Without Arnaud, ISU looks ahead to Missouri

AMES - “Win and we are in.”

That was Coach Paul Rhoads' message to his Iowa State football players last night as they head into Saturday's regular-season finale against No. 15-ranked Missouri at Jack Trice Stadium needing a victory to achieve bowl eligibility for a second straight season.

“It's down to the last game and the result of it determines whether or not we get to keep playing and practicing,” Rhoads said. “We have to pour everything we have into this one.”

Saturday's ugly 34-14 loss at Colorado left the Cyclones (5-6, 3-4 Big 12) hurting - emotionally and physically.

Starting quarterback Austen Arnaud was injured and lost for the season after his left knee was twisted up on a fourth-quarter run.

The senior, a three-year starter for his hometown school, is scheduled to have an MRI this afternoon. Team doctors are thinking there's damage to both the ACL and MCL, which means a months-long rehabilitation period for Arnaud.

“They are pretty confident with what they are going to find,” Rhoads said. “He's heartbroke, plus he's in pain. He's not doing real good.”

And so, the game against the Tigers (8-2, 4-2) is the start of the post-Arnaud era.

Backup Jerome Tiller will start in place of the school's second all-time leader in passing yards (6,777), touchdowns (42), completions (616) and total offense (8,044).

Tiller has a career 1-1 mark as a starter, last year beating Nebraska and the following week losing to Texas A&M.

He's played briefly this season in relief of Arnaud and Saturday against the Buffs led ISU on a touchdown drive against the Buffs. Tiller finished the game 12 of 19 passing for 99 yards and a touchdown to tight end Collin Franklin.

“Jerome is comfortable in his abilities,” Rhoads said. “It's a matter of him executing what the leader of our offense needs to do for us to be effective … He's got the ability. It's a harder challenge to do it knowing you have the whole week and playing the position is all on your shoulders.”

The Cyclones will need a much better offensive performance than what they showed in Boulder.

They finished with minus-6 yards rushing, the team's worst total since a 63-20 loss to Iowa in 1997. Colorado defenders sacked Arnaud and Tiller eight times.

On the defensive side, ISU allowed 384 yards of total offense.

It was a total team letdown, when it seemingly had far more to play for than CU did.

“The guys were disappointed and upset, as they should have been,” Rhoads said. “I can take getting beat, but we did a lot things to lose that football game and that is hard to stomach.”