Iowa State's Sam B. Richardson trails only TCU's Trevone Boykin among Big 12 quarterbacks in experience.
On top of 21 starts, Richardson owns several Iowa State records, including completions in a game and in a season.
But this season, the Ames Tribune's Bobby La Gesse writes that Richardson is after the one statistic that has eluded him.
Victories.
According to La Gesse, Richardson is well aware of his 0-15 record as the Cyclones' starting quarterback in Big 12 games.
"There is a lot of opportunities where we had leads in games and had opportunities to put teams away, and we didn’t take advantage of those," Richardson told La Gesse during Big 12 media days. "I think it’s just gaining that confidence when we go out and win the games."
Gaining confidence early in the season will be critical for Iowa State before Big 12 play begins. But the Cyclones have a manageable opening Big 12 schedule with Kansas and Texas Tech, which finished ninth and eighth in the league last season, respectively. If the Cyclones can avoid falling to an FCS opponent in the opener for the third year in a row, they could generate some momentum through the first month of the season.
Coach Paul Rhoads told me last week during the Big 12 media days that with Richardson behind center, the Cyclones can do just that. Especially considering how Richardson has developed mentally just in the past year.
"It's the first time in seven years we’ve had a fifth-year senior at the helm; first time we’ve had a QB as talented as him," Rhoads said. "He has the intangible things. But he's grown up a lot the last two years, and realized the importance of that. Sam by nature is a laid-back guy. I think in his sophomore and junior years, he thought he could be his personality, and be laid-back and not have that fire, that vocal and still be the leader of the team. I think he’s realized he can’t. He's realized he’s got to speak up.
"We’ve seen it this summer, his teammates have seen it this summer."
Iowa State's best years have usually coincided with having prolific quarterbacks. The Cyclones were ranked as high as No. 9 in the polls in 2002; that year they had Seneca Wallace. They went 9-3 in 2000 and won the Insight Bowl; that year they had Sage Rosenfels. And in 1972, Iowa State went to its second ever bowl; QB George Amundson was the Big 8 Offensive Player of the Year.
"Those are the big years in Iowa State football," Rhoads said. "Can Sam be that type of guy with this particular team?
"We believe he can."