Following Iowa State’s 40-31 win over Texas Tech on Saturday, Iowa State coach Matt Campbell spoke with the media during the weekly Big 12 coaches teleconference on Monday.

Uwazurike out after surgery

The Cyclones have mostly stayed healthy this year, facing injuries to running back David Montgomery and quarterback Kyle Kempt but avoiding serious setbacks to most starters.

That changed this week.

Redshirt sophomore defensive end Enyi Uwazurike will be sidelined for about eight weeks, Campbell said. Uwazurike missed most of the game against Texas Tech after injuring his hamstring. Surgery will be required, Campbell said.

An eight-week recovery window would mean Uwazurike could return for a potential bowl game. To qualify for a bowl, the Cyclones will need to win at least two more games in their final five.

Uwazurike emerged this season as a good complementary piece to Ray Lima and JaQuan Bailey. In seven games this year, Uwazurike notched 23 tackles (five tackles for loss) and a sack.

Redshirt junior defensive end Matt Leo stepped in for Uwazurike against the Red Raiders and finished with two tackles. Leo has six total tackles and one sack on the season.

Special teams still lacking

Iowa State’s special teams fell apart against Texas Tech with a blocked punt recovered for a touchdown and a missed field goal.

Campbell took the blame after the win, saying it started with him. He doubled down on that Monday.

“It’s an area for us that, over the last couple of weeks, we’ve got to get better,” Campbell said. “It’s a matter of whether it’s simplifying what we’re doing schematically or getting our kids in the best position possible. We’ve got some really talented players and our kids invest.”

Campbell also addressed concerns over punt returns. Against Texas Tech, the Cyclones were pinned inside the 11-yard line five times, including one time at the 4-yard line.

“It’s fluid,” Campbell said. “Every game’s different, and certainly every situation’s different.”

Tarique Milton was the returner on those plays, when he opted to wave for a fair catch rather than let the ball bounce. Letting the ball bounce could have resulted in a touchback, giving the Cyclones the ball at their own 20-yard line, or it could be downed wherever the ball is touched or rolls to a stop.

The risk/reward calculation can be tough on the fly. Milton said on Saturday he is told to let the ball bounce if it goes over his head inside the 10-yard line.

Quarterback situation still in flux

The Cyclones announced Saturday that redshirt sophomore Zeb Noland, who started four games at quarterback this year, took a personal leave of absence from the team prior to the game against Texas Tech.

Campbell declined to comment further on Noland’s situation Monday. Following the teleconference, the school announced Noland would transfer.

“I feel really good about [the quarterback room],” Campbell said. “Especially when you have a young guy [freshman Brock Purdy] that we’ve got that’s playing, it makes you feel really good about it.

“I think from our end we feel really confident in everybody that’s in that room now and certainly what the future looks like there.”

Noland completed 70 of his 110 pass attempts this year for 722 yards, four touchdowns and an interception.

The rest of the room after this season will be young. Looking at next year, Purdy would be the most experienced as a sophomore, followed by Re-al Mitchell as either a redshirt freshman or a sophomore and Devon Moore as a redshirt sophomore. The Cyclones have one quarterback (Easton Dean) currently committed in their 2019 recruiting class.