Cyclones prepare for the Insight Bowl

Wally Burnham has spent the better part of two weeks in the video room studying Minnesota and the challenges it presents for his Iowa State defense.

The on-field game planning for the Dec. 31 Insight Bowl begins today for the Cyclones as they return to practice with final exam week coming to a close. ISU practices today, Saturday, Sunday and Monday before players are free to travel home for Christmas.

The team is scheduled to leave Dec. 26 for Tempe, Ariz.

Practices before today were spent knocking off the rust and getting used to playing football again. ISU's finished the regular season Nov. 21.

“We've been working on Iowa State and getting us better,” said Burnham, ISU's defensive coordinator. “We have not worked one play on Minnesota.”

ISU players have done weight lifting and conditioning work the past four days. They and the position coaches who have been out on the road recruiting since the bowl announcement will jump right into game-plan mode.

“We've been working for two weeks,” Burnham said. “Now we've got to catch the other coaches up to speed. I've got it figured out what we are going to do, but we'll talk about some special things that we haven't done this year that we may be able to add. I think we'll have a real good game plan.”

Players have done some scouting on their own time.

Quarterback Austen Arnaud is pretty well up to speed on the Golden Gopher defense.

“They are your typical Big Ten team,” Arnaud said. “They are physical. They are coached well ... all the things you see every Saturday in the Big Ten and Big 12.”

Burnham sees an offense that desperately misses top receiver Eric Decker, who missed the final four games with a sprained left foot. Decker, who was second in the Big Ten in receiving at the time, is not expected to play in the Insight Bowl.

Minnesota's offense was never the same without him. The Gophers averaged just 16 points a game in November and didn't score an offensive touchdown in their final two games.

“They've moved the ball and at inopportune times they'd drop a pass or the quarterback would overthrow a receiver,” Burnham said. “They haven't been consistent making plays when they need to.”

ISU will play five defensive backs a lot of the time. Having cornerback Ter'ran Benton back from injury will give the Cyclones' 99th-ranked defense a boost. Minnesota is going to put the ball in the air.

“It's not three yards and a cloud of dust anymore,” Burnham said. “When they have to have yardage they are going to line up in their three wides.”