Good Cop: Zander White
Iowa State will be back in action against North Dakota at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium. Both teams will be anticipating a successful season opener in the opening week of college football.
The Cyclones return redshirt sophomore Rocco Becht, a promising young leader in the starting quarterback role. Becht led Iowa State to the Liberty Bowl against Memphis in 2023.
Alongside Becht, the Cyclones return running back Abu Sama III, wide receiver Jaylin Noel and wide receiver Jayden Higgins. This elite, experienced squad should have no difficulty tearing apart the North Dakota secondary.
The Fighting Hawks’ most recent NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) win came back in 2015 against what would eventually become a 2-10 Wyoming team. Although the team has won at the FBS level in recent years, it will take a lot to overcome Iowa State on their home turf.
Both teams are 6-4 on opening day in their last ten games, with the exception of the Cyclones’ canceled matchup against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits in 2018. That being said, both teams have seen their fair share of thrilling matchups in the opening week, including Iowa State’s triple overtime game against Northern Iowa in 2019.
While I do think the first half of the game will be an even matchup, I predict that North Dakota will fall apart in the second half and ultimately lose the game. Although they have NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoff experience, I don’t see it being enough to top the Cyclones.
Final Score Prediction: Iowa State 38, North Dakota 21
Bad Cop: Conner Swanson
Iowa State is coming into the 2024 season with some hefty expectations. There is no shortage of experience with 19 starters coming back, continuity at quarterback and a defense full of veterans. Certainly, nothing could go wrong with facing an FCS opponent with this squad.
It is no secret that the Cyclones have had trouble with FCS opponents in the past, with close games against UNI, Drake and losing to Louisiana in 2020. There could be some growing pains with new offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser. Mouser has been the tight ends coach for the last four years and has stated there is still shuffling going around on the offensive line, which could provide for some costly miscommunications.
Iowa State was also primed to have a deadly receiving core in the 2024 season. But on Aug. 13, it was announced that wide receiver Daniel Jackson would be out for the season. While the Cyclones still have standout receivers in Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins, having a third option is never a downside. If North Dakota can find a way to shut down Noel and Higgins and clog up the run game, it could be tough sledding for Iowa State.
The Cyclones’ defense relies on generating pressure from unconventional angles, but when the defensive line or blitzers fail to get home, the Fighting Hawks’ quarterback, Simon Romfo, can have too much time to exploit the secondary. Iowa State allowed 16 passing plays of 30+ yards in 2023, placing them in the bottom half of the conference. Look for Romfo to target wide receiver Bo Belquist downfield to take advantage of an aggressive Cyclones defense.
If North Dakota is going to win this game, a lot of scoring needs to happen. If first-time coordinator Mouser does not handle the pressure well, Iowa State could very well struggle in this game, but I cannot see the Cyclones dropping this one.
