Good Cop: Nick Mensen
After a bye week, No. 20 Iowa State comes into Saturday ready to continue against Arkansas State.
Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell will also have the opportunity to tie with Dan McCarney as the winningest head coach in school history. He gave credit to McCarney for laying a solid foundation for the program. Campbell also noted that the success he’s had is also because of the other great coaches around him as well as the players.
The Cyclones are currently 2-0, with wins over North Dakota and Iowa. Throughout these first two games, however, Iowa State’s linebackers were severely banged up, including Caleb Bacon, who underwent surgery and won’t return for the next few games.
Meanwhile, offensive linemen Jalen Travis and Deylin Hasert are expected to be back in the lineup on Saturday, according to Campbell.
The Cyclones will conclude the non-conference schedule Saturday against Arkansas State. The Red Wolves come in with a record of 2-1, with their lone loss at then-ranked No. 17 Michigan, 28-18.
Their team is led by quarterback Jaylen Raynor, who comes into this matchup with 712 passing yards (237.3 per game). Raynor, in combination with running back Zak Wallace, poses a possible two-way threat in the rushing attack.
One of Iowa State’s biggest weaknesses so far has been their rushing defense, allowing 174 rushing yards between four different North Dakota rushers and 187 by Kaleb Johnson of Iowa.
With the Cyclones’ offense bringing back Travis and Hasert on the offensive line, expect Iowa State to win the game. But with the weakness of the rushing defense, expect Arkansas State to keep the score close.
Score Prediction: No. 20 Iowa State 31, Arkansas State 21.
Bad Cop: Cameron Buck
On paper, this should be the easiest win for the Cyclones for the remainder of the season. However, the Arkansas State Red Wolves are less than a week removed from their game against Michigan, where they intercepted the ball three times.
While Michigan was able to sway the game back in their favor on the ground, the Cyclones are unlikely to do the same. In their first two games, the Cyclones have struggled on the run. Abu Sama III, who was expected to have a big year, has less than one hundred yards and no touchdowns.
The weak run game can not be entirely pinned upon Sama however. In light of his weaker performances, no one has stepped up to make up for it. Iowa State’s second-leading rusher, Jaylon Jackson has 39 yards on the year on nine carries, leaving him at the same yards-per-carry as Sama.
Fortunately, turnovers have not been a problem thus far for the Cyclones and are unlikely to become one against the Red Wolves.
If the Red Wolves are able to create pressure on Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht like no team this year has been able to and force the offense to rely on the ground game, Arkansas State has a solid chance of at least making it a close game.
However, this feels incredibly unlikely for the Red Wolves, leaving the Cyclones in position for victory. While the Red Wolves represent a trap game of sorts for the undefeated Cyclones, I believe that Rocco Becht will keep up his high level of play and Abu Sama will be able to lift his game to that which was expected of him. The Cyclones will continue their undefeated streak.
Score Prediction: Iowa State 28, Arkansas State 10
