In search of growth and humility, Iowa State football head coach Matt Campbell plans to take full advantage of Saturday’s Spring Game to see where his team is at in the offseason.
The Cyclones will hold a game at Jack Trice Stadium which will be open to the public. While fans will get an opportunity to see the team play for the first time since the Liberty Bowl in December, Campbell is interested to see how the new coaching staff and players have grown since the start of the spring season.
Newly appointed offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser headlines a list of coaching shifts for the Cyclone offense, and Campbell is looking forward to gauging how the offense has progressed.
“We’re not going to waste away an opportunity to have a great crowd, waste away an opportunity to evaluate our football team,” Campbell said.
Although this will be the fans’ first look at next year’s Cyclones in a live game, the team is not far removed from playing at Jack Trice Stadium.
Iowa State held a closed scrimmage April 13, which saw hopeful performances on both sides of the ball.
“It was unbelievable,” Campbell said. “Offense started out great. Defense had to respond, they respond back, play really great in the second half of the scrimmage. And then you know you have to have a drive at the end of it to win it.”
While this offseason offers a sense of growth for the Cyclones after an overachieving season, Campbell has still placed an emphasis on putting his players in challenging situations in practice.
Not only does that fuel the competition aspect, but also allows Campbell and his staff to evaluate the areas in which more attention is needed.
“The only way to know what your gaps are and know where you need to continue to work to put yourself forward is to go through really hard things,” Campbell said.
Outside of linebacker Carson Willich, who sustained an ACL injury that will sideline him the whole season, Campbell did not disclose any other player that would miss Saturday’s action.
Just like with any Spring Game, this will be the first time fans see incoming recruiting and transfers in action with the Cyclones. Most notably, Army transfer Isaiah Alston is set to make his debut in front of Iowa State fans and offers immense potential at the wide receiver position.
With all the excitement that comes with the new guys hitting the field for the first time, Campbell is focused on making the most of this opportunity and continuing to prepare his team for next season.
“I think the biggest thing is to watch our football team continue to grow,” Campbell said.
The Iowa State Spring Game will start at 11 a.m. Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium and is open to the public. Doors will open at 10 a.m.
