Iowa State’s indoor practice facility opened last March and the timing was right. The Cyclones have been able to avoid the frigid conditions as they prepare for the December 28th Independence Bowl against Miami of Ohio. Iowa State coach Dan McCarney says they use the facility year round, but he says it’s really important when preparing for a bowl. ISU did not have an indoor facility to use in the Cyclones three previous bowl trips, and McCarney says it was a factor as they had to prepare in the snow when they went to their first bowl in his tenure.The team leaves for Shreveport on Friday and will conduct its first practice there on Christmas morning. Iowa State is 6-5 and freshman quarterback Bret Meyer made big strides during the season. After sharing the duties with Austin Flynn the first half of the season Meyer took over in the sixth game of the season and finished with 10 touchdown passes and ran for two scores. Meyer says he still has a long way to go.Meyer says the added practice going into the bowl game will help them even more. He says with all the young guys it gives them more time to play football and it’s like having another spring practice.It will be the Cyclones second appearance in the Independence Bowl in three years. They lost to Alabama in 2001.