There is one bowl game the Cyclones play in every year no matter what.

The game is on Wednesday nights, near the end of practice, and involves third- and fourthstringers, as well as redshirts.

The Cyclone Bowl gives team members who are farther down on the depth charts a place to showcase their talents and skills.

And it is not just a game for guys that don’t play, because everyone gets involved.

“Everyone in the program has played in the Cyclone Bowl at one time or another,” ISU head coach Dan McCarney said. “We evaluate to see who is the next guy that’s ready to go in case of an injury. But we have a lot of fun during the game.”

The fun includes the players who play in the game, coaches and the first- and second-string players, who really love to cheer on their teammates every Wednesday.

“They get around and yell and scream and hoot and holler,” McCarney said. “We’ve been doing it since I first took the job, and we have a lot of fun with it.”

One of the more promising redshirts who has played well on Wednesdays is 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback Waye Terry.

The junior from California has shown quite a lot during practice and will look to make the most out of his two years of eligibility.

“It’s just like a game for us since we don’t get to go on Saturdays,” Terry said. “I look forward to Wednesdays every week.”

McCarney has also been high on Stevie Hicks, a promising freshman running back. Hicks rushed for 1,818 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior at Creighton Prep High School in Nebraska.

This year, Hicks is the fourth-string running back behind Hiawatha Rutland, Michael Wagner and Brian Thompson. McCarney said Hicks has been giving his defensive units headaches on a regular basis during practice.

While there are no referees and the score isn’t kept during the Cyclone Bowl, it is still an intense game that both sides take pride in.

It’s really competitive and we want to do the best we can,” Terry said. “You get to drive and move the chains. We don’t get to keep score so you have to do good or you don’t get many reps.”

Terry completed over 55 percent of his passes for 2,249 yards and 28 touchdowns last season when he played for Foothills College. He averaged 265.9 yards per game of total offense and had a quarterback rating of 146.6.

Terry also led all California junior college quarterbacks with 410 yards rushing.

The Cyclone Bowl just helps him progress further in his venture to become Iowa State’s starting quarterback.

But it’s not like Terry won’t have intense competition next spring and fall for the starting quarterback position.

Newcomer Austin Flynn and sophomore Cris Love will look to challenge for the spot next season.

While Iowa State is happy to enjoy the immense talents of Seneca Wallace now, McCarney doesn’t see Wallace’s graduation dimming the Cyclones’ bright future in 2003.

“Waye has looked very good, and come this spring there will be great competition for that starting spot,” McCarney said. “Whoever is the starter next year will be a good starting quarterback. He will have a great supporting cast and will do well.”

Flynn threw for 1,633 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2001 as a senior at Deer Park High School. He also ran for 420 yards, averaging 8.6 yards per carry.

This past week, Flynn has been an important factor in Iowa State’s preparations for Texas Tech as he emulated Red Raider quarterback Kliff Kingsbury.

“Cris [Love] has been here a while and knows the system,” Terry said. “Me and Austin [Flynn] are both pretty athletic as well, so it should be a good battle.”