Notebook: Morton to start at linebacker

By Chris Williams, CycloneFanatic.com Publisher

Iowa State’s issues at linebacker look a little more clear after Wednesday’s practice.

Matt Tau’fo’ou is out with a broken leg. Redshirt sophomore Matt Morton is now in at SAM linebacker.

"We’ll start Matt Morton," Burnham told CycloneFanatic.com after Wednesday’s practice."He’s ahead of anybody else besides A.J."

It always helps to have a plan B. Burnham does. That is sliding sophomore A.J. Klein (who will start the game at middle linebacker) over to SAM and playing true freshman Jeremiah George in the middle.

"The only other choice we would have is to bring a freshman up," Burnham said.

That freshman is 6-foot-1, 214-pound Houston, Texas native Adrian Bennett and yes, Iowa State would have to burn his redshirt should he play on Saturday.

"We have worked him (Bennett), Burnham said. "He’s been putting in a lot of work but I don’t foresee him playing. I would go with A.J. and Jeremiah before I would go to Adrian."

"He’s not ready," Burnham said. "If we got in that situation, I wouldn’t have any choice."

Iowa State and Kansas State will kick off at 11:10 a.m. on Saturday from Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. We’ll have plenty more coverage leading up to kickoff right here at CycloneFanatic.com as the week rolls along.