Iowa State football head coach Matt Campbell speaks during the Cyclones Tailgate Tour at the MidAmerican Energy RecPlex on Thursday, May 9, 2024, in West Des Moines, Iowa. © Nirmalindu Majumdar/Ames Tribune/USA Today Network
Bella -Each additional weight plate rattles with greater resonance.
The grunts, groans and screams required for another repeat, one final push, were a rhythmic soundtrack to a young man. “Matt Campbell”A daunting task: to get bigger, stronger and tougher as the summer sun shines outside the Mount Union weight room.
“I loved the summer as a player because it was the only time I felt like I could separate myself from the competition,” Iowa State’s head football coach said at a Tailgate Tour stop at Tamory Hall. “That’s what I talk about a lot with our kids. Everyone gets that block. Sometimes we think we’re the only ones in winter conditioning, or spring training, but everyone gets it, but not everyone uses that time the same way.”
The Campbell Cyclones will enter the strength and conditioning period this summer on a strength-based mission, something their head coach did during the Division III Purple Raiders’ championship run from 1999-2002.
ISU returns 19 starters from last season’s team that went 7-6 overall and 6-3 in the Big 12 while reaching a bowl game for the sixth time in the past seven years. So this summer could pave the way for further progress as the Hurricanes seek to fully compete for a conference title for the first time since reaching the league championship game in 2000.
“You say, ‘What’s exciting about this team?’” Campbell said. “Man, they’re looking at what it takes to take the next step. And to be able to have those conversations about building a feature and using it for 8 to 12 weeks is better than someone in Lawrence, Kansas, or someone in Stillwater, Oklahoma — how do you separate Yourself about the group? I think our kids are hungry to do it. I as a player was hungry to do it. I as a coach loved that aspect of it, to be completely honest with you.
The summer strength and conditioning session gives players their last chance to build several pounds of muscle while adhering to a detailed and precise nutrition plan. In the fall, those efforts tend to pay off in the form of fewer hits, more depth and the ability to stay fresh for four quarters. All of this, in turn, creates opportunities for more wins, turning winning seasons into even more amazing ones.
“We were very young (last season) and we just kept growing, and I think one area you can see the guys growing is physical,” Campbell said. “I think there’s a whole other revolution even in the 12 weeks before we go back into August which I think is hugely important for our football team. You can’t miss this one.”
However, ISU players can enjoy some time off. Most tornadoes have returned home after the spring season and won’t return until the end of Memorial Day weekend. They will then quickly delve into the grueling slate of summer workouts, building momentum for one of the most eagerly anticipated seasons in ISU football in recent memory.
“This group is still very small,” Campbell said. “And I don’t think anyone feels like they’ve arrived.”
Not even the quarterback Rocco Beckett, Who was named Big 12 Offensive Rookie of the Year last season. especially Not Bechet, who is his harshest critic.
“The guys around me are building my confidence every day,” Bichette said during spring training. “It just helps me during the season as well.”
The schedule for this season is setting up positively after all summer training was halted. Five of the Cyclones’ Big 12 games will be at Jack Trice Stadium and only three will be true road games. ISU will also enjoy two bye weeks, giving coaches more flexibility in planning for the season as the noise of the weight room fades and the roar of the crowd looms.
“What I like about scheduling is you can change up fall camp a little bit because you play two games and then you have a bye,” Campbell said. “You know there’s a five-game set, and then you get a chance to re-evaluate, and then you get a five-week sprint to a (potential) conference championship game. We’re really excited. Most of my excitement goes back to this young team (and) what we’ve been up to.” So I think last year could have gone one or two ways, and I think the number of young kids who got great experience and playing time and the opportunity to gain confidence, I think that was huge for us.
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