The Iowa State football team closes out spring drill on Saturday with an intrasquad game. Cyclone coach Paul Rhoads said this week it has been a “physical” spring and he would like it to end with a competitive game. He says it will be the first team offense against the second team defense and the first team defense against the second team offense, with the possibility of a modified scoring system.
Rhoads says one of the goals for next season is to do a better job of stopping the run and it begins up front on defense. He says the defensive line has probably been a weakness the last two years and he is pleased with them this spring.
Rhoads says he wants to see the defensive line put pressure on the quarterback in Saturday’s spring game. Rhoads says that doesn’t have to be sacks, it can be making the pocket move around the quarterback. He says they would like to see sacks go up, but he says he also wants them to make plays against the run.
Not only are position battles a big part of spring but Rhoads says this is a time in which leaders emerge. Rhoads says the 2009 team had excellent leadership, better than 2010 and he says they have to get back to that level.