Countdown to kickoff: Day 4

Cyclone Fanatic is counting down the days until Iowa State’s season opener against Northern Iowa by bringing you a stat, former Cyclone moment or any other random tidbits every morning to help countdown the days.

No. 4- Austen Arnaud

The quarterback position has been influx as of late at Iowa State. However when Austen Arnaud was in Ames, the signal caller spot was stable.

Arnaud, hometown kid, was recruited by Iowa but stayed in Ames because he grew up around Cyclone football. His dad, John, played at Iowa State and was three-year starter.

The 6-foot-3 quarterback redshirted his first season in Ames, which allowed him to learn from former Iowa State stud signal caller Bret Meyer. In 2007, Arnaud saw action in six games as he recorded 267 yards and an interception. But 2008 was Arnaud’s breakout year.

The Iowa State legacy threw for 2,792 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. During the 2009 season, Arnaud’s numbers dropped – 2,015 yards, 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions – but he still led Iowa State to a 14-13 Insight Bowl victory over Minnesota. His statistics would dip once again in his senior season as he totaled 1,703 yards, 13 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Arnaud recorded 440 passing yards – a school single-game record – against Kansas State in 2008. His 6,777 career passing yards mark the second most in Cyclone football history – right behind Meyer at 9,499 yards.