ISU notebook: Nealy to the house, an iffy call, Coe impresses

By Rob Gray

Correspondent

AMES - How many would-be tacklers were there?

Three? Maybe four?

All of that drew a shrug from Iowa State backup tailback DeVondrick Nealy, who made short work of at least three defenders while speeding 98 yards on an historic kickoff return for touchdown in Saturday's otherwise dispiriting 21-17 loss to TCU at Jack Trice Stadium.

Nealy's return - which made the score 14-14 to start the second half - coupled with a 95-yarder from Jarvis West against Texas Tech, marked the first time since 1963 the Cyclones have returned two kicks for touchdown in a season.

“Wasn't even close,” said Nealy, who has scored a touchdown in four straight games, including one that made ESPN SportsCenter's top 10 plays two weeks ago. “I could have broke the first (kickoff return), but they grabbed my legs pretty good the first time. The second time, they were probably going to do the same thing, because I was shooting out of there so fast. … So I just knew I had to keep my high knees. Pick them up, put them down.”

The hard run prompted quarterback Grant Rohach to predict another ESPN appearance for Nealy.

“If that's not top 10 on SportsCenter, I don't know what is,” Rohach said.

Nealy smiled when asked if he'd get a “top plays” encore.

“It would be pretty awesome,” he said. “Just from what I've been through so long. Going through not really seeing the field much, not getting my chance and my opportunity to show them I'm a playmaker, so it's pretty (cool).”

 CONFUSING STRIPES: A play during TCU's second touchdown drive drew ISU coach Paul Rhoads' - and the fans' - ire. Cyclone cornerback Nigel Tribune jostled down the sideline with TCU receiver Brandon Carter, who stepped out of bounds, but then caught a 33-yard pass. Officials ruled Carter had been forced out. A review ensued. Carter's catch stood, and the Horned Frogs scored one play later to go up 14-7. “Our people up in the booth didn't think he was pushed out,” Rhoads said. “They thought (Carter) went out on his own, which would have made for an illegal reception.”

Here's what official Randy Christal had to say to a pool reporter after the game: “The ruling on the field was the potential receiver was forced out of bounds. He is airborne and catches the ball in-bounds. While he is airborne that is still a catch, he just can't catch it out of bounds. Very few people know that. Everyone thinks he has to re-establish, he does not have to re-establish. When he is forced out, and he is off the ground and he is catching, that is a catch. The ruling was he was forced out of bounds.”

 COE'S WORLD: Junior college transfer defensive tackle Rodney Coe knocked down a pass and recorded 1.5 tackles for loss Saturday. Was it his best game? “Yes, without a doubt,” said linebacker Jeremiah George, who led ISU with nine tackles. “He had tackles for loss, he was shedding blockers. He played very good football.”