Good Cop: Kayde Sheaffer
After securing a shutout victory against Houston, the No. 16 Cyclones return to their home field aiming to extend their four-game winning streak by taking on Baylor.
In its win, Iowa State had a slow first half with only a field goal by redshirt freshman kicker Kyle Konrardy. The Cyclones were able to hold the Cougars defensively until Iowa State’s last-minute offensive plays were able to secure its fourth win of the season and be 4-0 for the first time since 2000.
Based on their performance against the Cougars, the Cyclones’ defense is expected to be a major challenge for the Bears. The team has consistently demonstrated their willingness and aggressiveness on the field, now being ranked fourth in the nation for their defense, and has only been allowing an average of 7.3 points per game.
Quarterback Rocco Becht has become a more resilient player this season, although he is coming off a game where he could only complete 60.7% of his passes and secured a new low of 153 yards this season. I think that this rough patch will give him just the right amount of discouragement to fight back in the game against Baylor and will be fully capable of leading the team.
Compared to Becht, Baylor’s quarterback Sawyer Robertson, although lacking the same offense structure, will be a close, even matchup. Robertson has maintained a 60.2% pass completion this season while throwing for 787 yards and six touchdown passes. Balancing quarterbacks, statistically speaking, Becht has the edge to win the passing game.
Already having a more successful foundation on the offense side, the Bears are also going to be unprepared for new attacks against their defense. After having his breakout game of the season, Baylor will be in for a rude awakening when faced with sophomore running back Abu Sama III.
Sama previously scored his first touchdown of the season against Houston while rushing the ball for a total of 101 yards. If this was the game that broke Sama out of his season slump, then the momentum should drive him to a successful performance against the Bears.
Continuing offensively, Iowa State is well known for its ability to make strong plays. After having his sixth game in a row with a touchdown reception pass, wide receiver Jayden Higgins holds the longest active streak in the nation, while also holding the second-largest amount of receiving yards on the team at 287. Higgins will definitely be a huge obstacle for Baylor to overcome.
Wide receiver Jaylin Noel will also complete the offensive dream team, having a team-high 353 yards and two touchdowns to his name this season. Along with securing a career-high of 2000 receiving yards.
Having a closely even matchup against the two teams will definitely lead to an interesting game, with the Cyclones offense and the Bears defense each having excellent success rates. Although struggling in the first half against the Cougars, Iowa State has all the right equipment to justify its effective offensive plays and should have no trouble putting a score up.
Score prediction: No. 16 Iowa State 34, Baylor 27
Bad Cop: Zander White
For the first time in 24 years, No. 16 Iowa State is 4-0. In addition to a historic start, Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell recorded his 57th win to surpass Dan McCarney as the winningest head coach in Iowa State football history.
The Cyclones are in search of what would be its fifth win this season along with a continuation of the perfect season, as they take on Baylor. The Bears will enter Saturday’s matchup with a 2-3 record after two consecutive losses to Colorado and now-No. 17 BYU.
Baylor has played each of its conference opponents close. The Bears’ defense has held strong in pivotal moments against the Cougars and the Buffaloes, but Baylor head coach Dave Aranda would ultimately lose the game as a result of a slow offense.
Should Iowa State come out with another slow start as they did against Iowa and Houston, there is a real chance that the Bears could find early opportunities to score in the first half.
That being said, the Cyclones are known to be a second-half team. Over half of their points this season have come in either the third or fourth quarters. These points were heavily attributed to Noel and Higgins, along with Sama.
Although Baylor has struggled on offense late in games, they have only lost by single digits in its previous two matchups. The Bears have proven that they can contend with ranked opponents for a majority of the contest, yet have only lost on big plays or unfortunate fourth-quarter lapses.
If the Cyclones struggle to find momentum in the second half, expect the Bears to take advantage to potentially earn their third win of the season.
Score Prediction: Baylor 35, No. 16 Iowa State 24
