Cyclone football hungry for more

AMES – What now for Iowa State's football team?

The Cyclones reached the Insight Bowl last year, beat Minnesota 14-13, and finished with their first winning season in four years. The start of spring practice Tuesday kicked off with optimism and expectation from returning players hoping to keep the good times rolling in 2010.

“Since I've been here going to bowl game has always been the thing,” receiver Jake Williams said. “Now that we have done it, we are ready to move on.”

To what?

“A Big 12 Championship would be our next goal,” Williams said.

ISU (7-6, 3-5) exceeded its win total (5) from the previous two seasons and finished fourth in the North Division last season. The schedule takes a nasty turn, with the two-year rotation of South opponents Oklahoma, Texas and Texas Tech, and non-conference home games against bowl teams Northern Illinois and Utah.

A Sept. 11 date at Iowa also looms, along with a home game against Northern Iowa.

The schedule is going to be a bear.

“No doubt,” safety Mike O'Connell said. “Every year it's going to be tough. We know that.”

Workouts this winter have been spirited. And also purposeful.

“Every single time we came out to the indoor (facility) this offseason we were trying to get better and start to build a nucleus for the 2010 team,” said O'Connell, who could be one of a half-dozen new starters on defense. “The bowl game has helped us. Guys are fired up.”

The surest thing ISU has back on offense is tailback Alexander Robinson.

Robinson, a senior, rushed for 1,195 yards last season, helping ISU rank third in the Big 12 in rushing. The Cyclones will pound it on the ground again this year, but hope to be more well-rounded and improve on its 20.5 points per game average.

“We had a good year running the ball, so it probably starts there,” said Ben Lamaak, who is moving over a spot from guard to center. “Passing the ball will help us be that much better.”

ISU returns almost its entire offense – and several skill players with another year of experience under their belt.

“We have the potential to be a lot better than we were last year,” Robinson said.

There's plenty to work on this spring, breaking in host of new defensive starters and a new punter while sharpening the offense and its core principles.

Coach Paul Rhoads has preached daily improvement from the moment he took this job. He's not allowing his players to get complacent after a storybook season under the rookie coach.

“I don't think there's a single guy that's satisfied with being 7-6 and winning a bowl game,” O'Connell said. “We have high expectations.”