There are quarterback controversies in Austin, Boulder, and Gainsville. However, for the second consecutive season, there is no disputing who will be under the center for the Cyclones when they take on the Bobcats of Ohio University to kick off the 2000 football season on Sept. 2. Once again, senior Sage Rosenfels will be calling the signals for the ISU offense, and he will be doing it with more confidence than ever. After briefly splitting time with backup Derrick Walker last season, Rosenfels clearly emerged as the man fit to run Steve Looney’s offense. His ability to throw and run showed up early and often against Indiana State, UNLV and Iowa in 1999. In the season opener against Indiana State last year, he completed eight of 10 passes for 92 yards and a score. More memorably, he stole the show with a 52-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game from scrimmage. Rosenfels helped to control the tempo and the ball against UNLV, handing off to running back Darren Davis 37 times and throwing for one score. He also ran seven times for 50 yards as Iowa State went on to complete its first shutout of an opponent on the road since 1978. Against the Hawkeyes, Rosenfels completed six of 13 passes for 134 yards. He also threw an 80-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Damien Groce that gave the Cyclones a 14-0 cushion en route to their second win in the intrastate series. Rosenfels earned offensive MVP honors at Missouri for his 8-of-13 passing effort that gained 141 yards. He also was the team’s offensive MVP against Texas, completing on 11 of 20 passes for 291 yards and two touchdowns. The veteran quarterback continued to show improvement as the1999 season carried on, but injuries proved to be the offensive line’s demise, forcing Rosenfels to work with many young and inexperienced linemen. That will not be the case this season, as center Ben Bruns returns along with left guard Ben Beaudet and right tackle Marcel Howard to bring needed experience and “The clearance of Marcel and Ben to play was great news to me,” said Rosenfels, a native of Maquoketa. “They add a lot more depth to the line because if someone goes down any of the guys that stepped in last year can step up this year, only they’ll have more experience and the offense won’t skip a beat.” Rosenfels will be looking to throw even more this year, as he is coming off of a 1999 campaign during which he completed 127 of 235 passes for 1,781 yards and 10 touchdowns. Two of the favorite targets will be returning, including wide receivers Chris Anthony and J.J. Moses. Rosenfels connected with Anthony 37 times for one score and Moses 18 times for two touchdowns. Joining Anthony and Moses will be junior Craig Campbell and redshirt freshman Jamaul Montgomery. The quartet will be appearing in new three- and four-receiver sets designed to open the field for the Cyclone quarterback, who is rated by one NFL sporting combine as the second-best quarterback prospect in the nation behind Purdue’s Drew Brees. In addition to the senior’s passing yards, which were good enough to rank seventh all-time on the ISU single-season list, Rosenfels also rushed for 225 yards and four scores while leading the ‘Clones to victory four times, the most by Iowa State since 1992. Backing up Rosenfels will be redshirt freshmen Gerrin Scott, last year’s scout team offensive MVP. Scott, a native of Denver, already has earned a vote of confidence from Rosenfels due to Scott’s work in the offseason. “Gerrin has improved a lot since last season,” Rosenfels said. “I have a lot of confidence in him, knowing that if I go down he can pick it up.” Also in the lineup as a backup will be junior Brylan Alexander. “The only thing I want us to do is play as good as we know we are,” Rosenfels said. “If we do that, hopefully we’ll be making travel plans come November.”