Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas

Iowa State Cyclones

2010 Record: 5-7, 9th in the Big 12

Returning Starters: Offense (5), Defense (7)

Overview: 2010, Paul Rhoads’ second at the helm of the Cyclone’s program, was a step in the right direction for a program that has struggled recently. It included impressive victories on the road against Texas and a 52-38 win over Texas Tech at home. Iowa State also came within one point of upsetting then No. 7 Nebraska in overtime, but the game ended after Rhoads boldly decided to attempt a fake field goal on the extra point. The pass from holder Daniel Kuehl fell just short and was intercepted, ending the game and the Cyclones’ chances to upset Nebraska for the second year in a row.

Outgoing quarterback Austen Arnaud leaves big shoes to fill after running the Cyclones’ offense for the last three years. The race to replace Arnaud will come down to four players: Jerome Tiller, Steele Jantz, Jared Barnett, and James Capello. Tiller has the most experience of the four, but Jantz possesses electrifying speed (his 40 time is in the 4.5 second range) and could be a game changer at the position. Defensively, the Cyclones will be lead by linebacker Jake Knott, who finished 2nd last year in the Big 12 in both tackles (130) and interceptions (4) and was named 2nd team all Big 12. Fellow linebacker A.J. Klein is also back after recording 110 tackles in 2010, forming one of the strongest groups of returning linebackers in the Big 12.

Key Matchup: Texas @ Iowa State, October 1st: Although Texas ended up having a down season by their standards, Iowa State’s victory over the Longhorns in Austin last year was still quite impressive. The Cyclone defense stepped up in a big way, forcing four turnovers and holding the Longhorns to 6 points until the 4th quarter. Iowa State will need a similar effort from their defense if they want to win this year’s Big 12 opener against the revenge-minded Longhorns. A victory here would get the Cyclones off to a great start in the Big 12 as the aim to continue to improve in Rhoads’ third year.

Impact Newcomer: Steele Jantz, QB: Although there has been no decision made on the starting quarterback position, the junior college transfer has quickly become a favorite among fans looking for a replacement for the steady Arnaud. Jantz displayed his game-breaking ability at City College of San Francisco in 2010, throwing for 3,075 yards and 23 touchdowns while also rushing for 601 yards and 14 touchdowns. The 6’4”, 214 pound Jantz will enter Iowa State as a junior, giving him two years to make an impact in Ames.

Coach’s Quotes: “I turn around in practice on Friday and he’s (Knott) standing there on the sidelines. I walk over, he’s with his mom and I say, ‘What are you doing here?’ He looks me in the eye and says, “We got practice, don’t we?”
– Head Coach Paul Rhodes after Knott showed up at spring practice one hour after having surgery to repair a broken arm.

Purdue Boilermakers

2010 Record: 4-8, 9th in the Big Ten

Returning Starters:  Offense (8), Defense (9)

Overview: The Boilermakers struggled through the second half of the 2010 season, finishing on a six game losing streak after beginning the year 4-2.  Purdue defeated Northwestern and Minnesota to start the Big Ten schedule, but followed those wins with a number of double digit losses and missed out on a bowl for the second time in a row in head coach Danny Hope’s second year.  However, there is hope in West Lafayette, as part of last year’s struggles can be attributed to a slew of injuries, most notably to starting running back Ralph Bolden and then starting quarterback Robert Marve, who both suffered torn ACL’s.

Both of those players return healthy this year, and one positive arising from the number of injuries the Boilermakers endured in 2010 will be a wealth of experience on both sides of the ball. With 17 returning starters, and a number of players on the depth chart that saw significant playing time last year, Purdue returns one of the more experienced teams in the Big Ten. Rob Henry took advantage of Marve’s absence to cement himself as the top quarterback heading into the season, and Bolden should get a chance to show the abilities that allowed him to rush for almost 1,000 yards in 2009. The biggest challenge will be replacing Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and 2011 NFL First Round Draft Pick Ryan Kerrigan. But with 9 starters returning on defense, including leading tackler Logan Link, experience should help overcome the loss of Kerrigan.

Key Matchup: Notre Dame @ Purdue, October 1st: The Boilermakers should be 3-0 after opening the season against Middle Tennessee, Rice and Southeast Missouri State. Notre Dame’s two and a half hour trip to West Lafayette should prove to be the first chance for Purdue to see how they stack up against a BCS conference level team. The Fighting Irish have struggled for the last decade, but coach Brian Kelly lead them to a 7-5 record last year and seems to have Notre Dame heading in the right direction. A win over their in-state rivals could make Purdue 4-0 heading into their Big Ten opener against Minnesota.

Impact Newcomer: Akeem Shavers, RB: Shavers, a junior college transfer from Tyler, TX, was selected as Purdue’s top newcomer on the offensive side of the ball after turning in an impressive spring. With Bolden returning from a knee injury, the 5-11, 200 pound Shavers should help to ease the load and allow Bolden to ease back into the starting role. Shavers is also more of a power back than Bolden and could see carries throughout the season on the goal line. 

Coach’s Quotes: “Looking back at our team a couple of years ago, we only had five or six guys who could run 4.5’s or better. I think we’ve tripled or quadrupled that number.” Head Coach Danny Hope