Brett Twelmeyer, Sports Editor (6-1)
No. 11 Iowa State 37, Texas Tech 21
Iowa State has the opportunity to start a season 8-0 for the first time ever.
I think they will.
The bye week could not have come at a better time for the Cyclones. After a week off to rest and recover, the final push towards the Big 12 Championship and the College Football Playoff starts now.
November will be a gauntlet with five games across all five weekends. That gauntlet begins with 5-3 Texas Tech.
The Red Raiders are an odd team to me. They started the year with a near loss to Abilene Christian and got stomped by Washington State. After that, they won four in a row but have since lost their last two games.
Running back Tahj Brooks is by far the best player and will be the focal point of their offense, and quarterback Behren Morton will play after injuring his shoulder last week.
It will all come down to Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht being smart with the football and not turning it over. If he does that, the Cyclones will be fine.
Why not add in a late-game interception for defensive back Jontez Williams too?
Pavle Markovic, Assistant Sports Editor (5-2)
No. 11 Iowa State 40, Texas Tech 24
At last, Iowa State football is back.
After their two-week hiatus, the now-No. 11 Cyclones prepare to keep their undefeated season alive Saturday against the highly powered Texas Tech offense.
The Red Raiders will come into this matchup on a two-game skid, but still have the capabilities to outscore their opponents, as they have the best-scoring offense in the Big 12.
Led by star running back Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech currently averages the most yards per game (457) and points per game (38.1) among Big 12 teams.
Brooks will pose the biggest problem for this Iowa State defense, as he is nearing the 1,000-yard mark on the ground this season with 925 yards thus far. Along with the yards, he currently leads the conference in average yards per game (132.1) and attempts (179), while having nine touchdowns.
It will be tough for this Cyclones defense to stop the likes of Brooks, as they just got obliterated by the rushing attack of UCF, as they were able to put up 354 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
Even with Brooks’ rushing abilities, the Red Raiders offense has also found a lot of success through the air, as projected starting quarterback Behren Morton has thrown for 2,063 yards with an exceptional touchdown to interception ratio of 17-3.
But, the one Achilles heel of this Texas Tech team has come from its inability to slow opposing offenses down. The Red Raiders defense is currently rated as the worst passing defense in the Big 12 conference, as they’ve given up a conference-worst 2,466 passing yards in eight games played.
Look for redshirt sophomore quarterback Rocco Becht and the Iowa State offense to get things going right away against an underperforming Texas Tech defense.
In the end, I do have Iowa State keeping its undefeated season alive and winning this game comfortably to start the final month of regular season play.
Cayden Storm, Sports Reporter (7-0)
No. 11 Iowa State 28, Texas Tech 17
The bye week is over and just like the Cyclones, it’s time to put my undefeated record on the line once again.
This isn’t shocking in the slightest, but I’m taking the Cyclones to prevail once again. If it isn’t broken, why fix it?
The Red Raiders play a style of football that I believe plays right into the Cyclones hands.
Defensively, the Red Raiders are the worst defense in the Big 12, allowing 36 points on 466 yards per game. They especially struggle against the pass, ranking dead last in the Big 12 in pass yards allowed per game, giving up an average of 308.3.
I think that this gives quarterback Rocco Becht the perfect opportunity to bounce back after a shaky outing against UCF. I would expect a handful of big plays to star wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel.
On the offensive side of the ball, Texas Tech quarterback Behren Morton plays a very different style than what the Cyclones defense has been accustomed to this season.
He’s much more of a pocket passer, something the Cyclones haven’t seen a lot of this season, but I think that plays into their favor.
With how good the Cyclones’ defensive back room is, I think playing a quarterback who prefers to throw the ball around rather than tuck and run is a great thing for the defense.
Just like I’ve said before, it’s all going to come down to the Cyclones’ ability to stop the run, and coming off of a bye week, I think they’ll figure something out against the Red Raiders star running back Tahj Brooks.
I like the Cyclones in this one, but maybe in a lower scoring affair than some might expect.
Guest Editor (3-0): Ashton Tack, Politics Editor
No. 11 Iowa State 35, Texas Tech 21
I’ll be honest, I was not entirely confident in the Cyclones’ ability to make it this far staying undefeated. I don’t know if it was how my last four years as a fan have gone or the fact that we lost a lot of seniors last year.
However, my confidence has changed since the season started this year. The Cyclones are exciting to watch and have been drawing a crowd since the end of August. I see this as an advantage for Matt Campbell’s 7-0 Cyclones.
Given that it is homecoming weekend also gives Iowa State an advantage over Texas Tech. There will be more people in the stadium ready to cheer on Rocco Becht, which could provide a nice tailwind for the team. As someone who played football from elementary to high school, I know how important a strong fanbase can be.
One thing I feel is important to mention, though, is that the Cyclones have had very close endings to their last few games. This may lead to issues for the Cyclones late into the game, as it has in the past.
As basic as it sounds, Iowa State needs to lead early and keep its lead well into the second half if they expect to continue this winning streak. I have no doubt that Campbell’s team will make this happen.
