Christian Royston, Sports Editor (4-5)

Iowa State 31, BYU 17

I’m hoping this is my get-right week, as my picks this season, so far, have been trash to say the least. As I sit out of contention for the title now, I’m just going to start going with my gut.

My gut is telling me that Iowa State is going to take this one easily.

I know there’s a lot of talk about the atmosphere around this game. BYU has not lost yet at home this season. The Cougars also hold a 26-4 record for night games since 2019. The Cyclones have not been good this season when the sun goes down. And to top it all off, Iowa State has not played at Provo, Utah, in 50 years.

However, I’m putting on the blinders to BYU’s stats and going with my gut. BYU has the worst offense in the Big 12 and Iowa State has one of the best defenses. Sure, Iowa State is bound to give up some big plays, as appears to be the norm this season, but when it matters most, the Cyclones will lock in on both sides of the ball.

Don’t overthink this game. I’m not going to. Similar to my picks, Iowa State is going to bounce back this week and hand BYU its first home loss of the season.

Logan Shanks, Assistant Sports Editor (6-3)

Iowa State 30, BYU 15

Iowa State has scored 30 points in its last two conference road games and with BYU boasting one of the worst defenses in terms of yards allowed per game, the Cyclones should repeat their road success in Provo, Utah.

Iowa State’s offense will need to not make the same mistake for the second game in a row and get the ball moving in the first half, something the Cyclones have struggled to do at points throughout the season. They should find success in the run game, which they have focused on heavily out the gate, as BYU has allowed the second-most rushing yards in the Big 12.

While the Cougars are undefeated at home in conference play, their wins have come against Texas Tech and Cincinnati who have a combined record of 3-9 in the Big 12. BYU is also on a two-game losing streak where they scored 13 combined points against Texas and West Virginia, both of which were on the road.

While the hopes for a spot in the Big 12 Championship game are out the window for both of these teams, a win for either team gets them into bowl eligibility. Despite having to play in a late game on the road, the Cyclones should fare well against the offensive-deficient Cougars and secure a spot playing in their sixth bowl game in the Matt Campbell era. 

Pavle Markovic, Sports Reporter (8-1)

Iowa State 27, BYU 14

Both teams are coming into this matchup having another opportunity to clinch bowl appearances, as both the Cyclones and the Cougars suffered losses when they were a win away from clinching a spot.

The Cyclones were certainly missing the presence of defensive back Jeremiah Cooper in their homecoming loss to Kansas, as they’ll be hoping to get him back for this game. While it may have seemed before that Iowa State struggled to play on the road in conference play, they are on a two road game winning streak showing they, in fact, can compete not just in Ames. It will be a tough challenge for the Cyclones to go into Provo for a night game and pull off a win in a tough environment.

BYU will likely be without quarterback Kedon Slovis as he is still dealing with an injury, which means that Jake Retzlaff could make his second career start for the Cougars on Saturday. In his first career start, Retzlaff could not do enough in the Cougars’ blowout loss to West Virginia as he only completed 24 of his 42 passing attempts for 210 yards. Iowa State’s defense should look forward to making Retzlaff’s first home start one to forget.

This game will be closer than expected as each team will be fighting to keep their hopes of making a bowl appearance alive. But in the end, I have Iowa State taking this matchup.