Good Cop: Ian Morey
This weekend, the No. 22 Iowa State Cyclones will travel to Boulder, Colorado, to bounce back against the Buffaloes after a close loss against the Cincinnati Bearcats.
The Cyclones are tied with BYU and Texas Tech at five wins atop the Big 12 conference. However, their overall record is 5-1, being 2-1 in conference play after their first season loss, almost coming from behind to pull off another late-game win.
Considering the number of injuries the team is dealing with, especially in the defensive back position, they have found ways to stay competitive. While the loss is still fresh in our memories, let’s not forget the Cyclones have played close games all season and still managed to close them out.
Kansas State, Iowa and Arkansas State all had the Cyclones tied or behind at one point in the game. Even last week, the Bearcats only had one score in the second half, which came off an 82-yard touchdown while being backed up on their own 18-yard line, facing third and eight with six minutes left, and only up by nine points.
The explosive plays within the first half of the Bearcats could have been expected. The new starting rotation of defensive backs needed time to settle in, and the second half showed the defense got into a rhythm, barring one missed play. A punt there could’ve put the Cyclones in great field position, with momentum in the Cyclones’ favor after the previous drive.
Meanwhile, the offense sustained its high production form the Arizona game, and received huge performances from sophomore wide receiver Brett Eskildsen (eight receptions, 105 yards and one touchdown), junior running back Abu Sama III (18 carries for 96 yards) and, as always, redshirt junior quarterback Rocco Becht (30/48, 314 yards, two touchdowns passing; 11 carries, 22 yards and two touchdowns rushing).
Becht continued to show his resilience, more than doubling his Cincinnati counterpart, quarterback Brendan Sorsby, in completions, while adding 100 more passing yards. With this, the passing game continues to see a rise in receivers Chase Sowell and Xavier Townsend, along with continued production from the tight end position, with Benjamin Brahmer averaging 16 yards per catch against the Bearcats.
The Cyclones get an easier matchup this week against a 2-4 Colorado team that is 0-3 in conference play. They are sitting at the bottom of the Big 12 table and on a three-game losing streak.
I believe the Cyclones’ offense will continue to storm along, but I wouldn’t rule out a close game given the defensive injuries. However, given Colorado’s standings, I believe this game provides an excellent opportunity for our defense to continue to gain confidence and build upon it going forward.
If all else fails, the lights shine brightest in “prime time,” and the Cyclones have shown they have the resiliency to close out games on nationally televised games this year.
Score Prediction: No. 22 Iowa State 28, Colorado 24
Bad Cop: Marshall Woods
Well, it finally happened, the Cyclones’ perfect record comes to an end versus Cincinnati, but the biggest question was not why they lost, but what the rest of this season may look like.
The Cyclones are coming into Boulder on a surprising and, honestly, embarrassing 38 to 30 loss to Cincinnati. Iowa State came into the game off a win where the whole matchup wasn’t incredibly close or against an FCS opponent, but clearly that didn’t matter.
The question is, can the Cyclones bounce back against a 2-4 Colorado Buffaloes side, and I’m not sure they can. Coming off a tricky loss, I think we’ll see something similar to last season, where back-to-back weeks the Cyclones derailed and lost two in a row.
Don’t let that Buffaloes record fool you either; their games versus power conference opponents have included an undefeated Georgia Tech side that has beaten Clemson, a ranked BYU and a climbing TCU side.
Colorado also has a quarterback with incredible potential in five-star true freshman, now senior quarterback Kaidon Salter, and although he’s struggled through the first couple of games he’s played, I think he and the Buffaloes will have a breakout game versus the Cyclones, where he shows off why he was a five-star recruit coming out of high school.
The questions continue for the Cyclones’ defense and special teams, though. Coming into Cincinnati, the biggest question is how the Cyclones’ defense will handle without Jontez Williams and Jeremiah Cooper, and that question was answered with Brendan Sorsby and Evan Pryor scoring five combined touchdowns versus the Cyclones.
I think that the defense will learn from that powerful Cincinnati side, but it won’t be enough. The Buffaloes’ untapped potential with Salter and star receiver Omarion Miller on offense will shine and find ways to break through a torn and learning secondary.
On the other side of the ball, the Iowa State offense looked good through a slow start against Cincinnati. But the problem isn’t with the offense specifically, but with the injury to the fan favorite kicker, Kyle Konrardy. The Cyclone coaching staff has realized Iowa State simply can’t kick the ball.
Versus Cincinnati, the Cyclones attempted one field goal in the second quarter from 35 yards, which was no good. From that point on, fourth downs consisted only of punts or going for it. And even when there was the occasional fourth-down conversion, the offense would die down, find themselves on another fourth down, and not convert.
That strategy simply won’t work against Colorado. Fourth down conversions can work, but not trusting your kicker on a fourth and medium or even a fourth and long throughout a whole game will just result in lost points and wasted offensive drives.
In the end, I don’t think this injury-ridden Iowa State side will be able to come through versus Colorado, even if the Buffaloes have struggled in past weeks. A lacking secondary and practically no kicking game make me believe the Cyclones come out of Boulder with a 5-2 record.
Final Score: Colorado 31, No. 22 Iowa State 28
