Sometimes, in order to get to where you want to go, the best way is to go back to square one.

The ISU football team, with its new-look spread attack on offense, is finding out that’s exactly what must be done if the results are to show on the field next fall. Couple that with learning the ways of an entirely new coaching staff, and there’s a lot to be done.

“We’ve got a lot to learn, and we continue to learn about our players. We continue to learn a lot about our football team, and [the players] continue to both learn about us as coaches and to learn from us,” said coach Paul Rhoads. “There’s a lot to learn from a schematics standpoint and from a philosophy standpoint.”

Rhoads and company have used the first few practices, which started last week, during the early days of spring to go back to what makes good football players – fundamentals.

“That’s probably the first half of practice is individual stuff,” said juniorr. right guard Ben Lamaak. “It’s kind of where we can all start off with the young guys who haven’t really been shown all the fundamentals, so the first part of practice is just going back to the basics.”

A Cyclone offense which averaged 386.8 yards per game but finished 11th in the Big 12 in points per game hopes to get a boost from new offensive coordinator Tom Herman and his spread attack. And it is safe to say the players on the offensive side of the football are eager to see how well they can light up the scoreboard.

“With the new offense, we’re just having fun,” said sophomore wide receiver Darius Darks. “I was smiling from ear-to-ear when I got that text message [saying Herman was the new offensive coordinator]. I was real excited, especially playing receiver, and now that we’re learning the offense and getting all these balls thrown to us in practice, I’m even more excited to get the season going.”

Going through yet another coaching change isn’t easyalways the easiest thing either, but it has not deterred the players or Rhoads from bringing pride and hope back into the Cyclone football program.

Rhoads said the biggest keys to running the high-octane attack are speed and taking the small things and making them big.

“We started early as a staff this morning and just worried about Tuesday’s practice,” Rhoads said Monday. “What must we do to make a big leap tomorrow — not just little steps — but I mean we want to make a big leap tomorrow, taking advantage of a bunch of little steps in the process. I think we’re all figuring out what we have to do together, and that’s a lot easier than one man just worrying about it.”

Most of the Big 12 Conference runs a version of the spread offense, from Texas Tech’s 50-plus throws per a game that acts as a supplement to a running game, to Oklahoma and Missouri’s ever-changing pace, — and the Cyclone’s’ new version could give them the opportunity to put points on the board in rapid fashion.

Iowa State has a stable of solid running backs, giveing the team a two-dimensional look and the hopes of keeping opposing defenses on their feet.

“[The offense] is going to be pretty much an even mix of both,” said junior Alexander Robinson, who led the team in rushing last season.

“This offense is wide open, everyone has opportunities, but I definitely think the offense gives each person a chance to stand out.”

The biggest advantage to the new offense might lie in the fact that it is so balanced.

“Some games we might be 70 percent throwing and people will say, ‘Oh, well, you’re a throwing football team,’ “Well, we might turn around the next week and run the ball 60 percent of the time,” said Rhoads said.

Robinson will be joined alongside two power-full powerful backs, who will be making their Cyclone debuts next season in sophomore. Bo Williams and red shirt freshman.

Jeremiah Schwartz. The two possess a more hit-you-in-the-mouth style of running, while Robinson handles the quick feet and agility to elude defendersleave defenders standing dead in their tracks.

“There’s a great competition between [not only] Bo and Alexander but also between Jeremiah,” said Rhoads.

“Jeremiah Schwartz is a load. When he drops his shoulder and you come up to try and tackle him, I mean, you better bring a lunch pail, kitchen sink, and everything else that you got with you because he’s going to deliver it to you.”

Throughout the remaining practices leading up to the Spring Ggame on April 18, the team will work together with the coaches to try to build the relationships needed, as well as perfect the offense one step at a time.