh Raven will have some big shoes to fill, but they have the coaching staff to put them in the right positions. Chizik and defensive coordinator Wayne Bolt place a premium on quick, athletic linebackers, so it’s a vital hole that needs to be filled right away so improvements can be made on the rest of the D.
Spring attitude … Chizik’s bunch came a long way during the fall; all the way from losing to Northern Iowa to beating bowl bound Colorado in the last half of the season. Chizik and his staff established a no nonsense type attitude, and it paid off late in the season with the carryover into the off-season. Now that the Cyclones know what they can do, expect Chizik to continue to push this spring with nothing less than a bowl game expected. Even if the team isn’t ready yet.

Scout.com: 2008 Spring Preview - The Big 12

I'm excited! Can't get here soon enough even though I am only expecting a 1-3 game improvement in overall record.

I just want a bowl game, which will probably take 7 wins. It will be tough sledding no doubt. No room for mistakes in the non-conference games for this to have a chance at happening.

I am hoping for 5 wins, anything above that would be fantastic.

I think a lot of it depends on how the incoming talent develops, and a few other things.

I'm not expecting anything - except for playing well on the field, being competitive, etc. Wins will come if we take care of the fundamentals (tackling, turnovers, etc). Those frustrating fundamentals is what makes me angry. I truly believe the talent gap will be somewhat closer this year but not enough to get to 7 wins for a bowl, but 3 wins in conference would be great and 3-1 in OOC would be great as well. I'm not expecting it, just saying it would be really nice and give a renewed excitement to me...

Wow they actually did their homework

I love CFN. They're very good...

I just wanted to point out that Dan's last 4 win season were all last minute affairs. The Colorado and Iowa games were last minute affairs last year. So in 6 out of our last 8 wins, we won squeekers. Yet we lost 2 that we hgad a chance to win. The Toledo game was a problem child. Oklahoma was doable. We could habve had at least four end of game close wins again last year if things had broken our way.

They did their homework (kinda). If you thought our leading rusher was ARob and he played all year, it would be misleading. I think with him playing all year our ground game will be solid.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jonesy429

They did their homework (kinda). If you thought our leading rusher was ARob and he played all year, it would be misleading. I think with him playing all year our ground game will be solid.

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And having a healthy JJ Bass

And possibly Schwartz (just adding names to the list haha)

They talk about A-Rob, who yes was the leading rusher but he didn't start till about the MU game so that quote doesn't explain the whole story to that fact. Otherwise I'm ready to place my *** in the stands and see the cardinal and gold pull out some W's

TEXAS
The early spring buzz … The Longhorns added another former Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp and it couldn’t have come at a better time. After taking a couple of steps back after the 2005 national championship season, especially in the “we’re the more physical defense” department, Longhorn nation craves a physical, nasty defense and Muschamp’s defenses at LSU and Auburn would work well in Austin.

I like this comment about Texas.....I hope the "more physical defense" is what we will see here now that Chiz is on our side!!!

> They talk about A-Rob, who yes was the leading rusher but he didn't start till about the MU game <

Thought I read the other day that Coach McFarland said (at the Council Bluffs outing maybe?) that A-Rob was ready to go physically and skills-wise from the outset but that he had deer-in-the-headlight eyes so they brought him along slowly.

My memory is fuzzy on this comment, but I took it to mean A-Rob likely would have been the starter from the first game, ability-wise, if not for his inexperience.

Can anyone else here back me up on this remark? Or, shoot me down by telling me my memory sucks? . . . .

Oh, here it is, from cyclonebillski's outstanding recap of the CB outing posted here. He's paraphrasing Coach McFarland:

"Said Robinson would have started from day one last year but was still a little bit deer in headlights his first few games so they threw him in special teams to let him get hit a little. Then he picked it up. Said he expects Robinson to start next year."

Hmmm. A-Rob will have a ton of experience, then, heading into his junior season in 2009, when Bo Williams gains eligibility. It'll be interesting to see if Jeremiah Schwartz earns PT this fall, or, with seniors JJ Bass and Jason Scales on hand with A-Rob, Jeremiah is redshirted.

You'd think the latter would be ideal, wouldn't you? OTOH, maybe not ideal; if JS doesn't play this fall, entering 2009 we've got only one running back with serious game experience. It'll be interesting seeing what the coaches do.

2009 running backs:

Alexander Robinson, junior
Bo Williams, sophomore
Jeremiah Schwartz, frosh or soph
2009 recruit(s), rookie(s)

Got to think the coaches will go after at least one terrific running back in the next recruiting cycle, if not two.