Cyclones fighting to stay confident

AMES - There are a lot of challenges Paul Rhoads must face day to day as a head coach of a Division I program.

But in a season where the wins haven't come often, there's another item to add to his to-do list - keeping his ISU football team confident.

'One and four is 1-4 and so keeping a team focused, keeping a team motivated and keeping a team confident and pushing forward to get the work done that needs to take place before you play a game is certainly the challenge we face this week,” Rhoads said.

Iowa State (1-4) hosts Toledo today in Jack Trice Stadium. The Rockets (4-2, 3-0 MAC) are sitting atop their division of the MAC, but Iowa State has been tested by three ranked opponents and feels growth is taking place in many aspects.

Although his team is 1-4, it is a good 1-4 team in Rhoads' mind having faced such a daunting schedule. The five opponents Iowa State has faced so far are a combined 22-3, with the three losses being to Iowa State (Iowa), No. 1 Florida State (Oklahoma State) and No. 2 Auburn (Kansas State).

'So we've played good people and we've hung in there,” Rhoads said. 'We've got to continue that fight, but we've got to work before we can play and that's got to be our focus this week.”

The Cyclones' defense entered the season with a lot of questions, especially in the secondary, but has learned to grow up quickly. The cornerbacks and safeties have accounted for four interceptions in the last three games and hope to see that number rise this weekend.

Junior cornerback Sam E. Richardson said turnovers comes down to simply trying to make a play any time they feel there is an opportunity.

'We've executed our assignments well, we're just not competing on the balls when the ball is in the air,” Richardson said. 'I think we're doing a better job of that. I think it's just a matter of having guts. In North Dakota State, I got beat on a deep post route, and I was in perfect position, but I didn't make a play on the ball. You're in perfect position, now it's being a football player and making a play.”

Iowa State's schedule is ranked as the second-toughest in the nation, according to Sagarin ratings, and Rhoads hopes being battle-tested will lead be a benefit as the season nears the halfway point.

'We're not a program that backs down from any of our opponents and we're hoping it has toughened us up where we're hoping it's thickened our skin,” Rhoads said, 'we're hoping the development that has taken place and the improvement that has taken place will pay off in these next seven games.”

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