After 14 practices and three weeks of preparation, the spring game is finally upon the ISU football team.

The ISU offense has been much talked about, but the unit with quite possibly the best chance to make an impact on the field is the more-experienced defense.

The unit returns seven starters — as well as one other listed as a backup on the team’s most recent depth chart — and has high expectations after finishing seventh in the Big 12 in total defense for 2010.

“We’ve made some progress,” said ISU defensive coordinator Wally Burnham on Friday. “Feel good about the first team. Still trying to build depth in the second, third team guys. They’ve been getting a lot of reps. We’ve still got a ton of work left to do.”

Burnham, who is entering his third year leading the Cyclones’ defense, will have a unit comprised mostly of juniors and seniors, including juniors Jake Knott and A.J. Klein at linebacker and seniors Ter’Ran Benton and Leonard Johnson in the secondary.

This spring, though, not one of the group has stood out above the rest, the coach of more than 40 years said.

“We haven’t had an All-American performance by anybody,” Burnham said. “We’ve had guys that have had good days and made big plays, but nothing consistently that I could say someone really stood out.”

Elsewhere on the field, though, position groups have made an impact on the veteran coach.

Burnham said the defense’s front four — a unit full of guys with little full-time experience — has taken strides throughout the spring practice session.

“We’re probably better there than we have been since we’ve been here, so that’s encouraging,” Burnham said.

In Saturday’s spring game, Burnham plans to keep the scheme simple and just have the defensive unit play smart football for the ISU fans that brave the potentially gloomy weather to watch the game.

“Play hard, smart, play assignment football. If we can get that done, then we’ll be pretty happy,” Burnham said.