One of the smartest players on Coach Dan McCarney’s 1998 football squad is his quarterback, Todd Bandhauer. In truth, Todd is one of the smartest students at Iowa State University.

A 1997 First-team Academic All-Big 12 Honoree and Big 12 Conference Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll recipient, Todd is a heady individual, both on and off the field.

It is Bandhauer’s rare bland of aggressive athleticism and superior intelligence that makes the quarterback position one of the strong points on the Cyclone roster this season.

Todd works hard and takes the successes and failures of his team very much to heart. In fact, teammates and coaches alike credit Bandhauer with taking too much of the blame in most cases. He doesn’t deny the charges.

“‘No excuses’ is kind of my motto.”

McCarney isn’t worried about his quarterback’s commitment this season.

“No one is tougher on Bandhauer than Bandy, himself,” McCarney said. “He is so coachable. I really think he’ll improve and have a great senior year.”

In 1995, as a true freshman, Bandy filled in effectively when starter Todd Doxzon went down with a mid-season injury. In his first start, against Oklahoma State, Bandhauer completed 11-of-18 passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns in leading the Cyclones to a 38-14 victory. He went on to put respectable numbers against nationally ranked opponents, Nebraska (#1) and Kansas State (#7).

In 1996, Todd was on his way to a redshirt season when an injury to starter Doxzon forced him into a game. He ended the year with only seven pass attempts and only two more years of eligibility.

Last year, Bandhauer really began to shine.

In eleven games, Bandy completed 180 passes for 2,514 yards (second in Iowa State history and first in the Big 12). He averaged 228.6 yards per game and threw 20 touchdown passes (a school record), with only nine interceptions.

Todd also set a school record by attempting 140 straight passes without an INT.

Against the University of Iowa, Bandhauer hit on 26 of a school record 51 pass attempts for 375 yards and three TDs (the second biggest passing day in school history).

Against the Golden Gophers, he managed 295 yards and found the endzone three times.

In all, Todd piled up over 200 yards on seven occasions and over 250 yards on five.

Despite some great offensive numbers, though, Todd did seem to have one problem last year.

In eleven games, Bandhauer was sacked 46 times for nearly 350 yards in losses. Todd will have to improve those numbers this year, because with a line that lost four senior starters, they won’t fix themselves.

Despite this occasional inability to get rid of the ball, Bandy was a big plus for the team last year and will continue to be this season.

Bandhauer’s backup is also a capable performer. Sage Rosenfels, a redshirt sophomore out of Maquoketa, saw limited action last season in a backup role and will be ready to step in this year if Bandy goes down.

Sage was 1996’s Scout Team Player of the Year and has shown steady improvement, according to McCarney.

In high school, Rosenfels was considered one of the top quarterbacks in the nation by Street and Smith’s. He completed 76-of-148 passes for 1122 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Behind Bandhauer and Rosenfels are redshirt freshman Ben Rahmundt of Des Moines and true freshman Ben Dougherty of Elma, Washington. Dougherty, who piled up 3396 yards and 42 touchdowns last season as a senior, was the Associate Press Washington State Class 2-A Player of the Year.