Huskers will bounce back

Nebraska will look to bounce back from a very emotional loss when they take on Iowa State Saturday in Ames.

The Huskers and Cyclones will kick off at 11:30 a.m. in a game that will be televised on Versus. Iowa State is 2-4 on the season with four straight losses. Nebraska is 3-3 with three consecutive defeats.

Simply put, something has got to give.

Iowa State is coached by Gene Chizik, who was very successful as the defensive coordinator at Texas. Nebraska has dominated the all-time series with an 84-16-2 advantage. The Huskers will be on the road for a second straight week.

If they reach down and channel their inner strength this is a game that Nebraska should win.

The Cyclones are a balanced offensive football team. They average 132 yards rushing and 204 yards passing per game. The key to the Iowa State offense is the play of sophomore quarterback Austen Arnaud (6-foot-3, 222 pounds).

Aurnaud is an accurate passer (102-for-169) with eight touchdowns and four interceptions. He has also completed 60.4 percent of his passes so far this season.

Arnaud also can run from the pocket.

He averages 25 yards per game on the ground, and has four rushing touchdowns as well. Arnaud must play well for the Cyclones to stay in the game. Backup quarterback Phillip Bates has left the team which hurts the depth at quarterback and the running game for the Cyclones. He was the Cyclones second leading rusher. Bates’ father Phil, was a fullback for Nebraska in the late 1970’s.

The running game for Iowa State is not overly impressive. The leader is sophomore Alexander Robinson (5-10, 182). He averages 46 yards a game on the ground.

Iowa State will use several different backs to try and hurt the Husker defense. Arnaud will also try and keep the defense honest with his running ability. The Cyclones may try and keep the ball away from the Nebraska offense like NU did last week at Texas Tech.

Iowa State has a key receiver in senior R.J. Sumrall (6-1, 202). Sumrall has 126 career receptions including 27 catches for 402 yards and five touchdowns in 2008. He has big-play ability. Junior Houston Jones (6-1, 196) is a possession receiver with 20 grabs for 218 yards this season.

Freshman Darius Darks (6-1, 167) has 19 catches and one touchdown. No Cyclone receiver averages 15 yards per catch. This is not as strong a receiving group as Nebraska will see in the rest of the Big 12.

The offensive line is a fine unit for Iowa State. The group has only allowed six sacks all season long. Three players have started at least 18 games for the Cyclones.

Senior left tackle Doug Dedrick (6-4, 301) leads the way. Left guard Reggie Stephens (6-4, 313, Jr.) has 20 straight starts for Iowa State. Right guard Ben Lamaak (6-5, 315, So.) is also steady and has been starting since his freshman season.

As a group, the Cyclones’ offensive line averages 6-4 and 307 pounds from tackle to tackle. This is the most consistent part of the Iowa State offense.

The Iowa State defense gives up 169 yards rushing and 218 yards passing per game. The Cyclones kept Kansas in check for a half before the Jayhawks came back to defeat Iowa State with a frantic second half rally.

The leader of the defense is junior middle linebacker Jesse Smith (6-0, 231). He is tied for the team lead with 39 total tackles.

Outside linebacker Michael Bibbs (6-1, 234, Sr.) has 29 tackles and a pair of interceptions. The big play man up front is defensive end Christopher Lyle (6-3, 249, Jr.). He has 22 tackles and a team high seven tackles for losses including four sacks in 2008.

The secondary is a small group led by junior free safety James Smith (5-9, 189) also has 39 total tackles this season.

Special teams have been solid for Iowa State. The Cyclones have not hit a big play in the return game in 2008, but the kicking game has been a highlight for ISU.

Freshman kicker Grant Mahoney (6-1, 151) has been 10-for-14 on field goals and perfect on 19 extra points. His longest field goal of the season is from 49 yards.

Punter Mike Brandtner (6-1, 206, Jr.) averages 41 yards on 29 punts this season. The pair of kickers has played well in 2008.

Iowa State does not do anything especially well on either side of the ball. Nebraska has major edges in the skill positions and in team depth.

The Cyclones will enjoy the advantage of playing at home. Nebraska must come out ready to play or they will have problems in Ames. I believe Bo Pelini will have his team focused on Iowa State. Look for Nebraska to defeat Iowa State 38-24.

Jim Dolezal is a local Husker football fanatic as well as a part-time sports writer for the Telegram. He will analyze the Huskers’ opposition from a hometown perspective every Thursday throughout the season.throughout the season.