End of losing?
July 27, 2009
IRVING, Texas — The Iowa native returns home looking to build a winning tradition at a team that will go into his debut with 10 consecutive losses.
“We have one Big 12 North shared title, something that we’re very proud of and need to build upon,” said Rhoads, who was an Iowa State assistant from 1995-99. “But the lack of recent success is the first hurdle that you must overcome.”
The Cyclones return nine starters on offense, and this year plan to run an up-tempo, no huddle set. It’s something quarterback Austen Arnaud looks forward to with new coordinator Tom Herman from Rice.
“Definitely excited, going to be in the shotgun 90-95 percent of the time, everybody is going to be touching the ball,” Arnaud said. “I’ve been watching Rice tape since January. Definitely excited to put that show on display, score some points and rack up some yards.”
Arnaud threw for a school-record 440 yards in the season finale last year, even before the change in offensive philosophy.
“I think at Iowa State you’ve got to be unique in approach to a number of things, and one of those things is what we do schematically offensively,” Rhoads said.
Ryan Tannehill was Texas A&M’s leading receiver as a freshman. But he was recruited as a quarterback and he’d rather throw passes than catch them.
Coach Mike Sherman will give him that chance and let him compete against returning starter Jerrod Johnson for the job under center.
“Ryan is a fast picker-upper, so to speak. He wastes no time. He’s a very intelligent young man, very athletic young man,” Sherman said Monday at the Big 12 media day. “I think he will compete and give this challenge every (thing) he has.”
Tannehill certainly adapted to catching the ball. He tallied 55 catches for 844 yards and five touchdowns for the Aggies.
Johnson — who became the starter after Stephen McGee got hurt last season and finished with 2,435 yards and 21 touchdowns — is ready for the challenge.
“Ryan had a great year as a receiver, would be a great receiver for us this year, but he’s also a really good quarterback,” Johnson said. “But from my case, I’m confident what I can do.”
Johnson and Tannehill have spent the summer throwing passes. While Johnson has the upper hand based on experience, Sherman expects Tannehill to make it a competition.
“I think we’ll see his very best. He understands that it’s somewhat of a challenge in regard to Jerrod Johnson having gone through last season as well as the spring under his belt,” Sherman said. “He really has to throw a knockout punch to be the guy.”
OSU’S NEW TRIPLETS: Oklahoma State’s offensive triple threat of quarterback Zac Robinson, receiver Dez Bryant and running back Kendall Hunter is conjuring up memories of the 1988 Cowboys: Mike Gundy, Hart Lee Dykes and Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders.
Gundy, now the Oklahoma State head coach, was asked about the two sets of “triplets” and quickly pointed out that it was obviously “hard to compare anybody to Barry Sanders.” That even goes for Hunter, who scored 16 touchdowns and led the Big 12 with 1,555 yards rushing last season.
“The quarterback spot, I’m not sure there’s much of a comparison,” Gundy said. “If I could go back and recruit, I’d recruit Zac Robinson, and I wouldn’t recruit Mike Gundy. … His ability to make a play running the football is tremendous. His durability, much bigger and stronger.”
Robinson threw for 3,064 yards and 25 touchdowns last season and already has 51 TDs, four short of Josh Fields’ career record. He needs 1,765 yards this season to surpass Gundy’s passing mark of 7,997 yards.
Still, Robinson was caught off guard by his coach’s comments.
“Did he say that? That’s quite an honor,” Robinson said. “For him to say that really means a lot. It’s fun to see his highlights they show every now and then, and the plays that he made when he was in college, scrambling around and making plays.”
Gundy had three consecutive 2,000-yard passing seasons, even with Thurman Thomas and then Sanders running the ball, and led the Cowboys to back-to-back 10-win seasons and bowl victories.
GET OVER IT: When Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman’s 9-year-old daughter crawled into his lap after the final game last, he expected to hear four little words.
He did, but it wasn’t the “I love you, daddy” he was expecting. Instead, she offered: “Daddy, get over it.”
Sherman was home going over some film after the Aggies had finished the season with a 49-9 loss against Texas. They finished 4-8 in Sherman’s first season, losing the last three games by a combined 98 points.
“She got up off my seat and went back and watched television,” he said. “It was a long weekend. But out of the mouths of babes you get great advice. And you’ve got to move on. You’ve got to get over it.”
