Spring scrimmages are supposed to shed some light on what can be expected for a football team during the following fall season.

If this is the case, it could be another long season for the 1998 Iowa State Cyclones. ISU continued to put up big numbers as the Cardinal team trounced the Gold 30-0 on the strength of quarterback Todd Bandhauer and a solid defense. Like last fall, the team struggled to move the ball on the ground.

Coach Dan McCarney said, “We have made a tremendous amount of improvement, and we are getting better, even though we are not where we have to be yet.”

Bandhauer, who led the Big 12 conference last year in passing as a junior with 2,514 yards and 20 touchdowns, showed pin-point accuracy, connecting on 14 of his 20 attempts for 221 yards and two touchdowns.

“I made a couple of mistakes, but I did what I had to do,” he said. “Overall, I was pleased with today’s game.”

Bandhauer’s main target was walk-on Chris Anthony. The sophomore from Bettendorf snagged five catches for 132 yards including a 61-yard score on just the fourth play from scrimmage.

“Todd is a great quarterback, and he will put it on you every time,” Anthony said. “I really didn’t expect this as a walk-on, God has really blessed me, and I’m just trying to make the best of this opportunity.”

The Cyclones lost their top five receivers from last season’s team to graduation. Anthony, Michael Brantley and Kevin Wilson are currently atop the depth chart. Wilson, who has switched to offense from defensive back, missed the scrimmage due to an ankle injury. Meanwhile, Brantley had two catches for 28 yards and a touchdown just before halftime.

The trio will have to battle four junior-college transfers next fall for playing time.

“It will be a lot tougher when those guys get here,” Anthony said. “They will be bringing a lot of experience to this team.”

“From what I understand, they have a lot of speed, and if they are better than us they should play, whatever is best for the team,” he said.

The Cyclones were also without offensive linemen Ben Bruns, Marc Cortez and Charlie Bogwill, as well as fullback Joe Parmentier and tight end Andy Stensrud. These men either started or saw considerable playing time with last year’s squad.

The only returning starter on the offensive line that played Saturday was center Ben Beaudet.

“The line was not sustaining their blocks, we certainly have to continue to improve in that area,” McCarney said. “We have a good solid offensive line once we can get everybody together.”

“Our running game has a lot to be desired. We just have to keep giving Darren [Davis] the ball; we all have a lot of faith in his ability,” he said.

Davis only managed 57 yards on 21 attempts. In the first half, he had a paltry 26 yards on 15 carries. He had just two runs for 10 yards or more, with his longest being 18.

“I really can’t tell you what was wrong out there, but it seemed as though sometimes the guys were trying very hard,” Davis said. “The guys have stepped up on both sides of the ball, and that’s what we have to do to turn this team around.”

The defenses for both the Cardinal and the Gold played well, especially the Cardinal.

The Gold offense managed only 65 yards while getting shut out. In the first quarter, Doug Densmore recovered a fumble that was forced by Dawan Anderson and raced 38 yards for a touchdown for the Cardinal. Anderson also had an interception.

Linebackers Jesse Beckom and David Brcka led the way for the Cardinal. Beckom had 10 tackles, while Brcka had six stops.

“We need to continue to grow as a defense,” Brcka said. “We’ve made progress, and we have a lot of people around the ball. We need all 11 guys swarming to the ball.”

For the Gold defensive backs, Nick Hein and Jeff Waters each had seven stops. Jake Hanson had three tackles for loss while Mike Jackson and Chin Achebe combined for three sacks.

“I really like the way the defense has improved,” McCarney said. “In order to have success, you have to have a good defense and we’re getting closer.

ISU will be bringing in 24 new players next year, 14 on offense and 10 on defense. Sixteen of those athletes will be stepping into the Division I competition for junior college play.