No. 18 Iowa State
Rocco Becht, Quarterback
If the Cyclones want to have their first 10-win season and a potential trip to Arlington for the Big 12 Championship game, Becht will have to be at his best to help make this dream a reality.
While the redshirt sophomore quarterback has been playing well, he still is prone to making mistakes that have nearly cost Iowa State some wins.
On the season, Becht has thrown for 2,884 yards, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions on a 61.4% completion rating. Becht has also excelled in the rushing game, as he has collected 237 yards on 77 attempts and six touchdowns.
When compared to his stats from this season to last season, the first full season Becht played as the starting quarterback, he has improved his rushing numbers immensely, but still has work to do in the passing game.
Granted, Becht has two guaranteed games left to play to officially evaluate the season he has had.
One of those games will be against a Kansas State team that will look to get revenge on the Cyclones following the result of the Snowmageddon in Manhattan a season ago.
The Wildcat defense ranks within the top five in the Big 12 in scoring defense (21.3), total defense (339.9) and rushing defense (108.4). The one lackluster part has come in the passing attack, as they rank among the bottom five in that category (231.5).
With cold temperatures expected on Saturday night, expect to see Becht adapt his style of play not only to the temperatures but also to the Kansas State defense.
The Entire Offensive Line
Following along with Becht, the Iowa State offensive line will need to be at the top of its game if they want to help the offense score points on the board.
This particularly matters against a Wildcat defense that is ranked second in the conference in sacks with 30 thus far.
However, the Cyclone offensive line has done a good job in protecting the pocket for Becht this season, as they’ve only allowed 13 sacks on the redshirt sophomore this season.
While all the sacks may not have been the fault of the offensive line, they still have been a force to be reckoned with in the Big 12.
Along with the passing attack, the offensive line has helped bring success to the rushing attack with Becht and sophomore running back Carson Hansen, who has 11 rushing touchdowns on the season.
It will be tough to get the running game going against a Kansas State defense that ranks the best in rushing defense, along with the colder temperatures.
Especially with it being senior night for offensive linemen Jalen Travis and Jarrod Hufford, look for this unit to make plays happen to help get Iowa State towards its bigger aspirations.
Kyle Konrardy, Kicker
As much of an impact as Becht has in each game, Konrardy carries about the same if not more in certain situations.
The redshirt freshman has been effective for the Cyclones, but has had moments that have either come close to costing the team wins, or flat out was one of the reasons for their loss.
Look at the game against Texas Tech, where he missed a 51-yard field goal that could’ve been the difference maker in that game.
Granted, the field goal was kicked into the windy conditions and followed a wonky drive by the offense.
On the season, Konrardy has made 17 of his 22 field goals (77.3%) and 36 of his 38 extra-point attempts (94.7%). His longest came in the Iowa game, where he captured the state of Iowa and the Cy-Hawk trophy on his 54-yard kick.
Konrardy has proven to be one of the most important pieces to this Iowa State team and will need to be on top of his game to help the Cyclones achieve victory on Saturday.
No. 24 Kansas State
Avery Johnson, Quarterback
Iowa State will face a new quarterback behind the helm at Kansas State with Johnson and should not be taken lightly on his abilities in both the passing and rushing game.
On the season, Johnson has thrown for 2,297 yards, 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions on a 60.5% completion rating. In the running game, Johnson is second on the Wildcats in rushing with 484 yards on 89 attempts and six touchdowns.
When compared with Becht’s season, not much is different between the two quarterbacks as both have shown to make key impacts for their respective teams.
But the difference is that Johnson will be facing one of, if not the best overall defense in the Big 12. The difficulty ramps, especially with the game being in Ames.
Despite being one of the worst teams against the run, the Cyclones’ defense ranks first in scoring defense (19.5) and passing defense (151.2), while ranking fourth in overall defense (327.5).
While the primary focus will be on Kansas State’s rushing attack, expect Johnson to make some plays on Saturday that help keep the Wildcats on potential upset alert.
DJ Giddens, Running Back
Speaking of Kansas State’s rushing attack, the group is spearheaded by Giddens, who has been a dominant force in his respective field.
Giddens currently has 1,271 yards on 191 carries with seven rushing touchdowns and is one of five running backs in the conference that averages over 100 yards per game (115.5).
This is Giddens’ second consecutive season with over 1,200 yards on the ground and has had past success against the Iowa State defense, as he collected 114 yards on 31 carries with a touchdown in the Snowmageddon matchup a season ago.
While his seven touchdowns may not be as impressive as the other top running backs in the Big 12, Giddens still finds a way to get this Wildcats offense into scoring range with his legs.
Along with his rushing abilities, Giddens has proven to be an effective weapon in the passing game, as he’s third on the team with 258 yards on 21 receptions with a touchdown.
Especially with how Cyclones defense has been against the run this season, Giddens should have no problems finding success in a game that Kansas State will look to play spoiler in.
Brendan Mott, Defensive End
As discussed above with Iowa State’s offensive line, the Wildcats’ defense has been their strongest when rushing the opposing quarterbacks this season.
That success has been led by the Iowa City native in Mott, who currently leads not just Kansas State, but the Big 12 in sacks this season with 8.5.
Along with his sack numbers, Mott has 43 total tackles, 22 solo tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception, which he had in the Wildcats’ most recent game against Cincinnati.
Mott has played the Cyclones twice in his four seasons with Kansas State and has collected one sack and three total tackles. His sack came back in the 2022 season, helping contribute to the close 10-9 win in Ames.
Although the Iowa State offensive line has shown to be strong this season, Mott could be the one defensive player that could give the Cyclones offense some fits Saturday night.
