2018 ISU Football Preview by GateHouse Media Iowa

Ames Tribune

MORE THAN A GAME

DAVID MONTGOMERYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S IMPACT RUNS DEEPER THAN FOOTBALL Page 4

August 26, 2018

Staff continuity, player versatility shape Cyclones defense Page 8

Ray Lima enacts change in his life, Cyclones defense Page 14

2018 IOWA STATE

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

ISU FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Sunday, August 26, 2018

ISU FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Sunday, August 26, 2018

ISU FOOTBALL PREVIEW

More than a game: David Montgomery’s impact runs deeper than football By Dylan Montz, Staff Writer dmontz@amestrib.com

David Montgomery walks toward the waterline on a summer night in central Iowa with his tackle box in hand, trading one sanctuary for another. The solitude of fishing, like it sometimes does in football, offers reprieve from stresses of daily life. It also offers balance. He finds his spot at Big Creek where he sets up shop alone. Afternoon turns to evening and a haul of a walleye, catfish and a couple of bluegills — with a range of tunes from Rick James to Faith Evans playing in the background — provide an opportunity for the Iowa State football start to clear his mind. Cooking, reading and piano lessons provide the same kind of relief from daily life, but the junior running back isn’t like most of his peers. While many find hobbies to escape the sport, he sees his hobbies as a necessary step in life beyond the game. What most view as the grind, he views as his recreation. “I love football and I love the game, but that’s not what defines David Montgomery,” he said. “That’s not the definition of David Montgomery. So being able to find other things and other hobbies I like (is important).” When he isn’t bulling over linebackers or making defensive linemen look like they’re trying to grab a slippery eel, Montgomery is either in the film room or discovering interests. For the longest time, family and football were the biggest things in his life. “That’s all he ever lived, slept and breathed was football,” his mother, Roberta Mitchell, told the

Ames Tribune. “Now that he’s out and exploring, there is stuff that is coming to him that he wanted to do. There is something else he’s starting to realize, there is something outside of football that you can do.” Montgomery and his work ethic around the Bergstrom Football Complex have become famous. His late-night workouts and intense film sessions helped produce one of the most electrifying years for an ISU running back in recent memory. As a sophomore he was a Pro Football Focus All-American and All-Big 12 first-team selection while rushing for 1,146 yards and forcing 109 missed tackles while powering a blossoming offense to help ISU to an 8-5 record with a bowl win. The dichotomy of his interests, though, are really what make Montgomery stand out. Fishing and reading are different from football in theory, but not in practice. He finds ways to look at anything he does through the same lens. One of his latest projects, reading “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter, has taught him about finance, credit and money management. Thoughts that he might be reading that book in preparation for an NFL career are met with scoffs. It’s bigger than that. “That dude, some day when he’s done playing football, is going to change kids’ lives,” ISU running backs coach Nate Scheelhaase told the Tribune. “You can just see that. It’s something he’s going to continue to live out.” Continued on following page

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Iowa State running back David Montgomery. PHOTO BY NIRMALENDU MAJUMDAR/AMES TRIBUNE

ISU FOOTBALL PREVIEW

CHANGING LIVES

Before there was football, there was family. Montgomery grew up knowing the importance of those around him because of the influence his mother provided. The five kids — four boys and one girl — all received the same message. “I tried to instill in my kids to do unto others as others would do unto you,” Mitchell told the Tribune. “I always made sure to tell him go above and beyond. Always go above and beyond every day, whatever you do because your blessings will come back to you.” Those words sunk in instantly. She was the first thing that drove him to make something of his life. “It is the main reason I do what I do,” Montgomery said. “The sacrifices that she made going through my whole life; (I just want to) return the favor.” One of the earliest traits Mitchell saw in her son, other than his love of football, was his capacity to care about people. Boy Scouts intervened at exactly the right time in his life. His natural instincts as a leader were always apparent, but were honed further within his troop. “He always goes above and beyond for everybody,” Mitchell told the Tribune. “That goes back to putting people before himself, because he doesn’t want to see someone else go without. “He’s always the leader inside the family, outside the family, on the field, in boy scouts, he’s always been a leader. Sometimes I think he’s my dad.” Montgomery worked his way through the ranks of boy scouts, becoming an Eagle Scout in high school. His project to earn that rank centered on Cincinnati’s

Sunday, August 26, 2018

with them, and they would pass them onto the Mary Magdalen House and issue them materials to clean themselves. “I think people overlook Eagle scouts and the amount of time and effort and patience it takes. Once you get it it’s like, ‘Ahhh.’ A big breath.” ISU football coach Matt Campbell, then the head coach at Toledo, knew if Montgomery possessed any of the desire on the field as much as he’d shown in his hometown, he was a guy that he wanted in his program. “Whatever he’s passionate about, he’ll go 110 percent into it,” Campbell said. “From giving back to the community, to impacting all the lives of those young kids he’s been able to do in Ames to obviously what he does in the game of football. “He’s really special, and he’s not going to go half-heartedly into anything.” The only problem back then was Campbell didn’t have the roster space to add Montgomery to the Rockets. Fate had a way of intervening.

‘WE’RE COMING BACK FOR YOU’

When he isn’t bulling over linebackers or making defensive linemen look like they’re trying to grab a slippery eel, David Montgomery is either in the film room or discovering interests. PHOTO BY NIRMALENDU MAJUMDAR/AMES TRIBUNE

homeless population and set out to benefit people in the Mary Magdalen House. In a partnership between Mary Magdalen, Mount Healthy High School and himself,

Montgomery organized collections at football games and through Procter & Gamble to provide Mary Magdalen with soaps, toothbrushes and other health products when the house

couldn’t provide them on its own. “Procter & Gamble would give the misprints and mess ups on soap and the natural essentials that you need to clean your body,” Montgomery said. “We partnered

When Campbell first found out about Montgomery at a summer evaluation camp before the 2015 season, Toledo already had two running backs committed in its class. He couldn’t get the running-back-turned-quarterback from Cincinnati out of his mind though. “He literally is still to this day one of the best camps I’ve ever seen a running back ever have,” Campbell said. Continued on following page

ISU FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Continued from page 5 Montgomery remembers the satellite camp at Colerain, the high school of his future ISU teammate Deshaunte Jones, well too. He had a pretty good performance early on, but knew he could show coaches something different when the camp broke into good-on-good drills, pitting Montgomery against a Colerain linebacker. “I won’t say his name, but he was heavily recruited,” he said. “He was that guy. He was the man.” The quarterback asked Montgomery what play he wanted to run. They settled on an up-andout route. It was the first glimpse Campbell got inside Montgomery’s football mind. “I run the out and break and look at the quarterback,” Montgomery said. “I know I’ve got the linebacker beat because he looks at the quarterback with me. So I break up the field. He’s going to the sideline and I’m going up the sideline. “As I’m going this way (points up), he’s going this way (points out), which is cool to see him run toward the water. I catch the ball.” Camp wasn’t over very long before Campbell and Montgomery met in a garage off the field. The Rockets coach was up front and told Montgomery that Toledo didn’t have a scholarship readily available, but made one thing clear. “We didn’t have a scholarship available for a running back,” Campbell recalled, “but I told him, ‘We’re coming back for you.’” Montgomery went on to have a prolific year at Mount Healthy, rushing for 2,707 yards and 41 touchdowns while passing for 726 yards and seven touchdowns.

David Montgomery doesn’t want to be the face of ISU football. He prefers it to be a collective eff ort. PHOTO BY NIRMALENDU MAJUMDAR/AMES TRIBUNE

Despite it all, Montgomery had limited offers with Illinois, Toledo, Miami (Ohio) and Marshall ranking chief among them. “He had to fight for every inch growing up and nothing was given to him, even a scholarship to play football,” Scheelhaase, who was on staff at Illinois in 2015, told the Tribune. “He was a guy that deserved to have offers from everybody in the country.” Stars aligned when Campbell took the ISU job. He saw Montgomery as not only a positional need, but an integral part of what he hoped to do to change the fortunes at ISU. “The moment he got his new position at Iowa State, he called me and said come take your official visit,” Montgomery said. “I

committed. Boom, Iowa State.”

FINDING A WAY

Montgomery doesn’t want to be the face of ISU football. He prefers it to be a collective effort. Whether he likes it or not, he was the driving force and oft-discussed catalyst behind Campbell’s culture change. The idea to walk into the Bergstrom Football Complex on Friday nights wasn’t born out of prodding by coaches or checking things off a to-do list. It came from the idea that if work wasn’t being done, then the opportunity to get better didn’t exist. “I just wanted to get better,” he said. “Me sitting on my tail wasn’t going to get me there, so I found a way. That’s one of the ways that

helped me initiate that to find other ways to get better. You don’t have to be working out. Get in the film room. Know your opponent. What can you do better?” Montgomery is often known for going into the film room on Saturday nights, even after games. Sometimes he’ll be at the facility until 3 a.m., even if he’s alone. The art of breaking down film is something he learned over time, and has been able to relay to teammates into position meetings. “He points out the little things I may not have caught,” redshirt freshman Johnnie Lang said. “It might be a shade or we might have to run a play toward that shade. He’d be like, OK if the shade moves over here we’ll hit the ball right here.

“Coach Scheelhaase actually has to break it down so the whole room understands it. That impacts us as a room, and we get better because of it.” Montgomery had one fumble in 294 touches — a controversial ruling in the fourth quarter of the Liberty Bowl — and starred against Texas Tech, West Virginia, Oklahoma State and Baylor, rushing for at least 105 yards in each. He also had seven catches for 89 yards against Oklahoma. His biggest strength continues to be his versatility. “You can’t just hit him and except him to go down,” TCU linebacker Ty Summers said. “You’ve got to bring something with you and you’ve got to wrap up. There was one play I’m pretty sure he broke like six tackles and it was like, ‘OK, what are we doing?’ He’s a really physical dude and a strong dude.” Another stellar year could mean Montgomery departs early for the NFL, but good luck getting him to put much thought into that idea right now. Throughout his life, he has balanced an ability to look into the future and take interest in his well-being without compromising the present. The dog days of summer are over, and Montgomery is trading the scenery of a fishing rod at Big Creek for a notebook and projector screen inside the running backs room of the Bergstrom complex. “What he is in terms of worker, attitude, commitment to be the best version of himself,” Campbell said, “that’s never wavered and nothing has surprised me of why he’s been able to have great success. There are great things to come from David Montgomery.”

ISU FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Sunday, August 26, 2018

ISU FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Staff continuity, player versatility shape Cyclones defense Iowa State’s defensive coordinator Jon Heacock.

By Dylan Montz, Staff Writer dmontz@amestrib.com

It’s 11:30 at night in early August when the Iowa State defensive football coaches gather in the meeting room inside the team facility. Even after a couple of preseason practices without pads, defensive coordinator Jon Heacock and his assistants sat in the room and brainstormed about what needs to be tweaked. The defensive staff is going into its fifth year together and has developed a shorthand with one another. There is no shortcutting the evaluation process, though. ISU found its identity midway through last season on defense, often powering the team to wins and ultimately an 8-5 record — the highest win total for the program since 2000. Varying backgrounds and experiences tell all of those coaches the same thing: they have to continue to adjust to the changing dynamic of the roster or risk falling behind. Those late-night meetings pay dividends in October and November. “We found an identity as the season went on last year,” Campbell said, “and that took about a year and four games for us to kind of anchor in to what is our identity on the defensive side of the football. Being able to create an identity, having an ability to get better as the season went on, I think there’s a lot of confidence in that room right now.” ISU does have a blueprint to

PHOTO BY NIRMALENDU MAJUMDAR/ AMES TRIBUNE

plug holes and fill gaps where needed, despite its evolving group of players. Linebackers Joel Lanning and three senior safeties are gone, but the Cyclones have proven foundational pieces in Ray Lima, JaQuan Bailey, Willie Harvey, Marcel Spears, Brian Peavy and D’Andre Payne. ISU is finding its base in a four-man front with Bailey, Lima, Jamahl Johnson and Enyi Uwazurike early through fall camp, but the multiplicity that Campbell preaches isn’t gone. Last season was experimental in a sense with coaches and players adjusting mid-season. “Everybody knows that there are no egos in there,” Heacock told the Ames Tribune. “There are no

feelings that get hurt. We’re trying to figure out how to get somebody stopped and give our team success. “I think that’s the blessing of the room I’m in with Coach (Eli Rasheed) and (Tyson) Veidt and D.K. (McDonald) and the young coaches in there. There are no egos. We look at the film and say, ‘Man, that’s not working, OK,’ and somebody says, ‘We did this one place so let’s try this.’” Heacock, who has been a defensive coordinator or head coach all but one year since 1992, didn’t utilize much of the threeman front scheme in his previous coaching stops. McDonald and Veidt did. Even after a 27-point win

against Akron, ISU was looking for a way to shore up its defensive inconsistencies, so talks started to center on a cloud coverage that gave linebackers freedom to make plays and defensive backs help against heavy passing teams. “I think I got lucky at the right place at the right time with a lot of the right people,” said defensive lineman Ray Lima, who was asked to go against a number of doubleteams with the defensive switch. “I feel like player/coach relationship, we have a lot of trust with them. So when they put in something it’s not like, ‘Why are we doing this?’ It’s like, ‘OK, let’s see how this will work.’ “We put in a three-man front during the Texas game, so that’s definitely when it just started, ‘Man, pass-rush is getting a little different, run-blocks are getting a little different.’ It just kind of stayed consistent.” ISU faced a two-touchdown deficit against Oklahoma when the defensive found its rhythm. The Cyclones allowed just 210 yards and seven points after halftime, falling on a fumble inside their own 5-yard line and stopping Baker Mayfield and the Sooners on fourth down late in the game. After a 45-0 thrashing of Kansas, Spears secured an interception return for a touchdown at Texas Tech to put the game out of reach with a showdown against TCU up next. The Horned Frogs committed three turnovers, including another game-sealing interception by Spears, to push

ISU to a 6-2 record. “It was unique, it was a lot of fun and we were all learning and working together with the guys as we were doing it,” Veidt told the Tribune. “That’s what made it a lot of fun for our guys too. As we’ve done this, they’ve certainly felt a sense of ownership on the defense. That’s what you need. You need great attitude on defense and that’s what we have right now.” ISU still has a few questions going into the season — mainly who is providing help in the middle of the linebacker corps and what safety rotation could look like — but has built depth along the line and within the cornerback room. Versatility remains the Cyclones’ biggest ally, with most of the linemen — minus Lima — showcasing an ability to flex inside or outside when needed. “We’re going to have the ability to show a lot of different things, and help put ourselves in the best situations to eliminate matchup concerns that maybe would exist in the game,” Campbell said. “But (it) also gives us the ability to create matchup concerns from a defensive standpoint, which is maybe the first time we’ve been able to do that defensively since we’ve been here.” With a year of film to study, teams will almost certainly find holes to exploit ISU’s cloud defense. If history has shown anything though, the continuity and experience of the Cyclones’ coaches means they’ll keep innovating to stay one step ahead.

ISU FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Sunday, August 26, 2018

KemptPeavyEatonPayneHarveyMitchellRoseNarveson

DowningMorton

Five most impactful seniors and ﬁ ve most intriguing true freshmen 5 MOST IMPACTFUL SENIORS

30 pass breakups and five interceptions in his career.

two pass breakups in 12 games played last season.

1. KYLE KEMPT

3. MATT EATON

5. WILLIE HARVEY

Following a 5-3 record as a starter with a single-season completion percentage record (66.3), Kempt is back for his sixth collegiate season with an added 15 pounds on his frame. Experience and a full year as a starter should give him an even more confident presence in the pocket.

2. BRIAN PEAVY

A first-team All-Big 12 selection and solid junior season saw Peavy flirt with leaving for the NFL early, but his experience for the defense as a senior with a few holes to fill will be invaluable. He has 34 career starts, 232 tackles,

Eaton was a key reserve in all 13 games last season, but was able to shed nagging injuries from his career. At 6-foot-4 and 211 pounds, he’s expected to start on the outside alongside Hakeem Butler after a year in which he had 21 catches for 208 yards and four touchdowns.

4. D’ANDRE PAYNE

Payne provides stability opposite Peavy at cornerback after bouncing back and forth between safety and corner early in his career. He had 48 tackles, six tackles for loss with an interception and

Harvey had arguably his best season as a junior on the outside next to Joel Lanning and should be an anchor for the unit as a senior. He showed the ability to play in space last year and at 6-foot and 224 pounds, has the size to fit gaps behind the blossoming defensive line.

5 MOST INTRIGUING TRUE FRESHMAN 1. RE-AL MITCHELL

Mitchell was perhaps the most talked about freshman since his arrival last spring with a track record as dynamic runner and cerebral player. Don’t be

surprised to see him on the field in a special offensive package at some point this season.

with receivers and be disruptive in a reserve role behind the seniors.

2. TREVOR DOWNING

4. MIKE ROSE

Downing had offers from Iowa and Minnesota before landing at ISU and immediately gave the Cyclones a big body inside. He’s 6-foot-4 and 304 pounds as a 19-year-old, and under the new redshirt rule could see a few game reps this fall after graduating high school a semester early.

3. JAEVEYON MORTON

Morton thrust himself into the conversation for a spot in the cornerbacks rotation shortly after his arrival this summer. At 5-foot-9 and 180 pounds, he won’t overwhelm opponents with size, but has the ability to stick

Rose is solidly built at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, and has taken reps as a potential candidate to fill the middle linebacker opening. The Brecksville, Ohio native had 53 tackles and 10 tackles for loss as a high school senior for Brecksville-Broadview.

5. BRAYDEN NARVESON

Narveson is in the middle of a placekicking competition with senior Chris Francis, though the winner won’t be decided publicly until game week. He was 10 of 15 on field goal attempts as a senior in high school with a long of 58 yards.

SEPTEMBER 1: SOUTH DAKOTA STATE SEPTEMBER 8: AT IOWA SEPTEMBER 15: OKLAHOMA SEPTEMBER 22: AKRON SEPTEMBER 29: AT TCU OCTOBER 6: AT OKLAHOMA STATE

OCTOBER 13: WEST VIRGINIA OCTOBER 27: TEXAS TECH (HOMECOMING) NOVEMBER 3: AT KANSAS NOVEMBER 10: BAYLOR NOVEMBER 17: AT TEXAS NOVEMBER 24: KANSAS STATE

CYCLONE FOOTBALL 2018 SEASON SCHEDULE

ILLUSTRATION BY CARMEN CERRA/AMES TRIBUNE

2018 IOWA STATE FOOTBALL

ISU FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Intelligence, skill give Ames native Colin Newell early ISU shot By Dylan Montz, Staff Writer dmontz@amestrib.com

Colin Newell hasn’t stopped to contemplate the moment, or take a second to ponder what will be going through his family members’ minds. All he wants to do is focus on what’s right in front of him. Soon enough, though, the thing in front the Ames High grad could be trotting into Jack Trice Stadium as a starter for the team he idolized. For his parents, John and Vickie, to hear his hometown and name be announced in the Iowa State football starting lineup is something they could have only dreamed of. There isn’t much of a desire to surrender to that moment, though. At least for now, he squashes the conversation he is the clear-cut starting center for the Cyclones and instead turns inward to Matt Campbell’s oftdiscussed process. “We’ve got a lot of practice before that,” Newell said sincerely. “Every day, I’ve just got to come out and work my butt off. The time will come, and we’ll deal with it then.” That sense of intelligence and acceptance of process is exactly what opened coaches’ eyes to his worth late last fall. Newell, at 6-foot-4 and 292 pounds, developed during his first year as a guard and center, but started to show he could be the answer in the middle if ISU moved Julian Good-Jones outside to fill a gap. Spring drills proved

Iowa State off ensive lineman Collin Newell. PHOTO BY NIRMALENDU MAJUMDAR/AMES TRIBUNE

it was more than a possibility, but almost a certainty. “Colin has really rolled into this camp and done a nice job of continuing to learn the playbook, continuing to learn the ins

and outs of playing center,” offensive line coach Jeff Myers said. “He’s only going to continue to get better. For a young guy playing the way he is right now, there is a lot of positive ahead.”

Newell, who grew up a rabid ISU fan who sold programs on game day, was drawn to ISU from the onset of his recruitment. When Campbell and Co. arrived in Ames and honored the offer Paul Rhoads’ staff extended to the hometown kid, it was done so knowing he would fit the mold of what they envisioned the offensive line to be in the years ahead. “The idea that he can play both positions is a credit to his intelligence and center is a credit to his intelligence and athleticism,” Ames High football coach Bruce Vertanen told the Ames Tribune this spring. “Centers make a lot of calls at the line of scrimmage identifying fronts. Those classroom marts and his attention to detail, that’s a perfect position for him.” Newell is polite and soft-spoken off the field. When he steps on the gridiron — or on the high school wrestling mat when he was a two-time Iowa state meet qualifier — he finds his mean streak. His teammate with the biggest reputation for a nasty streak saw it from day one. “A great guy,” redshirt sophomore left guard Josh Mueller said of Newell. “He knows how to work. “He’s very violent, and I think that’s how O-linemen should play.” The trick for most offensive linemen, and especially a center, is to find that balance of nastiness and intellect. Newell, who was ISU’s offensive scout team player of the year last fall, makes

the reads and checks at the line quickly followed by his explosion after the snap. Newell subscribes to the idea that repetition is the mother of all learning. Once he dove headfirst into playing center, he worked on the nuance of the position. Snapping was new. The stance was new. The communication with the left and right guards, also new. “I never had a squared stance before,” Newell said. “I’d always been a tackle growing up. Going to a squared stance was something at first that was really weird to get used to. Snapping the ball and having someone’s head up over you. I’ve been able to feel like I’ve developed a little bit, but I have a lot more to go.” There was no a-ha moment in his growth in his new position. Newell’s trajectory has been steady but noticeable. Working with Good-Jones, who is expected to start in a new position for the third-straight year, and seeing his versatility has been an asset. That capacity to learn is what makes him a good fit at center right now, but is something that could make him a force by the time his career is over. The kid who remembers watching Seneca Wallace and the 2011 Oklahoma State and Iowa games is ready to live out his ISU dream. “He’s not perfect, and I’m not ready to crown him king,” Campbell said this spring, “but I also know that he’s a really special young man to be able to do what he’s done at this level in a short amount of time.”

ISU FOOTBALL PREVIEW | Sunday, August 26, 2018

ISU FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Ray Lima enacts change in life, Cyclones defense By Dylan Montz

Staff Writer dmontz@amestrib.com

Ray Lima didn’t know what he should do next or where he should go. All he knew was sitting at home was taking its toll on him. A couple of years earlier, he starred at Torrance West, a suburban high school outside Los Angeles, in a role that eventually took turns he didn’t envision as a kid. Whenever childhood dreams of an NFL career crossed his mind, Lima always saw himself as a durable, physical running back. “That didn’t work out,” Lima said with a grin. “I played tight end and fullback in high school. I was much skinnier then. My average weight to my senior year was like 220. So I didn’t gain all this weight until I went to junior college.” Before a junior-college career materialized, and long before Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell brought him on board as a key cog in reshaping the Cyclones’ defense, Lima was at home and didn’t know what to do after high school. An ACL injury delayed a college football career, so the 220-pound former fullback/ tight end/defensive end started to eat. Depression took over, and six months later, Lima was nearing 290 pounds with an uncertain future. Around the winter holidays,

something clicked. He wouldn’t let his injury define him or his future. “I spent a whole six months after high school doing nothing,” he said. “I was really good at something before. What was motivating me was my parents and showing them I could do something for them with how hard they worked at my sports in high school. I was kind of letting it go, so they were my biggest motivators, my parents.” Lima is quiet and unassuming. His humility, combined with his size and skill, is exactly what makes him arguably ISU’s most indispensable along the defensive front. A tally of 25 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and two quarterback hurries doesn’t cause many to turn for second and third looks at the 6-foot-3, 302-pound nose guard, but his impact beyond the numbers is surely felt. When the Cyclones went to their three-man defensive front more regularly after the third game in 2017, it meant Lima would be sacrificing his numbers for others. He was met with double teams on nearly every snap and paved the way for Joel Lanning, Marcel Spears and Willie Harvey to invade the backfield. JaQuan Bailey was able to play more freely. Simply put, he was the key to unlock the floodgates. Continued on following page

Defensive lineman Ray Lima. PHOTO BY NIRMALENDU MAJUMDAR/ AMES TRIBUNE

ISU FOOTBALL PREVIEW

“Ray is a different species,” Harvey said. “He makes your job so much easier because he has to get double-teamed or he’s going to be in the backfield. It’s just nice for the linebackers.” Once his health and motivation returned, Lima made his way to El Camino Community College in 2015 with his eyes on defense. He always knew whenever he got to school, he’d play on that side of the ball, but envisioned himself on the edge as a pass rusher. Again, fate intervened. Lima knew he would be asked to move to the middle when the team ran a three-man front, but the exclusivity of playing inside caught him off guard. It proved to be a blessing in disguise. He flourished. After his freshman year, was a top-40 JUCO prospect by 247Sports and Scout while posting 59 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks in 2015 before taking a redshirt year in 2016 — preserving three years of eligibility for his Division I home. Power Five schools started to take notice, including ISU.

Sunday, August 26, 2018

“Everybody fell in love with that young man through the recruiting process, and when he was with us for those 48 hours, you didn’t want him to go home.” Matt Campbell, Iowa State football coach

An Aug. 7 official visit to Ames opened Lima’s eyes to Campbell and Co. “That was the one I was going to go with no matter what,” Lima said. “That was the team that was going to give me my shot again. Coming to Iowa State for the first (official visit), that was my first official visit ever. I didn’t have any expectations of committing to anybody. I was just there getting ready to eat because I had people in the past tell me how it was.” The third-year ISU coach won’t forget that commitment, either.

Just like David Montgomery’s arrival signaled a change for the offense, Lima was his defensive counterpart. “To get him, a person of his magnitude, not the player of his magnitude at that time, but a person of his magnitude was profound,” Campbell said. “Everybody fell in love with that young man through the recruiting process, and when he was with us for those 48 hours, you didn’t want him to go home. “Little of it had to do with the football player. Everything of it had to do with the person.”

Ahead of the Dec. 14 signing date in 2016, Lima got a recruiting blitz from TCU and California in attempts to secure a flip. Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson, according to a 247Sports report, made a home visit with Lima less than two weeks before signing day. When Cal pushed to bring Lima to campus for a visit, he communicated with ISU. What Campbell told him is something he’ll never forget. “I thought it would be, ‘You’re committed to us, why are you doing this?’” Lima said “But

Campbell told me straight up on the phone, ‘If you don’t go to Cal, I don’t want you to come here. If you don’t go check it out and show your family what that is, I don’t want you to come here next year.’ “For me, that was big. This guy looked out for the best in me and that’s really what enabled me to make my decision and trust in my decision.” Four days after the mid-year signing date, Lima made his decision official and was bound for Ames. Immediate expectations were placed on him, but he proved to be the force behind the renaissance of the defense that gutted out wins against TCU and Memphis among others last year. Expectations exist for Lima again in his redshirt junior season, but he doesn’t play for awards, numbers or statistics. They don’t seem as important when he remembers the depths of what he faced four years ago. “One big thing for me is I get the opportunity that a lot of people don’t,” Lima said. “So it’s just trying to take every opportunity as best I can.”

ISU FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Sunday, August 26, 2018

REMEMBERING THE 2017 LIBERTY BOWL

Iowa State defensive end J.D. Waggoner pursues Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson. FILE PHOTO BY LUKE LU/SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE

The Iowa State football team celebrates after winning the Liberty Bowl against Memphis on Dec. 30, 2017. ISU beat Memphis 21-20. This was the third appearance and first win by the Cyclones at the Liberty Bowl. FILE PHOTO BY LUKE LU/SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE Iowa State senior wide receiver Allen Lazard dives for a catch in the Cyclones win against 19thranked Memphis.

Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell argues a call with an official during the game. FILE PHOTO BY LUKE LU/SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE

FILE PHOTO BY LUKE LU/ SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE

ISU FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Sunday, August 26, 2018

ISU FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Sunday, August 26, 2018

BAYLOR

IOWA STATE

KANSAS

KANSAS STATE

OKLAHOMA

2017 RECORD:1-11 (1-8) STORYLINE: Things hit bottom for the Bears as they tried to move on from the scandal of the Art Briles era in Matt Rhule’s first season at the helm. Quarterback Charlie Brewer’s play down the stretch is reason for optimism that things could begin to trend back upward this season.

2017 RECORD:8-5 (5-4) STORYLINE: Expectations are high in Ames after the program’s first bowl in since 2009, but the Cyclones do have a few questions to answer on defense and along the offensive line. David Montgomery might be the best running back in the country, and how well the offense performs around him could determine if ISU is in line for a special season.

2017 RECORD:1-11 (0-9) STORYLINE: David Beaty is back for a fourth season despite being 3-33 as the Jayhawks’ head coach, and there will be pressure on him, if not to win to at least show Kansas can be competitive. There isn’t a ton of reason for hope along those lines, however. With a new athletic director at Kansas, Beaty is unequivocally coaching for his job.

2017 RECORD:8-5 (5-4) STORYLINE: Bill Snyder remains at the helm in Manhattan for his one millionth season — or at least if feels like that for the Hall of Fame coach who will turn 79 this year. The Wildcats should have an interesting offense with options at quarterback and what should be a strong offensive line.

2017 RECORD:12-2 (8-1) STORYLINE: Even without Baker Mayfield, the Sooners are the Big 12 favorites and may have the best quarterback in the league with former five-star recruit Kyler Murray, who already signed a multi-million dollar contract to join the Oakland Athletics in the MLB after football. If Murray is the real deal, look for the Sooners to be in playoff contention.

OKLAHOMA STATE

TEXAS

TCU

TEXAS TECH

WEST VIRGINIA

2017 RECORD:10-3 (6-3) STORYLINE: The Cowboys have established themselves among the Big 12’s elite, but they have questions at quarterback this season, which will likely determine whether or not they finish in the upper crust of the standings this season. The offense has talent, but they’ll need a steady hand to guide them.

2017 RECORD:7-6 (5-4) STORYLINE: Texas’ strength is its defense, and the Longhorns should be good enough on that side of the ball to be highly competitive this season. Coach Tom Herman, though, is known for his offense, and how he and Texas are judged — and how many wins they accumulate — will likely come down to how much progress is made on that side of the ball.

2017 RECORD:11-3 (7-2) STORYLINE: Ben Banogu leads a Horned Frog defense that is expected to be an absolute menace this season. TCU may have one of the best defenses in the country. However, the offense is a major question mark with a new offensive line and a quarterback, Shawn Robinson, with limited experience.

2017 RECORD:6-7 (3-6) STORYLINE: It wasn’t long ago that Kliff Kingsbury was one of the country’s up-andcoming stars, but the Red Raiders have fallen on hard times. If things don’t reverse trend this year, Texas Tech is looking at firing a oncewildly popular alum and starting over.

2017 RECORD:7-6 (5-4) STORYLINE: Will Grier is healthy and has a ton of weapons, meaning the Mountaineer quarterback could be in line for a huge season. West Virginia figures to be Oklahoma’s chief competition for league supremacy this season, and the Mountaineers will get their shot at the Sooners in the regular-season finale in Morgantown.

ISU FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Sunday, August 26, 2018

ISU FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Sunday, August 26, 2018