Shontrelle Johnson is doubtful to start at running back for Iowa State’s game against Missouri, said ISU coach Paul Rhoads at his weekly news conference on Monday.

Johnson, a true sophomore, is undergoing further tests on his neck after sustaining a “stinger” in Iowa State’s 37-14 loss to Texas on Oct. 1 to determine the severity of the injury, Rhoads said.

“That’s a product of a stinger and a similar type of pain that goes along with a stinger,” Rhoads said of the injury. “We’re trying to figure out exactly what it is.”

For the Cyclones (3-2, 0-2 Big 12), redshirt sophomore James White stepped in for Johnson in their 49-26 loss to Baylor on Saturday, Oct. 8, in Waco, Texas.

“I made sure I prepared myself well, I made sure I studied the defense,” White said. “When the time came, I took advantage of it.”

White rushed for 148 yards and one touchdown from 16 carries with a game-high 9.2 yards per carry in his first-career start as a Cyclone running back.

Aside from his meticulous preparation for the game against Baylor, White said he never felt any unwanted pressure being the starter at running back.

“I just took advantage of the opportunity,” White said. “Somebody’s misfortune is somebody else’s fortune. When the time comes, you’ve just got to take advantage of the opportunity.”

Immediately following an ISU turnover that was returned 86 yards for a BU touchdown to drive the score to 35-14 in the third quarter, White broke for a 76-yard touchdown run.

The play briefly resurrected the Cyclones’ momentum in the game and was the ninth-longest run from scrimmage in ISU history.

“As I was running, I looked over to the right and saw that the safety was coming, trying to chase me,” White said. “The receiver [was] blocking down field, going to crack the safety, and all I saw was green grass. The rest was history.”

White now has 323 rushing yards on the season, tallying five touchdowns and 5.5 yards per carry in five games.

“I believe he’s shown more speed to our football team and staff than we would have credited him form,” Rhoads said of White. “It’s obvious the quickness that he has, but on two-consecutive weeks, he’s been able to go the distance with runs that I don’t think many people on our football team [would have] said he could have finished off.”

Kicking himself

Frustration began to mount on Saturday night after kicker Grant Mahoney missed two extra point attempts as Iowa State tried to close in on Baylor in the second half of the game.

The sour feelings did not stop there as Mahoney was then flagged for being offsides on a surprise onside kick to force a re-kick and prevent the Cyclones from recovering the ball for a potential comeback.

Despite the outcry against Mahoney’s performance by Cyclone fans, Rhoads said he will not rule him out for Saturday’s game against Missouri in Columbia, Mo.

“Grant was out there this week because he really out-performed Zach [Guyer] in practice last week so we’ll go back at it Tuesday,” Rhoads said.

As for Mahoney’s struggles, Rhoads said he could not pinpoint the cause of them.

“When you have the ability to be successful — whether it be a PAT or a 54-yard field goal — on more than one occasion, you’ve got an opportunity to do it on a high percentage of times,” Rhoads said. “If you’re not doing that, you’re dealing with some stuff in between your ears.”

Mahoney was not present for comment on Sunday night during player availability for media.

Missouri ties

While Missouri will be hosting Iowa State for its homecoming on Saturday, junior linebacker Jake Knott will be having a homecoming of his own.

The Cyclones’ leading tackler moved to Waukee from the state of Missouri when he was in eighth grade, where he would go on to play high school football.

Knott said a large part of his mother’s side of the family resides in the Kansas City, Mo., area.

“It’s a huge family down there,” Knott said. “Most of them are either KU or MU fans, but now they’re all ISU fans, which is good. When you grow up around that kind of stuff, it’s nice to go out and play against a team like that.”

When asked of playing against Missouri if his family that are MU fans will be cheering for Iowa State, Knott joked, “You find out if blood is thicker than water.”

Homecoming game time set

An announcement on Monday revealed that Iowa State’s Oct. 22 homecoming game against Texas A&M will be at 2:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ABC.

The game will possibly be the last against Texas A&M, which will be leaving the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference at the conclusion of the 2011-12 athletic season.