Special Teams

He’s a guy who tells you it as straight as possible. Less than 24 hours after the Cyclones 36-35 defeat in Toledo, Jay Boulware, the Cyclones special team’s and running back’s coach was walking around the Jacobson Building with a hat on backwards and sweat dripping from the top. As the coach walked by reporters, I overhead him tell a Cyclone official, “I’m rejuvenated, I’m not looking down.” It’s not only hard to stay up after dropping three out of your four first games, but Boulware watched his unit make multiple mistakes. Long snapper Matt Purvis couldn’t connect with punter Mike Brandtner in the fourth quarter allowing a Toledo touchdown. With less than a minute remaining, field goal kicker Bret Culbertson’s bid to make back-to-back game winning field goals, was shot down when it was blocked. Next week, Iowa State faces a Nebraska team that ran for 552 yards offense against Ball State Saturday. Boulware may not be looking down, but are you?