Iowa State hope to cure road woes
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Iowa State hope to cure road woes
September 16, 2008
The last time the ISU football team won a road game, gasoline was hovering around $2.50, the country was recovering from Hurricane Katrina and Lindsay Lohan was still America’s sweetheart.
On Oct. 29, 2005, the Cyclones traveled to Kyle Field and embarrassed the Texas A&M Aggies 42-14 in front of 86,172 fans, one of whom was former President George H.W. Bush.
Since that game, the Cyclones have lost their last 12 road games.
“It’s going to be like any other trip that we take when we’re on the road. Basically, it’s just another business trip,” said safety Brandon Hunley. “We want to go out and try to take care of business just like any other game.”
In the last seven years, Iowa State is 3-4 in games following the Iowa game, including losses to Northern Illinois and Toledo.
“Obviously, we’re all very disappointed that we lost Saturday; but like I told the team, don’t let this game beat you twice,” said coach Gene Chizik.
Saturday night’s game against UNLV will be no easy task. The Runnin’ Rebels are fresh off of a defeat of then-No. 15 Arizona State.
“Saturday night we were over [the Iowa loss]. We started a new day [Sunday]; started scheming and things like that and focusing on a very good UNLV team,” said linebacker Derec Schmidgall.
It’s going to be tough to recreate the same amount of enthusiasm for the game against UNLV, but the players are saying all the right things.
“We got to move on. We’ve got an even bigger game this week. I mean it’s a lot bigger now,” said quarterback Phillip Bates.
The Cyclones have traveled to Las Vegas once before, in 1999, and they defeated UNLV 24-0 in that contest.
Sam Boyd Stadium won’t be the most intimidating stadium that the Cyclones will play in, as it only seats 36,800. Even though UNLV’s stadium holds half the number of Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium, it will still be loud when the Cyclone offense is on the field, players say.
“You just have to focus harder on the road. Sometimes you may not hear certain things like checks at the line,” said running back Alexander Robinson.
One thing that will help the Cyclones offense on the road this season is their no-huddle offense that has been implemented. The no-huddle offense allows for more time to audible plays at the line of scrimmage.
If Iowa State wants to avoid going 0-for-their-last-13 road games, they must put the Iowa game behind them and focus on an upstart UNLV team.
“We have to win a road game, there’s no if, ands or buts about it,” Bates said.