The ISU running game has used several running backs this season with mixed results, and on Saturday, J.J. Bass saw some significant action for the first time this season.

Bass, who started three games last season, has not seen much playing time since he came back from a summer-long team suspension.

“J.J. was a very physical runner last year. He got hurt in the Toledo game and ever since he hurt his shoulder he wasn’t really the same player,” said offensive coordinator Robert McFarland. “He’s been healthy and hopefully he stays that way.

“He’s really back in the swing of things and I think he’s playing his best football right now.”

The first half of Iowa State’s game against UNLV was atrocious. With the Cyclones only managing 38 total yards, the ISU coaching staff decided to give Bass a chance.

“He came in and had a couple of good carries and that definitely helped us out and gave us some confidence. Being able to move the ball on the ground was a good thing in the second half,” said quarterback Austen Arnaud.

After starter Alexander Robinson mustered just 12 yards on nine carries, Bass came in and pounded out 43 yards on 10 carries.

“The one thing that J.J. did that the other guys are not right now is J.J. did express his runs. The problem we have right now is just that he doesn’t do everything right. He doesn’t do a lot of things right and that can tend to hurt you down the road,” said running back coach Jay Boulware.

Bass was second on the team in rushing last season with 462 yards. The majority of those yards were in the first four games of last season though, because Bass was injured in Iowa State’s loss to Toledo.

While Bass recovered from his injury, he was replaced by Robinson and Jason Scales, and he hasn’t been able to play his way back in to the starting lineup.

Now the tables have turned as Robinson and Scales have struggled to find holes in the four non-conference games.

“He went in there the other day, and got some [playing time] and played his butt off. He ran real hard and he tried to make plays when things weren’t there, and that’s what the other guys aren’t doing right now,” Boulware said.

It’s still unclear as to who will start the Big 12 opener, but Bass has certainly played his way into the mix.

“Everything goes off production and what you do. I thought J.J. ran physical and deserves more playing time and obviously that will happen,” McFarland said.

For the Cyclones to beat the Jayhawks next Saturday, it doesn’t really matter who is running the ball, just that he is controlling the clock and keeping the ball out of Todd Reesing’s hands.

“We got to make somebody miss. We’re not doing that. We’re going down on first contact. We’re not getting what we call Cyclone yards, which is yards after contact. I told our guys, we’re not expressing our runs. They’re going in there, hitting the holes and getting tackled,” Boulware said.