Cyclone Preview: Rhoads, Tuberville on same field again

AMES - Paul Rhoads didn't expect to get another shot at coaching alongside Tommy Tuberville at Auburn.

Six years after declining Tuberville's offer to become his defensive coordinator, Rhoads left the same job at Pittsburgh for the Southeastern Conference, with an eye toward setting himself up for the future.

“After eight years (at Pitt) I thought I was becoming stale and I needed to move if I was going to be a head coach,” Rhoads said.

He spent only one season with Tuberville at Auburn before being let go with the rest of the staff - and essentially traded places with then-Iowa State coach Gene Chizik, who stunningly was hired to replace Tuberville after two bad years in Ames.

Tuberville has landed at Texas Tech and will make his first trip to Jack Trice Stadium tonight when his team faces Rhoads' Cyclones.

It's the second straight reunion game for Tuberville, who two weeks ago faced Texas' Will Muschamp, who preceded Rhoads with the Tigers.

Tuberville tried to pry Rhoads away from Pitt in 2002, but Rhoads decided it wasn't the right time.

“I saw him one time at the national convention and I said hi to him,” Rhoads said. “He turned around and said, ‘You broke my heart' and kept on walking. I didn't think there was ever going to be another opportunity.”

There was and, this time, Rhoads jumped at the chance.

But things didn't work out quite as planned. The Tigers, SEC West division favorites to start the year, finished a disappointing 5-7 and had plenty of drama along the way.

“It was a strenuous year,” Rhoads said.

Auburn's offensive coordinator was fired during the season - in the middle of game week no less - and winds of change were blowing in Tuberville's direction, too, after 10 seasons.

“As things started to unravel with the staff, you could smell it in the air,” Rhoads said.

Tuberville left with the fourth-most victories (85) in school history, coaching the Tigers to seven straight bowl games during one stretch.

Rhoads was hotly pursued by ISU when Chizik left.

After a year away from coaching, Tuberville landed on his feet in Lubbock, Texas, and has gotten away from the fanatical and obsessive culture of SEC football.

“To those people it is much more than (football) ... too much more than that,” Rhoads said.

Tuberville was a great boss, Rhoads said, and remains a friend to the ISU coach.

“Tommy and I have a great relationship,” he said. “I saw him in May at a coach's event. It was like we just left Auburn the week before. He is a real easy person to get along with and there is good reason he has had the success in this business that he has.”

Rhoads joked that the laid back coach probably was out hunting this week.

“Tommy's heart rate might be 48 beats a minute,” he said. “There is nobody that is more relaxed or cooler than he is.”

Game Guide

• Teams: Iowa State (2-2, 0-1) vs. Texas Tech (2-1, 0-1)
• Where: Jack Trice Stadium (55,000), Ames
• When: 6 tonight
• Kickoff forecast: Clear and 55
• TV: Fox College Sports
• Radio: KGYM-AM (1600)
• Spread: Texas Tech by 7
• Series: Tech leads, 7-1
• Coaches: Paul Rhoads is 9-8 in his second season as a head coach, all at Iowa State. Tommy Tuberville is in his first year at Tech, but is 112-81 in 15 years as head coach.

When Iowa State has the ball

Regardless if it is Austen Arnaud or Jerome Tiller at quarterback, more is needed from the position.

Arnaud started hot, but has cooled off considerably. Tiller managed the game well last week against Northern Iowa and didn't turn the ball over, but also didn't do anything spectacular. If Arnaud is healthy expect him to start, though a rotation could also be in the works.

ISU's offense is averaging just 20.2 points a game, below what players and coaches believe is necessary to win in the Big 12. A big game from Alexander Robinson would be a good thing. He's failed to gain 100 yards in a game this season, though Coach Paul Rhoads said this week Robinson had maybe his best game of the year against UNI.

Opponents have been able to move the ball on Texas Tech, averaging 360.0 yards a game. Its secondary has done well in the turnover department with eight interceptions through three games, two off its total from all of last year.

Red-shirt freshman Jarvis Phillips has had a pick in every game, including two against Texas, and leads the country with four interceptions. Also leading the nation is defensive end Brian Duncan, who has five sacks and has been a hugely disruptive force for opposing offenses.

Advantage: Even

When Texas Tech has the ball

Mike Leach may be gone but his spread 'em out, fast break offense lives on with the Red Raiders, for now. The coaching change hasn't brought about drastic changes in the offense, primarily because of the makeup of the roster.

This year's edition hasn't put up the numbers people are used to seeing, though the averages are somewhat skewed by a poor showing in a loss to Texas. Quarterback Taylor Potts has completed 63 percent of his throws and is a dangerous passer. His favorite target has been Lyle Leong, who leads the team with 20 catches for 251 yards and six touchdowns. The Red Raiders are last in the Big 12 in rushing at 70 yards a game, so expect Iowa State to assume pass first and react to the run as best it can.

ISU will play five defensive backs at all times and sometimes will have six on the field alongside linebackers Jake Knott, A.J. Klein and three down linemen. Newcomer Anthony Young got his most extensive playing time of the season last week and made nine tackles. He'll figure into the rotation at corner and nickel this week, and defensive coordinator Wally Burnham will continue rolling his three safeties (David Sims, Mike O'Connell and Zac Sandvig) in and out.

Advantage: Texas Tech

Special teams

A bright spot for ISU has been the kicking of Grant Mahoney. The junior has made his last six field-goal attempts since missing his first of the season, and has looked cool and confident doing it.

Tech has a pair of kickers handling field goal and kickoff duties. Neither has had much chance at field goals, but Donnie Carona has had eight of his 18 kickoffs go for touchbacks. Punter Jonathan LaCour is third in the Big 12 with a 45.3-yard average.

The Red Raiders also have one of the top return men in the conference in Eric Stephens. Stephens set the school's season kickoff return yardage record last year as a freshman and with a big night could move into first place all-time at Tech (1,299 yards).

Advantage: Texas Tech

Scoreboard

Iowa State's defense showed it had bounce-back ability with last week's shutout win over Northern Iowa. It won't happen again this week against the Red Raiders, who have always given ISU fits with the offense they run.

The Cyclones are 1-7 all-time against Tech, which boasts six straight wins over North Division teams. Considering the problems Tech presents defensively and the uncertainty at quarterback with the Cyclones ... it doesn't look good for the home team.

Texas Tech 34, Iowa State 20