Frustrated Richardson, Cyclones looking for positives

AMES - As frustrating as it was for Sam Richardson when the decision was made, it didn't get any easier on game day.

The ISU junior quarterback and coaching staff determined Thursday, just two days before the Cyclones took on Kansas, he would not be starting and sophomore Grant Rohach would get the nod. Richardson suffered AC joint separation in his shoulder near the end of Iowa State's game against Oklahoma, forcing him to miss his first game of the season after eight straight starts.

'You feel hopeless, honestly, there on the sidelines,” Richardson said. 'I can honestly say I did everything to go out there and play. We just came to the conclusion it was better for Grant to get an opportunity than for me to try to do that.”

Richardson had been trying throughout the week to get ready to make his ninth start of the season against the Jayhawks, but lacked the velocity on his throws. It was that part of his game that forced the hand of the coaching staff to sit Richardson and get rehabilitation for his shoulder, which consisted of lots of rest and icing.

Coach Paul Rhoads walked down to the treatment room every morning to check on Richardson and was able to tell by the look in Richardson's eyes and his body language that he was responding to the treatment and improving.

Rhoads said Richardson will not throw in practice until Sunday to ensure as much recovery as possible.

'The medical staff, they're confident he's going to be full speed, velocity with his ball on Sunday,” Rhoads said. 'We're doing some motion things with him and tossing balls, but he's not doing anything team-wise.”

Following Iowa State's previous two bye weeks this season, the Cyclones have lost the next game by 21 points or more. Now going through the third and final bye of the season, the staff has analyzed each aspect of the practices in an effort to prevent such a lopsided loss to their next opponent - Texas Tech.

With Iowa State's loss to Kansas last week, a bowl game is out of reach with the Cyclones sitting 2-7. Rhoads said that might change his team's mentality into finding a positive out of the situation.

'As silly as it sounds, there might be pressure off their backs and not worrying about that and they're just worrying about playing football and worrying about Wednesday and worrying about the next game,” Rhoads said.

And for Richardson, he is just itching at his next opportunity to get on the field and right the wrongs of his performance in the loss to Oklahoma, as well as missing the game against Kansas.

'Missing that last one and trying to make up for that Oklahoma game, obviously you want to get out there and play a good game and give those guys a reason to continue to want to play,” Richardson said.

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