Good Cop: Owen Slinde
Saturday night is shaping up to be a huge game for the Cyclones in what should be an electric environment as they take on the No. 21 ranked Jayhawks.
The Cyclones are coming off another impressive win in Waco, Texas, this past weekend and are still tied for the top spot in the Big 12.
Kansas has a great run game. Whether that’s their running back or quarterback, the Cyclone defense will need to be ready for anything and keep their head on a swivel. This is a very important game for the defense, especially the linebackers because Kansas has the ability to stress all 11 players on the field.
We’ve also seen the growth on the offensive line. Seeing them protect Rocco Becht has been impressive and yet another positive to take away from the offense. Yes, the run game did start out slow, but eventually, it has taken shape, and I think that goes in hand-in-hand with the O-line getting more experience and maturing over the course of the season.
It is also hard to talk about the offense without mentioning the connections between Becht and wide receivers Jaylin Noel, Jayden Higgins, and tight end Benjamin Brahmer.
That group has been outstanding the past few weeks and has been very exciting to watch. Seeing them grow over the season has been exciting and makes me look forward to the rest of the season and even past that.
The run game has been picking up in recent weeks as well, which has opened up many opportunities in the offense.
With the season’s end nearing and “playoff” implications mattering with every game, I think the Cyclones use the energy that the sold-out crowd will bring, especially since it is a night game.
I think the Cyclones will win a close matchup and jump into the rankings.
Final Score: Iowa State 27, Kansas 21
Bad Cop: Cayden Storm
The Cyclones are riding a three-game win streak after defeating Baylor on the road to move one win away from bowl eligibility. Now they face what is probably their toughest test since Oklahoma in the No. 21 ranked Kansas Jayhawks.
The Jayhawks are coming off one of the biggest wins in the program’s recent history after beating then No. 6 Oklahoma and have looked very impressive this season.
Kansas is led by its offense, which averages 443 yards per game, good for 29th in the nation.
Though it seems that Kansas will be without starting quarterback Jalon Daniels once again, backup Jason Bean has proved, especially in the win against Oklahoma, that he’s more than capable of running the offense.
The Cyclone defense has been very solid during their three-game win streak, holding opponents to an average of 14 points per game.
I will be very interested to see if the defense can continue to perform this well and continue the trend of creating turnovers against an experienced Kansas offense.
The offense is what I think could really shine for the Cyclones on Saturday.
The Jayhawks are not nearly as strong on the defensive side of the ball, ranking 97th in the country in total defense.
Though he did not have his best game of the season against Baylor, I believe that Becht has a real opportunity to show out on Saturday night, and if the run game continues to improve, there could be a lot of points scored in Jack Trice Stadium.
I think that the offense shows out, but the Kansas offense proves to be too much. I have Kansas spoiling homecoming and edging out Iowa State in a shootout.
