Boulder – On Sept. 10, Iowa State danced and pranced over rival Iowa 23-3 and appeared ready to take the college football world by storm. Preseason prognostications of a Big 12 North Division crown appeared realistic.
But running back Stevie Hicks got hurt that day.
And little did the Cyclones know how much they would be impacted because of it.
Iowa State’s decline started as a drizzle and ended up a downpour, leaving the Cyclones looking up at Colorado when the teams meet Saturday in Ames.
A second-half comeback was needed to defeat Army 28-21. Then critical mistakes proved costly in a 27-20, double-overtime loss at Nebraska, a 23-13 home loss to Baylor and a 27-24 overtime loss at Missouri. The Cyclones had four red-zone turnovers in those games – three on fumbles, two at the 1-yard line.
For a team whose offense was struggling to score touchdowns anyway, those miscues hit the Cyclones where it hurt most, in the win column.
Iowa State started 0-3 in Big 12 play before drubbing Oklahoma State 37-10, after which it got back Hicks, a junior from Omaha, for the Texas A&M game two weeks ago. The difference has been startling.
Hicks ran for 122 yards and two touchdowns in the Cyclones’ 42-14 romp in College Station. He ran for 149 yards and another touchdown in the Cyclones’ 45-17 blowout of Kansas State last weekend.
“Stevie Hicks just impacts our whole football team,” Iowa State coach Dan McCarney said. “Every player and coach feels better when we know he’s on the field. It’s not just running. He’s a real good pass blocker, and a real good ball security back, which were some issues that we had when he was out of the lineup.”
When Hicks gets 20 or more carries, Iowa State is 5-0 this season.
“With Stevie Hicks they are a different team,” CU coach Gary Barnett said of the Cyclones (6-3, 3-3 Big 12). “I think their rushing average went up from 93 to 140 with him in two games. That is pretty significant.”
As a result, Iowa State has been arguably the most dangerous team in the Big 12 of late not named Texas. Hicks’ return has eased the pressure on sophomore quarterback Bret Meyer, who has thrown seven touchdown passes with no interceptions the past two weeks. Sophomore wide receiver Todd Blythe has found some breathing room as well, enough to reel in eight passes for 214 yards and four touchdowns against Texas A&M.
“Iowa State’s team has just gotten better and better,” Barnett said. “With Hicks back, they have all of their weapons there and they are able to do so many things. Their quarterback is hitting so many different receivers; last year he really homed in on a couple. Now he is spreading the ball out. They are playing their best football right now.”
Colorado (7-2, 5-1) still controls its destiny in the Big 12 North. If the Buffs win Saturday or in their regular-season finale against Nebraska, they win the North and play in the Big 12 championship game.
“Iowa State is really playing good football right now,” CU quarterback Joel Klatt said. “They are going to be a stiff challenge for us.”
Footnotes
CU kicker Mason Crosby continues to rake in Big 12 awards. He is the special- teams player of the week for the third time this season and second straight week. He has seven such Big 12 honors in his career. … According to trainer Steve Willard, defensive ends Alex Ligon and Alonzo Barrett, both recovering from knee injuries, are close to returning. Ligon, nursing a knee sprain, “looked as good (Monday) morning as he’s looked since he got hurt,” Willard said. Meanwhile, Barrett “is listed as day-to-day because I want to see how he is against how he was last Thursday,” Willard said. “I’m hoping he looks better.” … Tailback Hugh Charles said his ankle is healing and he expects to play on Saturday.
