Good Cop: Ford Griffith
The final game of the Iowa State football season is upon us, and it sets up the battle of natural disasters as the No. 18 Cyclones take on the No. 13 Hurricanes in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
A special senior class that includes wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, defensive backs Myles Purchase, Darien Porter and Beau Freyler, there is a lot on the line for guys that have completely bought into the culture that head coach Matt Campbell has instilled in them.
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Rocco Becht carried the Cyclones to their first-ever 10-win season, but I believe he wants more. Despite taking a hard hit in the Big 12 Championship game when it was already out of reach, Becht went back into the game to help his team. That kind of heart is what will separate the Cyclones from the Hurricanes in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
Alongside Becht is what will be the real difference maker, though. Noel and Higgins are the only receiver duo in the country to both reach 1,000 yards this season, averaging over 80 yards a game for both of them. The Miami defense gives up 209 passing yards a game, and a passing attack like Iowa State’s should be able to exploit that area of the game.
The Hurricanes’ passing attack is a little scary from the Cyclones’ perspective. With nearly 540 yards of total offense a game and 345 of them coming from the arm of Heisman finalist Cam Ward, Iowa State has its hands full.
Luckily for Iowa State, it has one of the best pass defenses in the nation. The Cyclones gave up 161 passing yards a game, good for the third-best in the country. With plenty of experience in the secondary, Porter, Purchase and the rest of the bunch will do their best to at least slow down Ward because I’m not sure anyone is stopping him.
Collectively, it will take a strong passing game that puts up 28-plus points and holding Ward and the Miami offense under their usual plethora of points and yards to be eating the giant Pop-Tart at the end of the game
Score Prediction: No. 18 Iowa State 31, No. 13 Miami 28
Bad Cop: Kayde Sheaffer
Based on No. 18 Iowa State’s performance during the Big 12 Championship, I doubt the Cyclones are capable of achieving one last victory against No. 13 Miami (FL) in hopes of making history with 11 wins.
Don’t get me wrong, Iowa State had a great season. However, I don’t know if the game against Arizona State was just a fluke or really showed how it has just been lucky this season.
Either way, the Pop-Tarts Bowl is going to be a great game specifically for Miami, as its veteran quarterback Cam Ward will play in the game.
As one of the four Heisman Trophy finalists, Ward will be a strong offensive asset for the Hurricanes and will undoubtedly be a difficult challenge for the Cyclones secondary. The 6-foot 2-inch senior holds a current 65.1% pass-completion average, 4,123 passing yards, 196 rushing yards and seven reception yards this season.
Throughout his five years of college football, Ward secured 17,997 passing yards, 155 touchdowns and 37 interceptions.
The potential top 10 NFL Draft pick is strongly supported on the field by senior wide receivers Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George. Throughout his five years as a Hurricane, Restrepo has racked up 2,844 receiving yards, 21 touchdowns and 130 points. George obtained 1,905 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns during his college career.
Already having a strong offensive line, the Hurricanes add more depth with junior running back Damien Martinez, who has also agreed to play in the upcoming game. Martinez holds a current career total of 2,990 rushing yards, 385 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns.
Taking into account the Cyclones’ defense during the Big 12 Championship, their defensive line is going to need some big improvements in order to hold Miami’s well-built and experienced offense, specifically from Iowa State defensive back Myles Purchase and defensive linemen J.R. Singleton and Domonique Orange.
Despite the challenges Iowa State’s defense will face, the storm is brewing between the Cyclones and the Hurricanes as they take to the gridiron Saturday in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.
Score Prediction: No. 13 Miami 31, No. 18 Iowa State 28
