AMES - On the field, Austen Arnaud remains a largely unproven commodity.

But, at the very least, he proved on Monday that he can handle the media crush.

In his first press conference since being announced as Iowa State's starting signal-caller over the weekend, Arnaud deftly evaded questions of a possible quarterback controversy.

"I've definitely been waiting for this all my life - now that it's here on Thursday, I just can't wait," said the Ames native, whose squad opens its season against FCS foe South Dakota State. The Cyclones are favored by around 10-1/2 points by most oddsmakers for the 7 p.m. contest.

Despite Arnaud's excitement, Cyclone coach Gene Chizik made it clear that he hasn't completely sewn up a full-time starting position. Another sophomore, Phillip Bates, simply has too much athleticism to keep bottled up, the coach noted.

"Sometimes the word is 'If you've got two quarterbacks, you've got no quarterbacks,'" Chizik noted. "That's not true; we've got no quarterbacks that have a lot of experience. But we feel good about both of 'em.

"And we're gonna play both of 'em."

The second-year ISU coach said Bates could still "absolutely" win the starting job later this season.

"We're both gonna play regardless, just because Phillip is so talented," Arnaud acknowledged, trying to sound as upbeat as possible about his position battle with Bates, an Omaha, Neb., native.

"I think we're gonna have a little two-headed monster in our offense. And I think that's gonna be good for us."

Conventional football thinking suggests a two-quarterback system can't work. Yet, while some Cyclone fans might shudder at the thought - with images of the 1-15, Troy Aikman/Steve Walsh-led 1989 Dallas Cowboys dancing in their head - the occasional college team has disproven that theory in recent years.

Last year, for instance, Virginia Tech, utilizing both Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor virtually equally under center, went 5-0 to end the regular season, and ended the year with 11 wins. Unfortunately for the Cyclones, who went 3-9 last year, that Virginia Tech team fielded far more talent than they currently do.

Fortunately for the Cyclones, both Arnaud and Bates are quite capable of supplying "accidental offense" with their athleticism.

Arnaud, who possesses a 6-foot-3, 212-pound frame, rushed for 543 yards and 10 touchdowns as a prep senior. Bates is a 6-1, 215-pounder whose father, Phillip Sr., played on Nebraska's vaunted option offense more than a quarter century ago and showed his son plenty of old game-film to prove it.

Both Bates and Arnaud - just two of the 27 underclassmen listed on this week's two-deeps - are stating the company line so far. They insist they're good friends off the field, and won't let their position battle be a distraction on it.

"You don't wanna put so much pressure on yourself," Bates said recently, "that you forget about the team. The competition, that's in the coaches' hands."

By all accounts, Cyclone players supported Chizik's decision to start Arnaud this week. But they're quite confident in Bates' skills, too.

"They're both great athletes," noted junior wideout Marquis Hamilton.

"And they have tough skin. They don't frustrate easily - that's something you have to have as a quarterback."

Contact Kelly Beaton at (319) 291-1456 or kelly.beaton@wcfcourier.com

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REPRESENTIN' DECORAH: The fullback position is used scarcely in Chizik's offense. But that won't dampen the celebration much in Decorah, after Monday's news that former Viking star and current Cyclone sophomore Taylor Mansfield has earned a first-team spot as Iowa State's main blocking back.

Mansfield, a former two-time all-stater in Decorah, has unseated junior Brian Ekwelundu at fullback. The 6-foot-1, 252-pounder has played in just one collegiate contest thus far, in part due to injuries.

INCREASED GROUND ATTACKS: Despite the Big 12's trend toward offensive fireworks via the air, Chizik said ISU plans to run the ball "over 30 times a game - or more" this season.

The second-year Cyclone head coach believes a solid ground game will ease the pressure on his sophomore quarterbacks.

"Our team knows the importance of us being able to run the ball," explained Chizik, who named sophomore Alexander Robinson as his starting tailback Monday. "We had somewhat of an anemic running game at times last year. We have to be better."

BROWN SIDELINED: Senior safety Chris Brown, who rehabbed voraciously this off-season to recover from a knee injury, wasn't listed on this week's two-deep roster.

"We're still bringing Chris along with his knee," noted Chizik. "That'll be touch and go. His status … it'll be a week-by-week thing."