In his first eight seasons, Dan McCarney took Iowa State from a last-place football team to a postseason regular.
Now, the Cyclones are back where they started, coming off a 2-10 season in which ISU lost 10 straight games and finished 0-8 in the Big 12 Conference.
“We hope to get back to being much more of a factor than we were last year,” McCarney said Wednesday during the second day of the league’s three-day media event. “The good news is that last year is over. … There is a renewed optimism and renewed dedication in our program. We certainly enjoyed the other seasons more than we did last year.”
McCarney led Iowa State to three straight bowl berths (2000-02) for the first time in school history, but the slide already was evident in 2002. After a 6-1 start, ISU lost six of its last seven games. A 34-16 loss to Boise State in the Humanitarian Bowl dropped Iowa State to 7-7.
Injuries and the nation’s second-toughest schedule combined to make 2003 a nightmarish season, and Iowa State enters 2004 having lost 13 of its last 16 games.
McCarney hopes his team can get off to a strong start, but the nonconference schedule could be brutal. Northern Iowa, Iowa and Northern Illinois each won 10 games last season.
“It’s going to be tough,” McCarney said. “There’s no doubt about it.”
McCarney built his program on the rushing game. Running backs Troy Davis (1995-96), Darren Davis (1997-99) and Ennis Haywood (2000-01) gave Iowa State a 1,000-yard rusher in each of McCarney’s first seven seasons, but ISU has fallen short of that mark in each of the last two years.
Tailback Stevie Hicks led ISU with 471 yards last season, but McCarney doesn’t blame the sophomore for the modest stats.
“We were mauled at the line of scrimmage,” said McCarney, who is 38-67 entering his 10th season. “We were just physically beaten in the trenches.”
McCarney brought in former Nebraska and New Mexico State assistant Barney Cotton to coach the offensive line and to serve as offensive coordinator. ISU averaged just 14.4 points per game last season.
The Cyclones know no one expects much out of them.
“We’re going in knowing our backs are against the wall, and we have to earn respect,” said senior defensive back Ellis Hobbs.
“If we played today,” Dylan would be our No. 1 quarterback,” Snyder said.
