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.