Brett Twelmeyer, Sports Editor (5-1)
No. 9 Iowa State 35, UCF 21
I’ll keep this somewhat brief this week.
Iowa State looks good right now, being that the Cyclones are 6-0. UCF looks bad right now, given that the Knights have lost three straight.
The key to the game for the Cyclones once again will be stopping UCF running back RJ Harvey. Iowa State’s linebackers have stepped up week after week and have gotten better at stopping the run.
Harvey is a different monster, but the Knights are a run-heavy team. Regardless of the UCF quarterback that plays, they will have a tough time against the Iowa State secondary.
On the flip side, the Cyclones’ offense is better than the Knights defense.
I sound like a broken record week after week, but Iowa State keeps matching up with similar opponents due to the fact that many have strong running back rooms and dual-threat quarterbacks.
Pavle Markovic, Assistant Sports Editor (4-2)
No. 9 Iowa State 33, UCF 17
Once again, I was happy I was wrong last week. My main reasoning for picking against Iowa State last weekend versus West Virginia purely relied upon the crowd in Morgantown and the rushing abilities of the Mountaineers offense.
But the Cyclones handled both the rushing attack and the crowd noise, and easily breezed through West Virginia after a slow first-quarter start.
In my preseason predictions, I initially predicted Iowa State losing this game, so you really can’t blame me for staying on course.
But now that the Cyclones have won six straight games to start the season, and have battled through some tough times, I have all the confidence in the world to pick them from now on.
That starts with their next game against UCF. The Knights have had a less-than-ideal three-game stretch by dropping all three games after starting their season 3-0.
The one aspect of UCF’s game that has remained tried and true throughout the season has been the rushing game, led by star running back RJ Harvey.
Led by Harvey’s abilities, the Knights have the best rushing attack in the Big 12 with an average of 268 yards on the ground this season. This statistic has also led UCF to have the most yards per game on average in the conference (473.8).
Even with a subpar passing attack and their starting quarterback in question for Saturday, the Knights will heavily rely upon what has brought them success thus far.
I do expect the Knights to cause some trouble, at least early on in the game as Iowa State starts to adjust, but in the end, I have the Cyclones heading into their second bye week with seven straight wins.
Cayden Storm, Sports Reporter (6-0)
No. 9 Iowa State 41, UCF 17
I’m undefeated picking the Cyclones to win this season, so why would I switch it up? Last week’s game against West Virginia was the first time since week two that I really had to think hard about whether or not I should pick the Cyclones to win.
Of course, I picked the Cyclones to win and all they did was go into Morgantown and secure a comfortable 28-16 win, which only raises my confidence in this team. Besides the North Dakota and Arkansas State games, this is probably the most confident I have been predicting the Cyclones to win.
UCF is a team that had high expectations coming into this season and after a 3-0 start it looked to be a legitimate contender in the Big 12. Since then it’s been all downhill for the Knights, as they’ve dropped three straight games to Colorado, Florida and Cincinnati.
When you’re a team in a slump, coming to Jack Trice Stadium for a night game is not where you want to be. If the Cyclones are able to stop standout running back Harvey and take the lead early, I think the atmosphere in the stadium will be too much for the Knights to overcome.
I think the Cyclones get on top early and dominate a UCF team that is on a downward trajectory.
Guest Editor (2-0): Sarah Currier, Managing Editor
No. 9 Iowa State 36, UCF 20
I don’t pretend to know much about football or sports in general (aside from hockey). Thankfully, I am fortunate enough to work in a newsroom where I am surrounded by people who do know this stuff. According to them, as well as people on the internet who are paid to predict these things, Iowa State should have no problem sweeping UCF on Saturday.
After seeing how the Cyclones barreled through the Mountaineers last week, Iowa State is entering this game on a high note. Alternatively, UCF’s home defeat last weekend against the Bearcats was humbling, to say the least. If this was purely a competition of morale, Iowa State would surely win and win handily. Tack on the Cyclones’ home advantage, and I see no reason why they won’t be triumphant Saturday.
It feels like something special is happening, and I would love nothing more than to graduate during the year of Iowa State’s first-ever 10-2 season, as sports reporter Cayden Storm predicted all the way back in August. As long as the team can keep riding this momentum, I can see them permanently changing 133 years of Cyclone football history by the end of the year. Roll Clones!
