Brett Twelmeyer, Sports Editor (7-3)
No. 22 Iowa State 20, Utah 14
With just two games left in the regular season, No. 22 Iowa State needs to win out to have a solid chance at making the Big 12 Championship. A road test with Utah is the first of the last two games.
The Utes haven’t looked good in their debut Big 12 season, currently 1-6 in the conference and 4-6 overall. Not to mention their six losses have all come in their past six games.
Utah is in a rough patch and needs to win out to qualify for a bowl game. I just don’t see it happening. With injuries all around and a downright bad offense, I have no doubt Iowa State’s defense will handle the Utes.
However, Utah’s defense could be a problem for the Cyclones, which is why I have the score a bit lower this week.
In short, Iowa State is the better team and should win this game. Being that it’s on the road could be an issue, but the Cyclones have won on the road against Iowa, West Virginia and Houston.
I will note that Utah’s helmets this week are awesome. They pay tribute to Polynesian culture and say ‘Malama Lahaina’ on one side, in support of the city of Lahaina on the island of Maui, Hawaii, as a reminder of the ongoing efforts of rebuilding after the 2023 wildfires.
Pavle Markovic, Assistant Sports Editor (6-4)
No. 22 Iowa State 24, Utah 13
Alas, we have reached crunch time for the now-No. 22 Cyclones.
Although there is somehow a path where Iowa State could lose this game to Utah and still make the Big 12 Championship game, it’s not ideal to lose to a team that has been decimated with injuries and is currently on a six-game losing streak after starting the season 4-0.
The main reason for this slide is the injury to star quarterback Cameron Rising, who now gets another year of eligibility after getting injured early in the season.
This specific injury has forced the Utes to throw in true freshman Isaac Wilson into the quarterback role and has reasonably struggled with a 10-11 touchdown to interception ratio.
While the offensive side of the ball has struggled, the Utah defense has still stayed as stout as ever, as they’ve been top five in nearly every defensive category this season.
It doesn’t help the Cyclones’ case that they also have to travel to Rice-Eccles Stadium, which has been known to bring a loud environment from their passionate fanbase.
With so much at stake for Iowa State, I expect head coach Matt Campbell to prepare the team like it’s the last game of the season and see the Cyclones pull out a comfortable win in the end to keep their hopes of the bigger aspirations alive.
Cayden Storm, Sports Reporter (8-2)
No. 22 Iowa State 17, Utah 13
It’s do-or-die time for No. 22 Iowa State as it makes the trip to Salt Lake City to face the Utes.
A win keeps the Cyclones’ hope of a Big 12 championship game alive for at least one more week, while a loss all but certainly ends those dreams.
You can make an argument that there is no better team for the Cyclones to be facing with their season on the line than Utah, at least on the defensive side of the ball.
While the Cyclones have had their share of injuries, Utah has also been decimated by injuries all season long. Most notably, standout quarterback Rising has missed all but three games for the Utes this season due to a hand injury.
Rising’s injury has decimated the Utah offense. The Utes currently rank 14th in the Big 12 in scoring offense, averaging 22.7 points per game and 15th in total offense, averaging 353.8 yards per game.
The strength of this Utah team is its defense. Campbell even said that the Utes defense is “bar none, the best defense that we will have played.”
Campbell’s not wrong. Utah’s defense ranks third in the Big 12 in scoring defense, allowing 20.3 points per game, and ranks second in the Big 12 in total defense, allowing 317.2 yards per game.
I think this game will be a low-scoring slugfest, similar to what we saw when the Cyclones faced Iowa. I think the defense keeps the Utes in check, and quarterback Rocco Becht and the offense do just enough to escape Rice-Eccles stadium with the win.
Guest Editor (4-2): Joseph Dicklin, Visuals Editor
No. 22 Iowa State 24, Utah 19
Iowa State is at a crucial part of the regular season with just two games left. Even with a 34-17 victory over Cincinnati, Iowa State’s uphill battle is far from over.
With a tough stadium environment and an even tougher defense, Iowa State needs to show up and show out to beat Utah. I believe that Iowa State can bring home the victory as long as the typical first-half trope is avoided.
If we play good ball for the first three quarters and end on a final burst of effort we can steal the victory.
