All is not the same since we last left the ISU football team at the end of its 2-10 campaign last season.

It has been eight long months in which the Cyclones have dealt with the abrupt departure by their former head coach, a tiring search and ultimate hiring of coach Paul Rhoads, the installation of a new offense and a grueling fall practice schedule.

And with the countdown to the college football New Year about to hit zero, the Cyclones are prepped to open the 2009 season at home against North Dakota State.

“You can definitely feel the energy on the practice field and in the locker room,” said senior nose guard Nate Frere. “Everybody is kind of tired of hitting the same guy everyday.”

Not only does Thursday’s opener offer a chance to start Rhoads’ reign as head coach with a win, but it also gives an energized Cyclone squad a chance to snap a 10-game losing streak that dates back to the second game of the 2008 season.

“I’m so anxious, man. It’s been forever,” said junior quarterback Austen Arnaud. “Ten losses in a row, we’re looking to avenge that right away.”

With all the excitement and hype surrounding this season, fans may have the tendency to overlook the challenge North Dakota State presents.

The Bison, who are peers of Northern Iowa in the Missouri Valley Conference, have been perennial contenders in the Football Championship Subdivision.

From 2007 through 2008, the Bison spent 19 weeks ranked in the top five of the FCS.

North Dakota State also has had success against Division I opponents as they have notched three wins since 2006, including a stunning road victory against Minnesota in 2007.

“Offensively, they are a very physical football team,” Rhoads said. “They have an experienced offensive line that is huge in stature. They know how to run the football and we will expect that Thursday night.”

North Dakota State will have the distinction of being the first team to get a look at Iowa State’s new spread offense. Developed by incoming offensive coordinator Tom Herman, Iowa State’s version of the spread has been the talk of the preseason.

From spring practice and into the fall, the Cyclone offense worked to learn the intricacies of the new system.

At times the transition wasn’t always smooth, but in the last few weeks, the offense has seemingly become increasingly comfortable.

“Early on, we had a lot of guys who knew the stuff, but were doing it with the wrong technique,” Herman said. “Now the light’s come on, and I think the guys are really coming on and perfecting their technique.”

The coaching staff knows, however, that the move to actual game situations will bring continued adjustments.

“By the time we got into our second scrimmage, I felt the offense was very efficient, but they knew what they were seeing,” Rhoads said. “As we go into this first game, [the offense doesn’t] have any true idea of what they’re going to see. So there are going to be growing pains in the first quarter of this football game, let alone the first couple of games of the season.”

Despite any growing pains that may be associated with the new offense, the Cyclones seem poised to deliver a victory to a fan base starving to see an end to the losing streak.

“I think [the streak] is in the back of guys’ minds,” Arnaud said. “But it’s a totally different deal now. A new era. And I think guys are just ready to go.”