It didn’t take long to see the difference in the Cyclone defense at the spring game Saturday.

Iowa State’s top defensive unit made big plays all day to help the Gold team come away with a convincing, 34-16, win.

Big plays were a concern last season for the defensive unit and coach Paul Rhoads and his staff focused the spring practices toward fundamental tackling and improving speed.

“Against these offenses — which we’re going to see a lot in this league — you’re going to give up some 15-, 18-, 23-yard gains,” Rhoads said. “But you’re going to line up again and force a turnover, force a three and out, force a field goal. And you go from giving up 36 points a game to 20.

“You go from crawling, to walking, to running. We’re not running yet, but I think we’re up on two feet.”

Speed was much improved on Saturday, especially from side to side, which is a good sign this early on because of the type of offensive attacks the team will see next season in the Big 12.

Up front, the defensive line created numerous opportunities to disrupt the flow of the number one offense and quarterback Austen Arnaud. Redshirt freshman Roosevelt Maggitt created the most problems for the Cardinal offense, sacking Arnaud once and accounting for two tackles for loss.

The defensive backfield was just as sharp for most of the game, jumping several routes and bringing a variety of coverage to the table. Overall the Gold defense intercepted Arnaud twice, with senior Jesse Smith taking one back 39 yards untouched for the score.

The Cardinal defense was not completely outplayed. The second team defense intercepted redshirt freshman Jerome Tiller once to go along with a Josh Raven sack.

Rhoads thought the performance by his defense as a whole was about where he thought it would be at this time of the year.

“I saw a group that played together, and that’s how they have to play. And they know that’s how they have to play,” Rhoads said. “We don’t have erasers. And by erasers I mean a couple kids can screw up and somebody else on the field shows up and erases the play.”

Flying to the ball while taking the correct angles and form to tackle is the key to slowing down a spread offense, and Rhoads knows more work needs to be done, but liked what he saw.

“Overall, I think the defense did an average job of tackling and coming from where we were. I’m pleased with that, but we’ve got to climb above average if we’re going to be a type of football team that’s going to compete week in and week out for victories.”

Points are plentiful in the Big 12, so limiting teams to field goals can make or break an entire game. Saturday, the Gold defense virtually kept the Cardinal offense at bay, allowing only three field goals on three trips inside the 30-yard line for the starting offense during the first three quarters.

It was only in the final three minutes of the game that the starting defense allowed a one-yard touchdown pass by Arnaud, the only touchdown scored by the starting offense.

The leading tackler between both defenses was no surprise at all. Safety James Smith, who led the team in tackles last season with 85, registered nine, while cornerback Kennard Banks totaled eight, all solo.