The Texas Longhorns passing game has fallen off a bit over the last several weeks but do they have the edge over the Iowa State Cyclones?
We have taken a look at the quarterback and running back tale of the tape, now for the wide receivers. The Longhorns’ top guy is Joshua Moore. The redshirt sophomore came out hot to start the year. Over recent weeks his impact has been lessened but he still leads the team in receptions, yards and touchdowns. For the Iowa State Cyclones, they counter with Xavier Hutchinson.
A huge portion of the passing for the Cyclones is a bit different than the Longhorns. While Texas has more receivers making an impact, Iowa State counters with a trio of tight ends with NFL aspirations. They are led by Charlie Kolar. Texas has Brennan Eagles, Jake Smith, Tarik Black, and Jordan Whittington as their secondary options.
So which team has the edge in receiving?
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Wide Receiver Comparison
Moore
vs
Hutchinson
6-1
Ht
6-3
169
Wt
207
RS-Sophomore
Class
Junior
22
Rec
41
343
Yards
518
15.6
Average
12.6
7
TDs
4
23
Touches
41
342
Yards
518
Last three games comparison
Moore
vs
Hutchinson
3.6
Rec/Game
4.3
47.7
Yards/Game
73.7
13.0
Yards/Rec
17.0
1.0
TDs/Game
0.7
Secondary Receiver
Brennan Eagles
vs
Charlie Kolar
6-4
Ht
6-6
229
Wt
257
Junior
Class
Junior
19
Rec
25
286
Yards
286
15.1
Avg
11.4
5
TDs
4
Slight Edge: Iowa State
The Texas Longhorns may have more touchdown production from their players, the Cyclones get more consistent production overall. The big key is can the Longhorns get the passing game going against Iowa State? They have averaged just 207.7 yards per game through the air in the last three games. Against West Virginia, they totaled just 184 net yards through the air. The Cyclones allow just 229 per game.
The Longhorns defense is actually the worst in the Big 12 in terms of yards per game. They allow 283.1, which is 0.5 yards per game worse than Texas Tech. If Brock Purdy is as efficient as he was against Kansas State, it could be a long afternoon for the passing defense.
Big 12 Preview: Prospects to watch and team predictions for the 2020 college football season
The Big 12 doesn’t get enough respect for how much NFL talent it places in the NFL every year. I don’t mean just based on draft selections either, but lasting power and effectiveness. The Big 12 has a ton of quality talent to watch for in the 2020 season. The conference may even have the best overall college football team.
Baylor Bears: Vegas Win Total- 7.5
Everyone is expecting Baylor to be terrible this season, but with the fantastic Charlie Brewer returning and some explosive weapons surrounding him this may be a more interesting bet than people think. This may only be Dave Aranda’s first season as the head guy, but the former LSU defensive coordinator is primed to hit the ground running. Prediction: Over 7.5
Top Prospects:
Terrel Bernard, ILB, 6-1, 222 pounds, Jr.: A top-flight All-Big 12 linebacker, Bernard had an extremely productive 2019 season leading the Bears with 112 tackles while also recording 9.5 tackles for loss, five quarterback hurries, 4.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries and an interception.
Charlie Brewer, QB, 6-1, 206 pounds, Sr.: Brewer gets very little respect in regard to draft hype, but he is likely going to own every Baylor career passing record and surpass former Heisman Trophy winner and first-round selection, Robert Griffin III.
Connor Galvin, OT, 6-7, 302 pounds, Jr.: The All-Big 12 tackle enters his third season as the starter on the left side and looks to have big time potential with elite size to go with some solid tools.