Iowa State football coach Gene Chizik says he is not ready to "throw anyone under the bus" just yet. The Cyclones are 0-2 after a loss to UNI but Chizik says there will not be radical lineup changes heading into Saturday’s 55th meeting with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Cizik says they are going to give people a chance to improve, and if the improvement doesn’t take place, they’ll look for another option, provided they can find another option.
Chizik says he wants the Cyclones to remain upbeat and not lose confidence over their start. He says there can be a lot of negativity around and 0-2 start, but they are going to let it seep into everything they do and hear.
Chizik says the Hawkeyes have looked good in their first two games, starting on defense as they held Syracruse to under 100 yards on offense. The former defensive coordinator says holding a team below 100 yards is hard to do.
He says the concern about the Hawkeye offense is their balance, as they’re running the ball well, throwing the ball well. Chizik says Iowa’s new quarterback is managing the game well. Chizik says the Cyclones have a small margin for error and need to cut down on mistakes. He says there are things on defense, offense and special teams that are getting better. But he says they have to put the whole thing together and have to cut down on the turnovers.
Chizik has been a part of the Texas-Texas A@M and Auburn-Alabama rivalries. This will be his first taste of the series with Iowa. "Rivalries are really fun, I mean that’s what makes college football great," Chizik says.