• Video: ISU coach Paul Rhoads at Big 12 media days:
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DALLAS — Iowa State's Austen Arnaud bounced around the visiting locker room at Memorial Stadium last fall, celebrating a historic victory that should have been the highlight of his playing career.
Except he didn't play. Arnaud couldn't grip a football that Saturday.
Running back Alexander Robinson wasn't even allowed to suit up on that cloudy and chilly October afternoon. His groin injury posed too much of a risk.
Defensive end Rashawn Parker had surgery to repair a torn ACL earlier that week. He was on his couch.
Arnaud, Robinson and Parker were Iowa State's hand-picked representatives at Big 12 media days in Dallas. And none of them had any on-the-field role in the Cyclones' memorable upset on Oct. 24.
But all three of those ISU seniors will never forget that 9-7 victory at Nebraska last year.
“Pretty much indescribable,” Robinson said. “The feeling in the locker room afterward, it was just amazing. A lot of joy, a lot of excitement, a feeling of something special, something great.”
That celebratory locker room scene was captured on video and posted on YouTube, where it has tallied more than 267,000 views.
In the clip, Arnaud is leading chants. Coach Paul Rhoads is fighting off tears. Water bottles are being treated the same way champagne's often utilized by champions.
“There was a lot that went into that game,” Rhoads said, “and that's the reason why it was so emotional.”
Besides the fact that Iowa State won without several of its leaders — like Arnaud, Robinson and Parker — many of the key contributors that day were battling illness or injury. Arnaud said four or five players flew separately to keep teammates from developing similar flu-like symptoms.
Plus, there's the historical significance of the win (Iowa State hadn't won in Lincoln since 1977 and hadn't won a conference road game in four years). There's the midseason impact (ISU was one victory away from becoming bowl eligible after defeating NU).
Oh, and the Cyclones don't like the Huskers very much, either.
“That game's kind of become a rivalry game for us and our fan base,” Parker said. “Our fans are always talking about the Nebraska game. It's one game that our fans circle on the schedule. It has a rivalry game atmosphere whenever we play each other.”
And now probably more so this year than any other.
Nebraska never treats its annual matchup with Iowa State like a season-maker. But Robinson knows that the Huskers likely want revenge for last year's embarrassment. They committed eight turnovers that day. They'll have something to prove when the teams meet up in Ames, Iowa, on Nov. 6.
“It's going to be an intense game,” Robinson said. “The vibe we had last year, it was a big game for us. I'm sure they'll be fired up, ready to go.”
And this time, the Cyclones hope they're a little closer to full strength. Arnaud doesn't want to miss this game again.
“It will be exciting to have them come to Ames one last time,” he said. “That definitely is a motivating factor.”
Contact the writer:
402-473-9585, jon.nyatawa@owh.com
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