A year ago at this time, Dan McCarney was scrambling to answer a variety of questions about his young receiving corps.

How can you hope to replace the talented tandem of Ed Williams and Ty Watley, two of the most accomplished receivers in Cyclone history?

Did you realize your entire receiving corps has only 21 receiving yards TOTAL?

Would it maybe be better if we just lined up four tailbacks?

In ’99, the questions have changed.

Will sure-handed receivers once again be a sign of your offense?

Will Damien Groce go all-Big 12 again like last year?

How can your freshmen expect to contribute to a unit with so much talent and depth?

What was once the Cyclones’ biggest question mark has become a rock-solid foundation.

“We were fortunate last year in that we didn’t know what we had going in,” receivers coach Nick Quartaro said. “This season, we return every player from our two-deep, and we feel we have real quality depth.”

Groce returns to lead the group in this, his senior season.

“Damien had a super year last year,” Quartaro said, “and other teams gradually became aware of him as the year went on.”

After excelling in the junior college ranks, the 5-10 flanker didn’t miss a beat breaking onto the Division I scene.

In 11 games, Groce snagged 47 receptions for 640 yards and seven touchdowns. The seven-score mark is a record eclipsed only by former Cyclones Watley and Tracy Henderson.

Groce is confident the success will continue this season.

“We have a lot of players with a lot of experience,” Groce said. “We’ve just got to come do our jobs.”

Complementing Groce on the other side of the field is junior split end Chris Anthony.

After failing to make a single catch in 1997, Anthony exploded for 42 in ’98 for a total of 490 yards and a pair of TDs.

“I just go out and play hard,” Anthony said. “I may not catch any passes this year, and I don’t care as long as we win the game.”

In the offseason, Anthony’s hard work paid further dividends when he was named a 1999 Cyclone team captain.

“Nothing’s going to change because of that,” Anthony said. “My teammates elected me captain for what I am, not what they want me to be. I don’t play for numbers or expectations.”

Where Groce takes advantage of outstanding speed, Anthony relies more upon his 6-3 size and excellent hands to excel at his position.

The excitement doesn’t end with Anthony and Groce, however, as junior J.J. Moses is waiting in the wings.

The feisty tailback-turned-flanker has exhibited great agility in the past, as well as a knack for eluding defenders.

“The transition has not been a problem at all,” Quartaro said. “He’s very natural at the position. He had a great spring and an even better fall.”

Despite playing tailback last season, Moses managed to pile up over 150 receiving yards and looks to build on that this season.

Quarterback Sage Rosenfels is one of Moses’ biggest fans.

“J.J. Moses is a big-time playmaker,” Rosenfels said. “Given an opportunity, he’s going to make people go crazy around here with the moves and the speed he has.”

“We feel this is a very talented group,” Quartaro said. “There are six or maybe seven guys that can play winning football for us on this unit.”

Jamaul Montgomery may figure into that seven-player mix as well, though coaches caution against expecting too much from the freshman, particularly with so much talent around him.

“Jamaul is obviously a very gifted athlete, and we’ve been grooming him to play this season,” Quartaro said, “but there’s always a great transition to the college lifestyle.”

Quartaro explained that if they feel he’s come along enough to contribute on such a deep unit, they won’t hold him back.

While the wideout position may have been a question mark in past years, tight end never was. Nothing has changed in ’99.

With junior Andy Stensrud back and healthy, the Cyclone tradition of tough, physical tight ends will continue.

The 6-7, 277-pounder brings NFL-caliber size and hands to the huddle and proved his potential in 1997 with 17 catches for 277 yards and a trio of TDs.

McCarney’s only worry about Stensrud lies in his durability.

“Stens played every game, he contributed and he made some big plays for us,” McCarney said. “But if you’re going to be an outstanding player at this level, you’ve got to do it every week — every play.”

Stensrud also faces a formidable challenge for playing time in the person of Mike Banks, a 6-4, 249 pound sophomore.

“The tight end position is wide open,” McCarney said. “It’ll be a really, really good battle.”