Paul Rhoads is 18-20 in his first three seasons at Iowa State.DALLAS, Tex. -- -
In his first three years at Iowa State, Paul Rhoads has just 18 wins and 20 losses, but Cyclone football fans are OK with that. Rhoads has had some great wins, at Nebraska, at Texas, plus big overtime wins at home against Iowa and Oklahoma State last year.
The Cyclones are picked to finish 8th in the Big 12 this year. Iowa State has the third toughest schedule in the country this season and will play at least five ranked teams.
The Cyclones have seven starters back on offense and five on defense after a 6-7 season a year ago. Rhoads says he won't make a decision on a starting quarterback until the final scrimmage of training camp. Whether it's sophomore Jared Barnett or senior Steele Jantz, Rhoads wants more from his QB.
"We most definitely need better play from the quarterback position if we're going to become a better football team and namely in the area of accuracy," said Rhoads. "Our quarterbacks completed, I think, 51 percent of their passes is all last year. We threw too many to the wrong-colored jersey. If we're going to be a better offensive football team, which is very important in this league to be a better football team, it's going to take better quarterback play."
Iowa State's opener is September 1st against Tulsa. The Cyclones go to Iowa to play the Hawkeyes on September 8th.
Iowa State announced it will host West Virginia on Friday, November 23rd, the day after Thanksgiving. It was originally scheduled on a Saturday. The game will kickoff at 2:30 on ABC, right after the Iowa-Nebraska game in Iowa City, which starts at 11:00 AM.
Coach Rhoads says the team is "elated to be in such a great time slot on a day when people all over the country are watching college football."
The Cyclones have never played West Virginia.
