Motivation there for ISU to break losing streak to FCS opponents

AMES - Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads didn't have to think hard about how to be a motivator this offseason.

Witnessing two-straight losses to FCS opponents at Jack Trice Stadium was hard for everyone in the program to swallow, and Rhoads could see it on the faces of his players. But what he also sees is how those losses shaped his team for this season opener.

'We could have lost the last 15 openers and I could stand up here on a podium and pound my fist,” Rhoads said at his game-week news conference. 'These guys have to be motivated and they've got to be motivated to play and there's no question that they are.”

Losses to UNI in 2013 and North Dakota State in 2014 served as microcosms for the entire season. And nobody is hoping to change that more than the starting signal caller.

Red-shirt senior quarterback Sam Richardson saw the other side of the coin during his first and second years in Ames when Iowa State went to two bowl games and seniors set the examples. Now it's his turn.

'We underperformed (the last two) seasons, but just knowing what a successful season is like and having that chip is there for us,” Richardson said. 'I think we're ready to go out and do what we can with the season we've got.”

Save for a déjà-vu-like season-ending injury to backup center Patrick Scoggins and a torn ACL from reserve tight end Cole Anderson, Iowa State has stayed consistent in personnel throughout fall camp.

Minimal changes were made to the depth chart from the start of fall camp to game week, but the slot at backup quarterback is now a toss up between junior Grant Rohach and sophomore Joel Lanning. Both players took substantial reps with the second team in fall camp.

'We feel confident in both Joel and Grant and what they bring to our football program,” Rhoads said. 'I don't feel necessary to name who that guy is. We've got two guys that are very capable and have done a great job on the practice field.”

Since the sudden departure of junior defensive tackle Devlyn Cousin last Thursday, there have been no major changes to the defensive line. Junior Pierre Aka still holds the starting spot while Robby Garcia and Terry Ayeni moved up behind him.

Junior Demond Tucker is still atop the chart at nose guard while late-addition Jhaustin Thomas cracked the four-deep at left defensive end. The defensive line is deeper than in recent memory and Rhoads expects the group to rotate regularly.

'I don't know if we've singled out any guy that we expect to play more than 40 snaps along the front,” Rhoads said. 'If you can keep the numbers at that or below I think you've got a chance of playing hard the first snap and playing hard the last snap.”

True freshman running back Joshua Thomas moved to No. 3 on the depth chart while sophomore Trever Ryen switched positions from wide receiver to running back to give the inexperienced group more depth.

Along with sophomore Allen Lazard, Ryen is slotted as a possible starting punt returner. D'Vario Montgomery, Ryen, Jomal Wiltz and Orion Salters are all listed as kickoff returners as well.

Lazard returned punts as a prep at Urbandale and said he's not concerned about the possibility of returning punts in addition to his responsibility as a starting receiver.

'It gets the offense going, it gets the sideline going and it gets the crowd into it,” Lazard said. 'It's just a big game-changer if you get a good return.”

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