Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads says running back Alexander Robinson should be able to play this weekend when the Cyclones visit 15th ranked Kansas. Robinson saw limited duty in ISU’s 24-23 loss to Kansas State due to a groin injury and Rhoads feels he will be able to return to practice this week.
Rhoads says they feel very good about what they’ve seen and Robinson will be able to play. He says it’s not known how long Robinson will play. Rhoads says even if Robinson plays on Saturday there is a chance the injury will “tighten up”. That depends on the number of carries and work he gets. He says it’s a tough injury to overcome.
Grant Mahoney had a game tying P-A-T blocked with 32 seconds remaining against K-State but Rhoads says it was not because Mahoney’s kick was too low. Rhoads says when the ball is blocked, you can always say that the ball could have been higher. He says they ball was not drastically low, and he does not blame Mahoney. He says it was the best blocking for a kick all day.
“Call it luck, call it whatever you want, it’s 24-23 and we don’t get the point,” Rhoads says.
Rhoads says the Cyclones bounced back from the loss with a spirited workout in the evening. He says it was as sharp a no pad practice that they’ve had and says that’s a response to what happened.
Rhoads says the Cyclones will keep improving and they won’t let the loss linger and hold them back. He says they will be better this week than they were last week. Rhoads says as long as they continue to improve victories will come, “at what point, I’m not sure.”
The Cyclones are 3-2 and Rhoads says they realize the toughest part of their schedule is ahead of them. He says every game provides them more of a challenge, and he knows that. “When I mastered two-plus two and three minus one in school, the teacher gave me tougher problems, and I got better at math,” Rhoads says. He says if they are going to improve, they have to be ready to meet the challenge.