Tag: Iowa State Football

Week 12 game predictions including Texas vs. Iowa State

Texas could all but clinch a Big 12 title spot this week.

The Big 12 title race nears the finish line with two weeks to play. The Texas Longhorns (9-1) could preemptively clinch their place in the title game with a win over Iowa State.

Saturday’s game is sure to apply pressure to the football team and its fanbase heading into the matchup, but it could equally provide incentive to finish the season with decisive wins.

Several other Big 12 teams face make-or-break contests on Saturday. The Oklahoma Sooners (8-2) face the BYU Cougars (5-5) in Provo, Utah. What was once thought as a potential letdown game appears sure to be a blowout in favor of the Sooners.

Oklahoma State (7-3) and Kansas State (7-3) should be counted on to win games over struggling Houston (4-6) and ailing Kansas (7-3).

Let’s predict the week’s slate of games.

Texas could clinch Big 12 title spot with win over Iowa State

Iowa State is a must-win game in more than one scenario.

Iowa State is a must-win game for the Texas Longhorns. That’s not breaking news, but one scenario could be for those who follow the program. Continue reading “Texas could clinch Big 12 title spot with win over Iowa State”

Beat Iowa State: Texas must be wary of Cyclones’ passing attack

Rocco Becht is not to be messed with this week.

The No. 7 Texas Longhorns (9-1) face the Iowa State Cyclones (6-4) this week in Ames, Iowa. There is reason for unease as we approach the matchup.

The lack of confidence in Texas’ ability to handle business is more about the Longhorns than the Cyclones. Texas has made several quarterbacks look better than expected.

Here’s a look at a few quarterbacks lit up the Longhorn defense in the last four weeks.

  • Josh Hoover: 24-for-36, 302 yards, two touchdowns, one interception.
  • Will Howard: 26-for-41, 327 yards, four touchdowns, one interception.
  • Donovan Smith: 32-for-46, 378 yards, three touchdowns, one interception.

The above quarterbacks are not often mentioned among the most prolific passers in college football. Texas has made them appear to be so.

Enter Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht who leads an underrated Cyclone offense. Becht has 2,121 yards, 15 touchdowns and seven interceptions on the season. You can expect the Iowa State signal caller to have a big game this week.

Texas is No. 12 in the Big 12 in pass defense surrendering 247 yards per game through the air. Many of those yards come in what defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski might deem as garbage time, but those totals have certainly aided opponents in making games close.

How does Texas avoid a letdown this week? Its defense would be wise to treat each defensive sequence as if the game were locked in a 0-0 tie. If we don’t see that from the defense, expect Iowa State to take the game down to the final seconds.

The Longhorns must improve in pass defense this week. They are capable. Saturday will reveal if the unit can maintain a championship level of play for four quarters.

Texas will take on the Iowa State Cyclones at 7 p.m. CT on Fox.

Opinion: Coaching must improve for Texas to continue to win

Steve Sarkisian and company have to be better this week.

For the third time in four weeks, the Texas Longhorns (9-1) saw a 20-point lead erode to win by one score on Saturday. The teams they played were not of comparable talent. Texas simply blew it.

Texas faithful should be grateful for the 9-1 start. The coaching staff deserves credit for doing what neither prior coaching staff could do in the seven years before the current staff. Nevertheless, unless the Longhorns’ play callers bring a considerably better second half product, season goals are almost likely to come crashing down.

Next up for Texas is Iowa State (6-4), a team that has performed well in Big 12 play. Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell has his team playing its best football following a 45-13 road victory over BYU.

If you think the matchup with Cyclones should be chalked up as an easy win this week, you’re sorely mistaken. Campbell’s teams have had Texas’ number since 2019. The Longhorns lone win since that season came last year in a 24-21 victory.

Texas is likely about to face a coaching masterpiece in game management, in-game adjustment and talent maximization from Campbell. In recent seasons, that coaching advantage has neutralized the Longhorns’ talent advantage.

Prepare for another tough challenge this week. Texas might be comfortable with a three-score lead at halftime, but Campbell and company are comfortable with erasing it.

Texas needs more from its coaches in the second half. Saturday will reveal whether or not the team has learned from its three blown 20-point leads over the last four games.

Texas to play under the lights in Ames on Nov. 18 against Iowa State

For what will be the second consecutive week, Texas will play a road conference game in primetime.

For what will be the second consecutive week, Texas will play a road conference game in primetime. Continue reading “Texas to play under the lights in Ames on Nov. 18 against Iowa State”

Dozens of dancing dinosaurs stole the show during Iowa State-TCU halftime

TOO GOOD.

Iowa State knows how to put on a halftime show during football games, particularly when it comes to prehistoric themes. We’ve seen the Cyclones do this before, but it never gets old.

Saturday during Iowa State’s home game against TCU, the Cyclone Marching Band took the field. But they weren’t the only stars of the show.

The band was accompanied by dozens of people dressed up in inflatable dinosaur costumes — along with a giant, additional dinosaur that required multiple people to drag it on the field. The dinosaurs performed a not-so-perfect choreography to what sounded like the Jurassic Park theme song, but it was hilarious and wildly entertaining.

Other marching bands and halftime shows should take note. More dinosaurs at football games!

Here are a few more looks at this incredible performance:

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 tag=421393249]

Oklahoma players hint at confidence about Texas game after Iowa State

Oklahoma players Danny Stutsman and Dillon Gabriel are talking with plenty of bravado this week.

Oklahoma players are confident heading into the Red River game this week. They are letting the public know of their confidence heading into the matchup with No. 3 Texas.

Following an impressive Oklahoma 50-20 win over the Iowa State Cyclones, Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel recorded his postgame thoughts. Gabriel said the following.

“5-0. You know what’s next.”

The Oklahoma signal caller is hinting at the Sooners’ big game against the Longhorns on Oct. 7. Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman didn’t hint much of anything in his postgame comments.

“The next trophy is actually next week. Excited to get that hat back in the locker room.”

Each team will enter the game with confidence it can win. Albeit, the Sooners seem more vocal about it. There’s a sense that the team and its fan base feel the program is being overlooked and underrated.

There’s a reasonable case to be made that Oklahoma is underrated after a 5-0 start. Even so, the team’s show of vocal confidence comes in contrast to the rhetoric Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and company are employing ahead of the game.

Saturday will reveal which team’s approach is effective. The No. 3 Longhorns (5-0) will take on the No. 12 Sooners at 11 a.m. CT on ABC.

Big 12 thoughts from Week 3 of the college football season

The Big 12 picture is getting clearer as the season progresses.

The Big 12 conference is up for grabs in 2023. That said, there are several teams who have emerged as pretenders so far.

The Baylor Bears (1-2) and Texas Tech Red Raiders (1-2) outed themselves as pretenders fairly early. Week 3 added a few more conference pretenders to the list.

Iowa State, Cincinnati and Oklahoma State were never viewed as serious contenders for the conference. Albeit, we didn’t predict what would ensue on Saturday.

Heading into the day, we viewed South Alabama as a threat to upset the Oklahoma State Cowboys. We did not expect what we saw in the matchup. South Alabama defeated Oklahoma State in Stillwater, 33-7.

Cincinnati and Iowa State suffered surprising losses to lesser teams as well. Let’s discuss those results and other takeaways from Saturday.

Refs might’ve jobbed Iowa State on a missed field goal in loss to Ohio

Was this Iowa State field goal good, or did the refs get it right by calling it a miss?

Iowa State’s football team might’ve gotten a rotten stroke of luck after a missed field goal might not have been missed after all.

On a crucial kick with 7:28 left in the game, Cyclones kicker Chase Contreraz tried to bang it through the uprights on a 37-yard attempt.

However, the referees waved the kick off as no good, which kept Iowa State down 10-0 to hosting Ohio. However, a replay might’ve shown that the referees blew the call and that Contreraz’s kick was actually good.

ESPN announcers John Schriffen and Rocky Boiman played the kick back and felt that it just grazed one of the uprights and should’ve been called for three huge points.

It’s especially difficult for Cyclones fans since Iowa State wound up losing the game to Ohio 10-7 instead of getting an opportunity at an overtime session with the Bobcats.

What do you think? Was this kick good, or did the referees get it right by calling it as a miss?

It’ll be a play that tantalizes Iowa State fans all season as the 1-2 Cyclones start the early portion of the regular season on a less-than-stellar note.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN.

‘College GameDay’ picks Iowa Hawkeyes over Iowa State in clean Cy-Hawk sweep

The picks are in! College GameDay’s crew picked the Iowa Hawkeyes to topple Iowa State at Jack Trice Stadium in a clean sweep.

The panel has spoken.

They’re all taking the Iowa Hawkeyes to reclaim the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series in 2023.

“College GameDay” analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee picked Iowa to beat Iowa State. Guest-picker Joe Namath did as well.

America loves the Hawkeyes, too. The fan vote came in at 74% in favor of Iowa.

If Iowa can win today at Iowa State, it would mark the sixth straight win in Ames for the Hawkeyes. That includes a 27-17 win over then-No. 10 Iowa State in its last trip in 2021. Running back Tyler Goodson had a touchdown run, wide receiver Charlie Jones a touchdown reception and linebacker Jack Campbell a 6-yard fumble return touchdown to lead that win.

Of course, Iowa State came into Kinnick Stadium last season and snapped what was a six-game winning streak in the series for the Hawkeyes with a 10-7 triumph. In a defensive struggle, ISU wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson hauled in an 8-yard touchdown pass from Hunter Dekkers for the game-winning score.

Each team enters Saturday’s contest 1-0. Iowa took care of business, topping Utah State, 24-14. The Hawkeyes opened with a pair of touchdown passes from senior quarterback Cade McNamara to sophomore wide receiver Seth Anderson and senior tight end Erick All on their first two drives.

Then, the Hawkeyes added a 20-yard field goal from sophomore Drew Stevens and a 3-yard touchdown run from sophomore running back Kaleb Johnson to lock up the Week 1 victory.

Meanwhile, Iowa State beat Northern Iowa, 30-9. The Cyclones got on the board with a 58-yard pick-six from sophomore Jeremiah Cooper. Then, redshirt freshman quarterback Rocco Becht accounted for three scores. Becht sneaked his way into the end zone for Iowa State’s next score before a pair of touchdown passes to redshirt sophomore tight end Tyler Moore and freshman tight end Benjamin Brahmer.

Kickoff for the Cy-Hawk game is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on Fox.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshOnREF

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Hawkeyes Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.