Cyclones still wary of a struggling Smith

AMES, Iowa -- He began the season as a serious contender for the Heisman Trophy. He was fast, elusive and had a strong arm -- everything you'd want in a quarterback.

So whatever happened to Brad Smith anyway?

Smith is having his poorest year at Missouri and his team is faring even worse. Missouri coach Gary Pinkel has been criticized for turning Smith into a dropback passer, robbing him of the creativity that made him such a threat. It's almost as if he has dropped out of sight.

But not to the surging Iowa State Cyclones (6-4, 4-3 Big 12), who finish the regular season against visiting Missouri on Saturday. A win would give the Cyclones the Big 12 North title.

"He looks the same," Iowa State linebacker Erik Anderson said. "He hasn't had type of season that he wants, but just watching him on film, he's the real deal. He'll make you miss. He'll make you look stupid."

So far, most teams have contained Smith. After two straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons, he has run for only 452. In last week's 31-14 loss to Kansas, the Tigers' fifth straight, Smith was sacked six times and had minus 41 yards rushing.

On the plus side, Smith has thrown 17 touchdown passes, one short of the school record. But his 51.6 completion percentage is the second lowest among the Big 12 leaders and he ranks 12th in passing efficiency.

"I think what everybody expects Brad to do is have these huge, huge games," Pinkel said. "I think the expectation level was so high that I don't know if he ever had a chance to meet what the expectation level was. I think he's done a lot of good things, a lot of positive things."

So does Iowa State coach Dan McCarney. Smith burned Iowa State for 303 total yards, including 195 rushing, in a 45-7 victory last year. As a freshman in 2002, Smith had 318 yards in a showdown with Seneca Wallace that ended with Iowa State winning 42-35.

"He's every bit as dangerous, he's every bit as talented," said McCarney, whose team has won four straight. "Maybe offensively they've not made quite as many big plays, but I'm not any less nervous about playing Brad Smith than I was the last two years."

Still, neither Smith nor anyone else has been able to get Missouri (4-6, 2-5) out of its funk. The five-game losing streak is the longest since 1995 for the Tigers, the preseason favorites to win the Big 12 North.

They've blown halftime leads of 17 and 21 points, then did just the opposite against Kansas, falling behind 28-0 before mounting a mild rally.

"Nobody could tell me at the beginning of the season that this was gonna happen to us," Missouri tailback Damien Nash said. "Now it's happened, it's just crazy."