Who's the most improved Cyclone this spring?

AMES – And the award for most improved Cyclone this spring goes to….quarterback Austen Arnaud.

“That needed to happen and should be happening in year two of an offense,” Iowa State Coach Paul Rhoads said Monday in advance of Saturday's 1 p.m. spring football game at Jack Trice Stadium. “He spent so much time in the offseason mastering what we have to do schematically. With that, I perceive a relaxed guy on the field.”

Arnaud is coming off a less-than-spectacular season in which he completed 58.7 percent of his passes for 2,015 yards. He tossed 14 touchdowns to go along with 13 interceptions.

If his performance so far through two weeks of spring practice is any indication, those numbers will be much better.

“He's throwing the ball more accurately, looking defenses off and throwing the other way. He's gotten better since last year,” cornerback Jeremy Reeves said. “He's been doing a lot of great things.”

Rhoads said the senior from Ames was asked to sharpen his physical skills at the position.

Arnaud, who also rushed for 561 yards last season, second-best on the team, is making strides with his footwork and throwing motion.

“His technique and fundamental work had to improve a good bit. He's worked on that,” Rhoads said.

Another veteran also impressing coaches thus far is tailback Alexander Robinson.

The senior-to-be is looking for another big season coming off ISU's first 1,000-yard effort since 2004. With a similar total next year Robinson would be among the top-five rushers in school history.

He is 10

^th

currently with 2,363 career rushing yards.

Robinson will be the Cyclones' primary offensive option starting with the Sept. 2 season opener at Jack Trice Stadium against Northern Illinois.

“His vision is better because he understands the offense better,” Rhoads said. “He's pushing runs where they need to be pushed in the zone system. He's quicker than he was a year ago. I don't' know if he's faster overall but he looks it.”

DINNER AND A MOVIE. Defensively is where ISU needs the most work, having to replace seven starters from a unit that wasn't great to begin with.

Newcomers like linebacker A.J. Klein are doing all they can to prepare themselves, like he and some others did one night last week after practice.

“We all got together as a group after dinner and watched film right away,” said Klein, a redshirt freshman.  “I think we are doing just fine. We are ahead of schedule where we should be. We are putting in new stuff every day. By the time the season comes around we'll be fine.”

ON LINE. Projected starter at right tackle Brayden Burris injured his MCL and will miss this week's practices and game. He will be healed in time for the start of preseason practices, Rhoads said.

Offensive lineman Hayworth Hicks has been reinstated to the team after a semester away, Rhoads said, and will compete for time at guard with starters Alex Alvarez and Scott Haughton, who moved from right tackle to right guard this spring.

MEDICAL WATCH. Backup quarterback Jerome Tiller has worked out with the team every day this spring. Rhoads thought a knee scope last month would keep Tiller out of full-speed drills for the first two weeks of practice.

“He came back a lot quicker than the medical staff thought,” Rhoads said. “That's been good for our football team and good for Jerome.”

Running back Bo Williams, meanwhile, hasn't played a down because of a concussion he sustained during conditioning drills before the start of spring practices.

Williams was elbowed in the head and has had problems with headaches ever since in trying to do physical activity. ISU doctors are considering flying him to Pittsburgh to see specialists there.

“It something that's in the national news right now and our medical staff takes very seriously,” Rhoads said.