He may not be known as an all-time ISU great, but Marquis Hamilton is closer than you might think.

The senior from Oklahoma City, Okla., moved into 10th in the Cyclones’ all-time standings with nine catches and 97 yards Saturday against Baylor, both of which were career highs. His career totals are now 108 receptions and 1,382 yards…

“I didn’t know that, that feels kind of good,” Hamilton said with a smile. “Hopefully I can continue to move up those charts.”

In offensive coordinator Tom Herman’s spread attack offense, quarterbacks are encouraged to spread the ball around the field as much as possible, limiting any one receiver’s opportunity to become a go-to guy.

However, Hamilton leads the Cyclones in catches, yards and receiving touchdowns with 31, 479 and three, respectively.

“He’s about as close as we’ve got [to a go-to guy] on the perimeter. He’s a stud,” Herman said. “He’s made some really strong catches in traffic and down the field. I say we don’t have a go-to guy, but he’s a guy who has emerged as a leader of that group.”

Hamilton’s career high in catches and yards came in his sophomore campaign when he racked up 45 catches and 534 yards. But, the veteran receiver has never caught more than the three touchdowns he has this season.

Already twice in 2009, Hamilton has matched his career-high 97 yards, and with the offense starting to get in a rhythm, it appears there will be more opportunities on the way.

“We have five, hopefully six more games left, so maybe we can crank him up that ladder a little bit more,” Herman said.

Smith leading the way — Senior linebacker Jesse Smith is the leading Cyclone tackler with 75, a whopping 29 higher than the next on the list, Fred Garrin with 46.

Smith had a career-high total of 85 tackles last season, a number he is likely to surpass very soon. The Altoona native is averaging 10.7 tackles per game to lead the Big 12.

“It’s just me doing my job and my teammates doing their job allowing me to make a play,” Smith said.

Smith has had just two games in which he had fewer than 10 stops — three against Kent State, six against Iowa — and tied a career high with 15 tackles against Kansas two weeks ago.

As a senior, Smith said it is important for him to make the plays asked of him to be an example for the rest of the members of the steadily improving defensive unit.

“We go out there with the mindset that we’ve got to get back off of the field each time we go out there,” Smith said. “I think we’re getting better, we’ve still got a long way to go, but I think we’re getting better and not missing so many tackles.”

Catlett emerges — After getting just four catches in the first four games, tight end Derrick Catlett has grabbed 13 passes in the last three games for 149 yards and two touchdowns.

The senior from Fort Collins, Colo., has become one of Arnaud’s top targets over the past three weeks, achieving career highs in both receptions and yards in each of the last three games.

“The tight end play is adding to what we’re doing as an offensive football team,” coach Paul Rhoads said. “If the tight end is a non-factor in an offense, you can really adjust your coverage. When a tight end is a part of a scheme, it starts freeing up other people, and that’s what our tight ends allow us to do.”

The spike in catches for Catlett comes along with increased production from the offense. In the games in which Catlett has three or more receptions, the Cyclone offense has averaged 445 yards per game.

Herman said the increase in production both from the tight ends and the offense as a whole comes back to Arnaud seeing the big targets as a “security blanket.”

“I think the quarterbacks feel really comfortable throwing to [Catlett] because they know he’s going to be doing the right thing and be in the right spot,” Herman said. “In the back of [Arnaud’s] mind, he’s going to know where [Catlett] is at.”

Robinson and Arnaud — The injured Cyclone backfield mates are in different spots in the recovery process after their injuries suffered against Baylor on Saturday.

The Big 12’s leading rusher, Alexander Robinson, did not practice Tuesday — missing the practice for the second straight week — after reinjuring his groin in the third quarter against the Bears.

Arnaud, however, worked out with the team in the first full-contact practice of the week. Arnaud suffered a bruise to his throwing hand early in the game against Baylor, but was forced out of the game after halftime.