Spirits are much higher today for the Iowa State football team. The Cyclones snapped a six-game losing skid with a 31-20 victory over Kansas State, their first Big-12 victory of the year. They close out the home schedule this weekend against Colorado.

Iowa State coach Gene Chizik says it’s a lot easier to go to practice when you win, and they didn’t have to come in and talk about small victories, they were able to talk about a win. Chizik says the win gives them a shot of confidence. He says the team now knows it can go out and play against a good Big 12 opponent and have a chance to win.

Chizik says even during the losing streak the program was on the right track and he is happy to see it pay off with a win. He says he answers questions every week about whether they have a chance to win, and says that’s crazy because he believes they have a chance to win every week they go out there because he has kids that will put it on the line. Chizik says it’s his job to not get rattled.

After getting hammered by Texas the Cyclones have responded with three good efforts. Chizik says the players handled the Texas game the right way. He says there is a game during the year somewhere that is a complete debacle every year and Chizik says when that happens at some places you get beat really bad. He says at other places you have enough talent to still win. Chizik says the Texas game was a debacle for Iowa State.