Brett Twelmeyer, Sports Editor (1-1)
No. 20 Iowa State 24, Arkansas State 13
We are so back. The bye week is behind us, and No. 20 Iowa State will play football this Saturday. Quick note, I am more than O.K. that my prediction about the Cy-Hawk game was wrong.
With that win, I am convinced that the Cyclones can win anywhere.
Now, to get in this week’s game, I think this week will be a typical too-close, uncomfortable win for Iowa State. This one will feel much like the North Dakota game.
Arkansas State has a fantastic dual-threat quarterback in Jaylen Raynor and he will be the x-factor on the Red Wolves offense. His play will likely mimic that of Fighting Hawks quarterback Simon Romfo, who struggled to throw against the Cyclones’ secondary but found success on the ground.
Exploiting Iowa State’s run defense is what Arkansas State needs to do to stay competitive, so I expect plenty of read options, speed options and quarterback keepers.
For the Cyclones offense, I would like to see a third option among the pass catchers this week. I don’t care who, but someone else other than Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins needs to prove they can catch passes.
At the end of the day, I have Iowa State exiting non-conference play 3-0.
Pavle Markovic, Assistant Sports Editor (1-1)
No. 20 Iowa State 34, Arkansas State 10
Boy, was I glad to be wrong about the Cy-Hawk game. To be fair, the series has not typically gone in the Cyclones’ favor, but they proved me wrong and came back to take down the Hawkeyes in their house for the trophy and the bragging rights.
Following this big win, Iowa State got to enjoy a week off from play during its first of two bye weeks of its season. Players got to rest and recharge over the week break before they got back into the swing of things to prepare for their next game this weekend.
That game will be hosting Arkansas State this Saturday from Jack Trice Stadium. The Red Wolves will enter Ames, Iowa, boasting a 2-1 record, recently falling to then-No. 17 Michigan in Ann Arbor by a score of 28-18.
Arkansas State will be led by quarterback Jaylen Raynor who has proven to not just be a threat through the air but also on the ground. Raynor is currently second in rushing yards for the Red Wolves with 122, just two yards shy of the rushing leader in running back Zak Wallace.
The Cyclones have already faced a similar quarterback to Raynor in North Dakota quarterback Simon Romfo, who used his legs to gain yardage when the passing game didn’t work out. But in the end, Iowa State’s defense kept Romfo and the Fighting Hawks offense in check, which led to its week one win.
I expect more of the same to happen in this upcoming game against Arkansas State, with a little more offensive scoring involved this time around.
Cayden Storm, Sports Reporter (2-0)
No. 20 Iowa State 37, Arkansas State 11
It feels great to be the only member of the sports desk who is still undefeated in predictions. It pays off to have confidence in Iowa State and that confidence has only gotten stronger after the win against Iowa.
Just like the Cyclones, I can’t celebrate my victory for too long as it’s time to turn my attention to Arkansas State.
The Red Wolves are 2-1 with tight wins over Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) school Central Arkansas and Tulsa, along with a 28-18 loss to then-No.17 Michigan. Don’t let that score against the Wolverines fool you though; the score was 28-3 with five minutes left in the game before Arkansas State scored two touchdowns late against Michigan backups.
Red Wolves quarterback Jaylen Raynor was talked about a lot in the offseason as a player to watch for this season. He is very athletic and seems to have all of the tools to be a very good college quarterback.
The problem is that he has been very inconsistent this season as a passer, completing just 57.1 percent of his passes for 712 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.
If Iowa State can keep Arkansas State’s running game in check, which is definitely not a guarantee as the linebacker room remains decimated by injuries, I think the Cyclones’ defensive backs could be in line for a couple of interceptions off of Raynor.
On the offensive side of the ball, I’m looking for Iowa State to get the ground game going for the first time this season. Even if they can’t though, I have confidence that redshirt sophomore quarterback Rocco Becht and the wide receiver room can put up a very good performance against the Red Wolves defense.
If this game was played right after the Cy-Hawk game, I would be more worried about a let down game, but the Cyclones had an extra week to come back down and get mentally prepared for this game. I think head coach Matt Campbell has his Cyclones ready to come out and put up a dominating performance coming out of the bye week.
