For The Associated Press
AMES, Iowa (AP) -Iowa State is getting ready to go on the road and the Cyclones know what that means.
Everyone is reminding them again of just how long it’s been since they’ve won a road game.
The Cyclones have lost 13 straight away from home heading into Saturday night’s Big 12 game at Baylor. Only one other major-college team in the country has a longer stretch of futility on the road; UAB has lost 17 straight away games. SMU matches Iowa State with 13 straight.
So why is it the Cyclones struggle so much on the road?
“I don’t know,” ISU coach Gene Chizik said Monday. “We’ve certainly had our chances on the road since I’ve been here to win games.”
M on Oct. 29, 2005.
e done these past three games.
“We’re not worried about the road. We know we can win, we want to win, we’re going to play to win. We just have to execute what we need to do down in Waco on Saturday.”
After starting the season 2-0, Iowa State has lost at Iowa, at UNLV in overtime and at home last week to No. 16 Kansas, falling 35-33 after leading 20-0 at halftime.
The losses to Iowa and UNLV were perfect examples of what Chizik meant when he said the Cyclones had chances to win on the road.
They squandered several good scoring chances in their 17-5 loss at Iowa. A week later, they took a 31-28 lead over UNLV in overtime, then gave up a 25-yard touchdown pass on the Rebels’ first play of the extra session.
Last year, Iowa State led at Toledo 35-24 with 5:08 left, only to lose 36-35.
“We’ve just got to be more focused,” defensive end Rashawn Parker said. “Obviously it’s fun playing out here in front of our fans. We’ve just got to execute the game plan like we do at home. Carry that to road games and we’ll win more games.”
Chizik said he doesn’t think the Cyclones have lost just because they’ve been away from home. He thinks mistakes and sloppy play have more to do with it than the environment.
to lose games. I don’t think it’s a focus problem.”
The Cyclones have enjoyed some success at Baylor. While they’re just 9-39 in Big 12 road games since the conference was formed in 1996, three of those victories have come at Baylor, most recently in 2004.
With three losses this year by a combined 17 points, another victory at Baylor would ease a lot of angst among the Cyclones.
“It would prove what we already feel, that we’re a good team,” linebacker Fred Garrin said. “We need to put four quarters together like Coach tells us.”
The Cyclones didn’t do that against Kansas and it cost them, even though Arnaud put up career-high numbers for attempts (45), completions (27), yards (268) and touchdowns (3). He took every snap that game after alternating with Phillip Bates in the first four games.
Chizik was quick to point out that doesn’t mean the coaching staff has lost faith in Bates or is thinking of putting him at another position. Bates played wide receiver last year and is the Cyclones’ second-leading rusher this season.
Arnaud stayed in because he was playing well and moving the team, Chizik said.
“We’re not moving Phillip to tailback or wideout,” he said. “He is a quarterback. That doesn’t mean Phillip is not going to play. That’s the way the circumstances unfolded that particular day. We will make those decisions as the games go on from here on out.”
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