Iowa State shows major flaws in opening loss to FCS team Northern Iowa

AMES, Iowa – Nothing seems assured for Iowa State after it lost to FCS school Northern Iowa last weekend.

The lower-tier Panthers exposed issues on both sides of the ball for the inexperienced Cyclones, who showed that those who picked them to finish ninth in the Big 12 might end up being right.

At least Iowa State has an extra week to fix what went wrong before hosting Iowa on Sept. 14.

Defensive coordinator Wally Burnham says missed alignments and tackles plagued his unit.

The Cyclones' offensive line struggled to establish the run or protect quarterback Sam Richardson, who sprained his ankle late in the game.

Offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham says Richardson will be ready to play by the time the Hawkeyes visit Ames.