Three Daily reporters are in Tempe, Ariz., where they will be providing coverage leading up to and during Iowa State’s face-off with Minnesota in the Insight Bowl. Stay tuned to iowastatedaily.net for updates.

TEMPE, Ariz. — When Paul Rhoads took over as head coach at Iowa State last December he made a promise to his new team.

The 2009 Cyclones, a team that had won only five games in two years, would win a bowl game.

“I got hired Dec. 20 and I watched tape for two-and-a-half weeks, seeing what I thought we had and took a look at the schedule,” Rhoads said. “I wasn’t going to say let’s win three games because we won two. If I said let’s go to a bowl game then we would be in that position. I wanted to establish an expectation of winning a bowl game.”

One year later after making his bold vow, Rhoads and the Cyclones are on the brink of following through on that goal.

After tripling their win total from 2008 to finish 6-6, the Cyclones earned themselves a ticket to Tempe, Ariz., to take on the Minnesota Gophers in the Insight Bowl.

While this year’s team has already far surpassed fan expectations, the players and coaches are not satisfied just to be in the Valley of the Sun.

“Coach set the bar high,” senior linebacker Nate Frere said at Wednesday’s news conference. “He said it was a bowl win, not just to go to a bowl game. We are here and having fun and all, but at the end of the week we have a game to win.”

With almost a month to prepare for Thursday’s game, the anxiousness to get the opening kickoff underway can be seen on the faces of the Iowa State players and coaches alike.

“I’m tired of practicing, I just want to play,” Frere said.

Today marks Iowa State’s fifth practice of the week and the team will take time this afternoon to participate in a walk through at Sun Devil Stadium — the site of the Insight Bowl.

Despite the new setting and increased media attention, the players have remained focused on their goal. On Monday night, while the coaching staff had a formal dinner with the Minnesota staff, the players got together in position groups to watch and go over film.

“That showed tremendous maturity,” Rhoads said.

For a team that has not experienced a bowl game since 2005, the coaching staff turned to the senior class and the captains to keep the squad grounded.

“[The seniors and captains] know what the mission is and the unfinished work we have left,” Rhoads said. “They have done a very good job managing our team and keeping them focused.”