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Matt Campbell invigorates struggling Cyclones

Sports

August 15th, 2016 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Rookie Iowa State coach Matt Campbell has already invigorated a program starved for signs of hope. Turning that enthusiasm into sustained success will be a much tougher task. Campbell, just 36 and the youngest Power Five coach in the country, has given a team long stuck in the Big 12 basement plenty of reasons to believe in his vision.

Campbell pulled together one of the best recruiting classes in recent memory last winter despite an extremely late start, and his 2017 class is currently among the top in the Big 12. Campbell has also promised flashy new uniforms — and he and his staff’s ability to navigate social media has only added to the notion that Campbell is the key to a bright future for the Cyclones.

But Iowa State has won just five games over the past two seasons, and it’ll have to replace nearly its entire offensive line from 2015. The Cyclones open the season on September 3rd against Northern Iowa.