Linebacker Tim Dobbins was the 2004 Big 12 Newcomer of the Year after transferring to Iowa State from a junior college in Mississippi. His coach expects Dobbins to have a quicker start this season than he had last year. Dan McCarney describes Dobbins as an “explosive tackler” with all kinds of room for improvement. Dobbins, who’s from Nashville, Tennessee, agrees. “You can never know enough here,” Dobbins says. “Every day, and every game, something can change and you’ve got to do a different play or a different move…It changes all the time.” Dobbins now believes the old adage that the game is 20 percent physical and 80 percent mental. As for Iowa State’s upcoming season, Dobbins isn’t making any predictions. “I think we’re going to be better…but you never know,” Dobbins says. Dobbins made 61 tackles last season and two interceptions, including the pick that sealed Iowa State’s victory over Nebraska.