Iowa State football: Report card for the 2014 season

Oct 18, 2014; Austin, TX, USA; Iowa State Cyclones cornerback Nigel Tribune (34) breaks up a pass intended for Texas Longhorns wide receiver John Harris (9) during the second half at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports

Secondary: B-

Like we said before the season, the defense gets better the further away you get from the ball. That’s never a good thing, and ultimately these defensive backs got banged up just like the rest of this side of the ball as we got into the latter parts of the season. Still, the young squadron of Nigel Tribune, T.J. Mutcherson, and Kamari Cotton-Moya — all sophomores or younger — have a TON of promise.

These guys will all be making watch lists and if the front seven can establish anything, they will only shine brighter. There’s hope for Iowa State’s defense to shut down passing attacks. Let’s hope Paul Rhoads (or whoever’s at the helm down the road) can get the right players in there to help this crew out.

Next: Special teams