With three games down and just 60 days of scheduled football left to play, the Cyclone football team and its coach Paul Rhoads are starting another week of preparation for their 6 p.m. Saturday game against the visiting Army Black Knights.

Sitting at 2–1 following a 34–14 win that was underwhelming in the second half against a depleted Kent State, the Cyclones were pleased to come back to Ames with the victory, but the coaching staff is already preparing for the Black Knights and their unique schemes on both sides of the ball.

“They will be as disciplined as any football team we’ll play all year, they will be as physical as we’ll play all year,” Rhoads said. “There will be no quit to them. If this thing goes five overtimes, they will be just as fast in the fifth overtime as they were in the first series of the game.”

The Cyclones and Army have been similar on exterior statistics this season, with Army scoring 23.3 points per game and allowing 22, opposing Iowa State’s 23.7 per game for and 22 against. A deeper look shows Army gaining nearly 81 percent of its yardage on the ground, completing only 15 passes through three games. By comparison, the Cyclones are averaging more than 15 completions per game.

Cyclone Standouts — During his weekly press conference on Monday, Rhoads commented on the play of Alexander Robinson and Jake Williams. Robinson has rushed for 100 yards in back-to-back weeks, while Williams has seemingly come out of nowhere to be an impact player for a group of receivers searching for a rallying point.

Robinson could be the first Iowa State running back to hit 100 yards in three consecutive games if he accomplishes the feat against Army. He credits his offensive line and the spread system for most of his success.

“It’s simply my O-line. They’re doing a tremendous job up front, and anytime they get holes like they’ve given us, you just try to do what you can,” Robinson said.

Williams was a former walk on from West Des Moines Valley High School, and caught the first touchdown pass of his career against Kent State. His seven catches for 85 yards is good for third on the stat sheet thus far, and as a redshirt junior and Austen Arnaud’s roommate, he should get at least another season to prove his mettle at Jack Trice.

“He continues to come to work,” Rhoads said. “He embodies what this program should stand for, a blue collar mentality, great work ethic, always bringing great preparation to the field and applying that with execution.”

Williams’ path influences his mentality as a football player, and he appreciates compliments from the boss about his work ethic.

“I think that’s something, as being a former walk on, you need everyday,” Willams said. “Knowing that you’ve got to come in and work, put in the hours, and that makes me feel good.”

Williams had adjusted to the top Y receiver on this week’s depth chart, but those around the team claim his rise to Cyclone minds shouldn’t have come overnight.

“He’s been a big-play guy for us all along,” Robinson said. “I think it’s just now that the fans and everyone else is getting to see it. We knew that Jake’s had that potential since day one.”

Quarterback Play — Quarterback Austen Arnaud’s play against Kent State led the Cyclones to their lead in the first half, and while the team faltered in the second half, the junior team captain came out of the game with strong statistics and the knowledge that he had given his team the “W.”

“He had a week to prepare for what he had done the previous week against Iowa and came out and turned the ball over,” Rhoads said. “He’s gotta get a gulp out of his throat and that point and go down and do something else and leads us to three touchdown drives which I thought was pretty impressive.”

Arnaud’s 13-for-21 passing for 144 yards and three total touchdowns against the Golden Flashes was a marked improvement from the four interceptions he threw against the Hawkeyes, and the Ames native knows how important it is to get back on track.

Playing against a style he won’t see again versus Army this weekend, Arnaud will try to circle his team to remain focused, something his passion for the game can interfere with late in the game.

“He’s a competitive kid, he’s a confident player, he’s an enthusiastic player, and he’s also got a lot of room for improvement,” Rhoads said. “He’ll be the first one to tell you that.”

Notable Depth Chart Changes — Rhoads addressed the notable absence or lack of touches for certain players, noting Sedrick Johnson’s lingering ankle injury and crediting improved running back depth in practice to Bo Williams’ inability to see the field.

The 6-foot-4-inch receiver Johnson entered the season as the number two receiver on the depth chart, but since his slight injury in the North Dakota State game, Johnson hadn’t seen much of the field and finally registered his first two catches of the year against Kent State.

While second-string running back Jeremiah Schwartz has fumbled in each of the last two games in relief of Robinson, Williams has been apparently struggling to hold on to the ball in practice, a large reason why he hasn’t seen a down in a Cyclone uniform since his transfer from Florida.

Receiver Darius Darks has jumped up to the top spot at the Z receiver on the depth chart after shaking his injury and fellow wideout Houston Jones is also completely off the depth chart for the first time this season.