Arnaud re-injured, Tiller in at QB

Iowa State quarterback Austen Arnaud returned after a two-game absence, but had to be taken out of the game late in the second quarter after re-injuring his right hand.

Redshirt freshman Jerome Tiller replaced Arnaud with 3:57 to play before halftime in the middle of a series.

Arnaud was 6 of 11 passing for 48 yards and an interception. He ran five times for 5 yards.

There is no word on his return to the game. He was throwing passes before the start of the second half, however.

ISU trails No. 18 Oklahoma State 13-0 at halftime.

Tiller started the last two weeks at Nebraska and Texas A&M. The Cyclones scored only two touchdowns in those games.

Arnaud, Stephens look fine in warm-ups

Iowa State quarterback Austen Arnaud and center Reggie Stephens look to be full go for today.

Both are participating in warm-ups and took snaps with the first-team offense prior to today’s game against No. 18 Oklahoma State at Jack Trice Stadium.

Arnaud has missed the last two games because of a bruised right hand. Stephens had his appendix removed 10 days ago, but has been cleared medically and will play through any pain he’s got.

ISU has been hit hard by injuries this season.

Walking off the field with the team following warm-ups in street clothes were defensive back Ter’ran Benton (broken leg), defensive end Rashawn Parker (ACL tear) and receiver Darius Reynolds (broken ankle).

Iowa State has volleyball fever

Volleyball fever is sweeping Ames like H1N1.

And it’s the darndest thing. Iowa State’s turnaround from worst to almost first in the Big 12 Conference is becoming the stuff of legends right before our very eyes.

Casual fans are becoming die-hards.

Folks who wouldn’t be caught dead at Hilton Coliseum for anything other than a basketball game are showing up in packs.

Players who never would have considered becoming a Cyclone are all of a sudden accepting scholarship offers.

The Cyclones amazing thrill ride hit a new high two weeks ago when they snapped a 75-match losing streak and defeated Nebraska – in Lincoln, by the way — for the first time in school history.

Excitement reached fever pitch Wednesday night when ISU toppled previously unbeaten and No. 2-ranked Texas in a five-set thriller (22-25, 25-22, 25-15, 20-25, 15-12).

The Longhorns (18-1, 13-1) came in with a 27-match regular-season winning streak and had lost only one set in conference play all season.

ISU trailed 9-6 in the fifth, but closed the match on a 9-3 run, sealing the team’s 11th straight victory in what is shaping up to be the greatest season in school history.

“The team is playing with a lot of confidence,” said Coach Christy Johnson-Lynch. “This team never believes they are out of it. It doesn’t matter the score or how many games they are down.”

The eighth-ranked Cyclones can knock off another top 10 team on Saturday when No. 10 Nebraska comes to Ames for an 8 p.m. match.

Johnson-Lynch is hoping to set a new state of Iowa attendance record for a college volleyball match. ISU’s football game against Oklahoma State across the parking lot at Jack Trice Stadium kicks off at 2:30 p.m.

“We are hoping after the football game people will want to come over and watch our match that night,” Johnson-Lynch said.

Five years ago, most fans would have laughed at her and chuckled at the thought of going to a volleyball match that didn’t involve sand and women in bikinis.

These days it is becoming must-see TV.

There’s a lot to be proud of for Johnson-Lynch, who has a baby and a brand-new contract since taking ISU to the Elite Eight last fall. Wednesday’s victory may have sewn up the opportunity for her team to host the opening rounds of the postseason.

Amazing. This was a program among the worst in the nation earlier this decade.

Now look at it.

“This is the most exciting time our program has ever had,” Johnson-Lynch said. “The crowds that we’ve had lately have been a lot of fun to play in front of. This is such an exciting week for our team. I’m excited to see what they do.”

Cyclone double dip on Saturday

Iowa State’s home game Saturday against No. 13 Oklahoma State will kickoff at 2:30 p.m., the Big 12 announced Sunday afternoon. ABC will televise the game regionally.

A few hours after the conclusion of that game, the red-hot Cyclones’ volleyball team will take the floor at Hilton Coliseum looking for a season sweep of No. 8 Nebraska. The match will begin at 8 p.m.

ISU’s volleyball team is ranked ninth nationally, has won 10 straight matches and is 19-3 overall, 11-2 in the Big 12 Conference.

The football team will be playing to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2005. ISU is 5-4 overall and 2-3 in league play following its 35-10 loss at Texas A&M yesterday.

Cyclone history for sale

Iowa State’s 9-7 victory over Nebraska — and the celebration that ensued — will forever live on in the hearts, minds and computers of Cyclone fans.

The historic win — ISU’s first at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln since 1977 — can now forever be a conversation piece in your living room.

Better act fast though.

A football used during the game is being auctioned off at ISU’s athletic web site (www.cyclones.com) until 4 p.m. Monday.  It is signed by Coach Paul Rhoads and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

This could be a whopper of a profit for the athletic department, compared with the typical auction fare.

The bidding was up to $750 as of Friday night. It began at $200. Eleven bids later, the price of poker went up substantially.

If this goes anything like eBay auctions, the bidding could get interesting during Monday’s final hour.

I’ll post the winning bid once it goes final.

Adjustments to kicking game; tix update for Okie State game

In response to a question about Iowa State’s struggling kicking game, Coach Paul Rhoads said Monday night on his call-in show that holder Derec Schmidgall and kicker Grant Mahoney will set up a yard or two deeper when kicking field goals and PATs starting this week against Texas A&M.

Mahoney had one of each blocked last week at Nebraska and, as we all remember, had the game-tying PAT blocked in the final minute in a loss to Kansas State that was the start of his difficulties.

He’s made only four of his last field goals and either shanked or had blocked four PAT tries in the last four games after making the first 47 of his career.

The sophomore from Marion clearly is in a funk.

“It’s certainly a major issue with this football team and we’ll address it like anything else,” Rhoads said. “We’re always talking about adjusting because Grant’s ball doesn’t necessarily lift up as much as you would like.”

It didn’t help that Husker defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh easily shed his blocker and barged through the middle of the line to swat away Mahoney’s kick.

“There were a number of things that contributed to the blocked kicks, not just Grant,” Rhoads continued. “We’re working rapidly to make sure that we fix all of those things and don’t repeat it. What’s taken place before isn’t a repeated mistake. These were new issues that we got to deal with.”

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Also heard on this week’s call-in show, ISU had sold just 39,000 tickets as of Monday for next week’s game against No. 13 Oklahoma State at Jack Trice Stadium.

Athletic Director Jamie Pollard said the OSU game and the Cyclones’ previous home game with Baylor — which drew a crowd of 42,253 — were not sold as part of ISU’s mini-pack ticket package, which sets the attendance total back 5,000 right off the bat.

The first three home games of the season (No. Dakota State, Iowa and Army) averaged 50,484.

Pollard strongly encourages fans (I’m paraphrasing him here) to show their support and come out for the game, which will kickoff at either 11:30, 2:30 or  7 p.m. depending on what the television networks decide. That will be known Sunday.

ISU could be playing for bowl eligibility for the first time since 2005.

Burnham on former Fla. State boss Bowden

Iowa State’s defense isn’t the only thing on Wally Burnham’s mind these days.

Like many in the coaching profession, the Cyclone defensive coordinator is disappointed with Florida State’s treatment of longtime head coach Bobby Bowden, who has come under fire this season because of his team’s poor performance.

The chairman of the school’s board of trustees came out publicly saying Bowden, who will turn 80 next month, should retire after the season.

The Seminoles (3-3, 1-2 ACC) rallied to beat North Carolina last Thursday night for their first conference victory, but are off to their worst start since Bowden’s first season in 1976.

Since then he’s won two national championships, 12 ACC titles and 384 games, second all-time to Penn State’s Joe Paterno.

He’s earned the right to leave on his own terms, said Burnham, a Bowden assistant for nine years, his last coming during FSU’s national title-winning season of 1993.

“That’s just ridiculous that he’s had to go through that,” Burnham said. “He is to that institution what Tom Osborne is to Nebraska, what Darrel Royal is to Texas and what Bear Bryant is to Alabama. Let him call his own shot. He deserves that.

“You won’t find a better man that Bobby Bowden. He’s a Christian man, he’s a family man. It’s a shame, I think.”

Bowden’s contract gives him the option to return in 2010.

FSU defensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher has been chosen as Bowden’s successor. The coach already is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame and has taken the Seminoles to 27 straight bowl games.

The program has fallen on hard times of late. FSU hasn’t won more than nine games in a season since 2003.

“The recruiting has really fallen behind, for whatever reason,” Burnham said. “Florida’s gotten so far ahead of all of (the state schools). They really have.”

There’s a chance Bowden’s 37^th season as head coach will be his last. That may not be up to him, however.

 “We hope and pray that he sticks in there and does what he wants to do,” Burnham said. “If he wants to go, let him go. If he wants to coach another year, let him coach. He deserves it in my opinion.”

Cyclones on TV next week vs. OSU

Good news for Iowa State fans, next week’s home game against No. 13 Oklahoma State WILL be televised.

On what channel and when won’t be determined until Sunday. ABC is using the second of its three six-day selection windows for Nov. 7 Big 12 games.

ABC will decide among three games for its two telecast windows of 2:30 p.m. or 7 p.m.: Oklahoma State at ISU, Oklahoma at Nebraska or Kansas at Kansas State. The game not chosen by ABC will be picked up by Versus.

This week’s 2:30 p.m. game at Texas A&M is NOT being televised.

ISU-Nebraska: That’s a wrap

Iowa State overcame a lot to win today in Lincoln.

Its two best offensive players were out with injuries. Several Cyclones — many who were on the field for a lot of plays Saturday — were sick as dogs, including offensive guard Ben Lamaak, who had to battle behemoth Husker tackle Ndamukong Suh much of the day.

“We had fevers and guys missing practice throughout the week,” Coach Paul Rhoads said. ”We had guys puking in buckets before the game, at the hotel, at halftime. I couldn’t be prouder of our football team.”

Knowing all that, what odds would you give ISU of beating Nebraska? 

Fifteen percent? Worse?

It was a great win, one that will resonate with fans, boosters, players, coaches and others for a long time. It was fun to see smiles on the faces of people like administrators Jamie Pollard and David Harris, who live and die with this team every week and so badly want a winner in Ames.

Players were downright giddy.

And now, they’ve got to put that behind them as a trip to Texas A&M looms next week with bowl eligibility on the line.

 Truthfully, I don’t think that will be a problem for this crew.

ISU offense is offensive so far

Iowa State’s offense not looking so hot with replacements Jerome Tiller and tailback Jeremiah Schwartz.  It could be a day full of three and out and face time for punter Mike Brandtner.

The Cyclones have been abysmal through one quarter. Here are the numbers:

12 plays, 19 yards

One penalty

One first down

Two pass attempts

Coaches clearly don’t trust Tiller to throw the ball, especially standing in the pocket. He’s rolled out on almost every play, usually with defenders right on his tail.

Bottom line, this one has the look of being incredibly, obscenly ugly.

Cyclone fans, take cover. Or just cover your eyes.