Iowa State football: Final grades for Cyclone coaches and offensive unit

Nov 16, 2013; Norman, OK, USA; Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Grant Rohach (3) scrambles with the ball while being pursued by Oklahoma Sooners defensive tackle Jordan Wade (93) in the second half at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Here are the final grades for both the offensive unit and spotlight coaches for the 2013 Iowa State football team.

Quarterbacks: D+

Sam Richardson battled injury problems all year long, and eventually he would be pulled for backup QB Grant Rohach. It’s almost a similar scenario last season when both Steele Jantz and Jared Barnett were finally yanked for Richardson, except Rohach looked much worse starting out and had more playing time.

It’s hard to completely count out Richardson if he gets 100 percent healthy by next season. He was the reason why the Cyclones had chances against Texas and Texas Tech, and with how wildly inconsistent Rohach’s throws were in the middle of the year, there was next to zero chance ISU could come back from a multiple touchdown deficit.

What remains to be seen is how well Rohach improved over the last two games; he threw for over 300 yards in each, but faced zero pass rush compared to the losses. It will be a mess to find out who will be under center next year, and currently up to three other players could be battling for the same position. The Cyclones are in no better shape at the quarterback position than they were a season ago.