HOUSTON - The marathon is over.

Iowa State's football team has crossed the 2005 finish line.

Dan McCarney's internal clock tells him next year is just a wind sprint away.

There will be plenty of work for Iowa State's head coach to do. Following the 27-24 loss to TCU in the Ev1.net Houston Bowl here Saturday, McCarney quickly looked down the road. Winter workouts begin soon, followed by spring drills and then fall camp in August.

A solid nucleus is in place. Among the returnees, for instance, are sophomores Todd Blythe and Jason Berryman. The wide receiver and defensive end earned MVP honors Saturday, marking the first time in Houston Bowl history that both individual award winners have come from the losing team.

Quarterback Bret Meyer also returns, along with established veterans like center Scott Stephenson, tight ends Ben Barkema and Walter Nickel plus defensive tackle Brent Curvey.

Of Iowa State's 11 offensive starters, only linemen Johannes Egbers and Kory Pence are seniors. So offensive coordinator Barney Cotton will have a head start on 2006.

"Barney and all of those guys will be smiling when we go into the out-of-season," said McCarney. We've got a tremendous nucleus of playmakers and players coming back."

That said, McCarney and Cotton will demand more from Iowa State's attack next season, especially on the ground.

The Cyclones' inability to rush the football consistently hurt them against TCU. That weakness surfaced at key times during the regular season, even when Stevie Hicks felt healthy enough to play

After rushing for a minus-1 yard on nine carries in the Houston Bowl, Hicks knows what must be done.

"The o-line, the tight ends, especially the running backs, have to get better," said the I-back, who will be a senior in 2006. "If nothing's there you have to start making plays. You have to be able to move the ball running if you want to open things up for everybody else. They sit back in (pass) coverage because they know they don't have to worry about us running the ball."

Hicks is primarily a power back. He does not possess the speed to break down a defense on the edge.

Improving ISU's speed also ranks high on McCarney's priority list.

"Absolutely," said the Cyclones' head coach when asked about finding a breakaway back. "We're looking for more speed everywhere - more speed at running back, more game-breaking speed for our football team. We've addressed it, and hopefully come February we'll improve on that phase of the game."

When Iowa State announces its new recruiting class next month, McCarney will still be facing some important problems on the defensive side of the football.

Two dominant players up the middle are gone. Nose guard Nick Leaders and linebacker Tim Dobbins, both all-Big 12 Conference performers, are out of eligibility.

The Cyclones' defensive secondary also takes a hit. Safeties Nik Moser and Steve Paris depart, along with all-league corner LaMarcus Hicks.

Three veteran linemen return - Berryman, Brent Curvey and Shawn Moorehead. Linebackers Matt Robertson and Adam Carper are back, along with corner DeAndre Jackson.

Iowa State should get some help from younger players. Chris Singleton saw playing time in the secondary, for instance. Linebacker Alvin Bowen appears capable of stepping into a starting role.

Still, replacing Dobbins and Leaders will be a challenge for the coaching staff.

"We've got some major holes to fill," said McCarney. "But we feel like we've got some good young players in development. We're going to keep bringing those guys along.

"We're still going to have three guys who have started a bunch coming back up front with Curvey, Berryman and Moore. That's a great way to start with a defense. But we really are losing tremendous players and playmakers. It seems like they've been here at Iowa State longer than I have."

Finally, three special teams players move on - deep snapper Landon Schrage, punter Troy Blankenship and kickoff man Tony Yelk.

All the newcomers and the veterans will deal with a potentially difficult schedule in 2006.

Iowa State goes into the next two-year cycle with the Big 12 South. Baylor, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State drop off the calendar. Texas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech meet the Cyclones for the home-and-home set.

The difference? Not one of ISU's South Division foes qualified for a bowl game this year. Next season's trio all made the post-season. Texas and Oklahoma, moreover, will own recent national championship game experience when they host the Cyclones in the fall.

In the non-conference phase of the 2006 schedule, Iowa State opens with Toledo. It played in a bowl game this year.

That's in September.

"It'll be a long time until we play the next game," said McCarney. "It won't be a long time until we start preparing for next year."

By then, the pain of a difficult Houston Bowl loss to 14th-ranked TCU will have abated. The returning players will look to 2006. Can the Cyclones contend for a North Division title again? Or will they take a step back?

"We think we can keep on improving and keep doing what we have been doing," said linebacker Matt Robertson. "We need young guys to step up next year. For guys like me who are going to be seniors, we just have to keep motivating and keep it rolling.

"We've filled in holes before. If we play defense and do what we did before, we should be all right."

Contact Jim Sullivan at (319) 291-1434 or jim.sullivan@wcfcourier.com