Richardson gets game one start

The close race for Iowa State's starting quarterback position has been decided - for the season opener against North Dakota State anyway.

Junior Sam Richardson emerged as the number one following Saturday's second scrimmage of the fall, head coach Paul Rhoads said Monday. The Floridian was the Cyclones' starter for eight games last season before finally yielding, in large part due to a nagging injury, to Grant Rohach down the stretch of the 2014 campaign. Richardson threw for almost 1,400 yards last season but was never quite the same after being injured. It was an injury that, according to Rhoads, was far worse than either he or his quarterback publicly acknowledged at the time.

Rohach will be the no. 2 QB for Iowa State going into the season opener on August 30. He led the Cyclones to two victories to end the 3-9 season of a year ago after taking the reins from Richardson. Rohach is a sophomore from Moorpark, Calif.

Rhoads said poise and leadership were two intangibles that worked in Richardson's favor in the tight position duel with Rohach.

"Sam has displayed great leadership and that certainly includes poise in the pocket where he has been very much in control of our offense and of himself," Rhoads said. "His understanding of the scheme and his decision making has really grown in the last two weeks, and maybe as much as anything, he is throwing a great ball, an accurate ball, a tight ball and a catchable ball."