The ISU football team’s spring practice is winding down this week, with just two practices remaining before the annual spring game.

Coach Dan McCarney said at his press conference Tuesday that he has been pleased with the results of the spring workouts, although the Cyclones are a little “banged up” coming down the stretch.

“I’ve been really impressed with the effort and the intensity and the competition that these guys have shown me this spring,” McCarney said.

“We’ve had some injuries and a few guys get banged up, but I’ve been really pleased with the progress we’ve made.

“This team wants to win and wants to continue the tradition of success, postseason play and challenging for championships.”

Iowa State has been battling a rash of injuries throughout the spring, leaving some units a patchwork collection of first and second teamers.

On the offensive side of the ball, lineman Scott Stephenson, receivers Ryan Baum and Milan Moses, tight end Eric Schultz and running back Jason Scales are still rehabilitating from injuries sustained last season and will not play in the spring game.

There’s more of the same on the defensive side of the ball, with lineman John Machado and defensive back Joe Conklin continuing to recover, but it’s been the spring-practice injuries that have been particularly frustrating.

Wide receiver Jon Davis is out with a ruptured Achilles tendon and offensive lineman Seth Zehr suffered a broken hand during spring drills.

“We’ve had a few more [injuries] this spring than normal,” McCarney said. “We had some freak things, with Zehr breaking his hand in a one-on-one drill and Davis tearing his Achilles in a non-contact drill, so it can get a little frustrating.”

Senior offensive lineman Scott Fisher said without everyone at full strength, it makes things difficult.

“Injuries suck because overall, you take a couple steps back, because you’re not in there practicing and you’re not 100 percent,” Fisher said.

“It does have an effect on the team because you have to pull in your second and third teamers. And then one of those guys gets hurt and it just puts a lot of stress on your team.

McCarney agreed with Fisher and said it’s tough to get a feel for the team when there are a lot of injuries.

“Any time you have guys out of the lineup or have a few guys missing, that always makes you nervous because you don’t get a real test or evaluation,” McCarney said. “It’s hard to be real accurate on your assessment when you have a lot of the most important pieces not even there.”

McCarney said wide receiver Todd Blythe and defensive end Nick Frere are both questionable for the spring game.

Blythe, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament last February, sustained a bruised knee in practice this week and likely won’t play in the spring game.

“It’s not the knee that he had surgery on, fortunately,” McCarney said.

“We’re not going to run him out there if he’s not 100 percent. I don’t need to put him out there to see if he can play football in the Big 12.”

The spring game will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium. The game will be played with the first and fourth strings playing the second and third strings.

Tight ends and special teams coach Brian Schneider will coach the first- and second-string team, and linebackers coach Shawn Simms will take the third- and fourth-string team.