QB battle round 2 alive, well at ISU

AMES - Fifteen practices down.

One big decision coming up.

Iowa State's quarterback situation, as expected, remained unsettled after Saturday's spring game/scrimmage before an estimated crowd of 5,000 at Jack Trice Stadium.

The top contenders, Steele Jantz and Jared Barnett, combined for three interceptions (Barnett threw two), but also helped the offense piece together four drives of 13 plays or more in the Cardinal's 13-7 win over the Gold.

“I think we're right where we started off,” said Cyclone coach Paul Rhoads, who saw linebacker A.J. Klein and wide receiver Tad Ecby score the game's lone touchdowns. “I think Jared and Steele are clearly ahead of (redshirt freshman) Sam (Richardson), just because of age and experience. But she's a race. And I' m not going to say Sam's out of it. We'll just continue to groom him because a lot changes when you get to August.”

Take last season.

The quarterback competition was tripartite - with Jantz, Barnett and Jerome Tiller vying for the spot.

Less than two weeks before the 2011 season kickoff, Tiller was ruled academically ineligible.

He's now turning heads as a converted wide receiver, but offered advice to this season's top two.

“Relax,” said Tiller, who caught five passes for 44 yards Saturday, including a nifty jump-ball grab for 22 yards. “Study more. Continue doing what they're doing. Be a student of the game. Things of that nature.”

Both Barnett and Jantz plan to set up their respective base camps in the film room and the weight room this summer.

Jantz led ISU to a 4-0 start least season, but injured his foot in a 24-20 comeback win at Connecticut.

That limited his mobility most of 2011 and helped lead to Barnett starting the final six games.

He's healthy now - and completed 16 of 28 passes for 194 yards and an interception.

“It was good to be healthy,” said the senior, who produced the longest pass play of the game, a 56-yard connection with Josh Lenz. “It was fun. That's one thing about it. Last year it was hard and it was learning. This (spring) it was fun and it went by really fast.”

Barnett, who led the Cyclones to last year's stunning double-overtime win over then-No. 2 Oklahoma State, completed 11 of 21 passes for 67 yards and two interceptions.

One of those errant throws fell into Klein's hands, who rambled 94 yards the other way, dragging running back James White the final steps into the end zone.

“I tried to force a couple throws, which caused the interceptions,” said Barnett, the game's leading rusher with 59 yards on 10 carries. “I was able to use my feet, which was good, but I have to make better decisions.”

Lenz led the receivers with seven catches for 98 yards.

Ecby's touchdown came on a six-yard pass from Richardson, who went 14 of 22 with one interception.

“Just an easy slant,” Richardson said.

Linebacker Jeremiah George and defensive backs Jacques Washington and T.J. Mutcherson also snared interceptions.

No running play spanned more than 15 yards.

“Aggressive, fast, physical,” Rhoads said of his defense. “There was a higher level of intensity out there (Saturday) than I saw a week ago, even though a week ago was still physical.”

Good on the defense.

Tough on the quarterbacks.

Reset and rewind.

“There's a difference in a sense of urgency, even though at every position guys are competing,” Rhoads said. “There's something inside that knows you're not playing until Sept. 1 that affects certain things. ... Timetable, I don't know. When I know we've got a one, I'll tell you.”

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