Sep 29, 2018; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Iowa State Cyclones running back David Montgomery (32) evades TCU Horned Frogs safety Markell Simmons (3) during the second half at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
David Montgomery is day-to-day leading up to Iowa State’s road trip to Stillwater on Saturday afternoon, Matt Campbell said on Monday morning’s Big 12 teleconference.
Montgomery is dealing with a “deep bruise” in his upper-arm according to his head coach. The Cyclones’ star tailback left Saturday’s 17-14 loss to TCU in the fourth quarter after rushing for 101 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.
“(It is) a situation that I think is a lot of pain right now,” Campbell said. “David’s a pretty tough kid. If he can go or if he’s capable of going, he’s going to go. We evaluated everything from an x-ray standpoint and an MRI standpoint. I think he’s doing great. It’s just a matter of dealing with the actual pain that’s involved with this injury right now.”
Montgomery ran for 105 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries in last year’s 49-42 loss to the Cowboys at Jack Trice Stadium. His 22-yard touchdown run to put the Cyclones up 14-0 in the first quarter was one of the highlights of the Cyclones’ 2017 season, but we have yet to see Montgomery unleash a run of that magnitude through four games this season.
As of now, Montgomery’s status for Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. kick at Boone T. Pickens Stadium will largely depend on his ability to play through the pain caused by the injury. If Montgomery cannot go, Campbell and his staff have confidence in Sheldon Croney, Johnnie Lang, Kene Nwangwu and Mike Warren.
“I think we really believe in those other four guys that we have,” Campbell said. “Obviously, we want to continue to be more efficient offensively in general but I really think it doesn’t change what we are or how we approach things. That’s not a knock on David or anybody else. I think it’s a credit to the rest of that room.”
Other notes
*** Campbell said that sophomore tight end Chase Allen is probable for Saturday’s tilt with the Cowboys after missing the last two weeks due to a groin injury suffered in the Cyclones’ loss to Oklahoma.
“I think (Chase) really looked good yesterday so I would say probably right now I would say (he’s) probable for this week, but we’ll see where he is through practice,” Campbell said. “We’re pleasantly excited that he’ll be able to go for us this week.”
*** Julian Good-Jones‘… um… stomach issues have made the rounds on social media ever since he left the game against the Horned Frogs. On Monday, Campbell said he was proud of the way Good-Jones battled through being tired.
“I think as much as anything Julian’s a guy when he gets really tired it looks like that, feels like that,” Campbell said. “I give him credit, I thought he really plowed through the last 10 plays of the football game through some exhaustion. I just think it was everything involved and I think it was heat sickness as much as anything. I was proud of the way he finished the game.”
*** One of the reasons I love the Big 12 teleconference is you’re almost always guaranteed one question that has nothing to do with football. This week, that question was in regards to the staff pushing their players to register to vote in next month’s mid-term election.
“I think from our standpoint in our football program, we talk a lot about what’s going on outside of our walls rather than what’s going on inside of our walls,” Campbell said. “I think the reality of educating kids on what’s going on outside of our walls whether it’s voting in elections, all those kinds of things, are all part of our responsibility as coaches at times.”
