South Dakota State

The 2018 football season kicks off under the lights in Jack Trice Stadium. While the Jackrabbits are an FCS school, Iowa State can’t overlook its week one opponent.

South Dakota State provides a good test for the Cyclone defense, a defense that improved as the season went on last year.

The Jackrabbits pound the ball, averaging 176.6 rushing yards per game last season. On the flip side, Iowa State’s David Montgomery should have room to run, as the South Dakota State defense gave up an average of 170.8 yards per game last season.

Iowa

After the night opener, the Cyclones head to Kinnick Stadium to battle the Hawkeyes. Last season, Iowa escaped Jack Trice Stadium in overtime with a 44-41 win.

The Hawkeyes return quarterback Nate Stanley and tight end Noah Fant, but Iowa lost key pieces on the defensive side of the ball.

Josey Jewell and Joshua Jackson will spend their Sundays in the NFL this fall, leaving Iowa State a chance to put points on the board again in this year’s Cy-Hawk matchup.

The Achilles’ heel in the Cy-Hawk game was the Cyclone defense, which could hold true again this season.

Oklahoma

After upsetting Oklahoma for the first time since 1990, Iowa State seeks to knock off the Sooners in Ames for the first time since 1960.

Last season, the attention was on Baker Mayfield and Kyle Kempt in his debut. The Sooners lost Baker Mayfield, but Kyle Kempt will still be around. But this year’s matchup will be all about the running backs.

Montgomery and Rodney Anderson are two of the top feature backs in the Big 12, and the game will likely come down to which one racks up more scores.

Akron

Back-to-back games against Iowa and Oklahoma are draining, but the Cyclones will get a tune-up against Akron in week four at home. Last season, Iowa State went to Ohio and knocked off the Zips 41-14.

This year, the two teams meet in Ames. If last year was any indicator, this game will provide rest for the Cyclones heading into their meeting with TCU.

TCU

The Horned Frogs will be gunning for revenge in Fort Worth after a 14-7 loss in Ames last season. TCU will have a new quarterback at the helm after Kenny Hill’s graduation last season.

The key with the Horned Frogs will be the defense. Gary Patterson-led defenses tend to show up in big games, as it did last season in Ames. As a result, the Iowa State offense needs to score just enough, while the defense locks down the TCU offense to win.

Oklahoma State

The Cowboys are without Mason Rudolph, but they still feature another top-tier running back. Similar to the Oklahoma matchup, Iowa State’s Montgomery will run with the best of them in Stillwater.

Oklahoma State’s Justice Hill racked up 1,537 yards and 15 touchdowns last season. In Ames, Hill trampled over the Iowa State defense for 149 yards and three scores.

The Cyclone defense may not be able to shutdown Hill, but it needs to contain him.

West Virginia

Arguably the best Big 12 returning quarterback can be found on the Mountaineer’s depth chart. Will Grier chucked the ball around for 3,490 yards and 34 touchdowns in 11 games.

Last season, Iowa State limited Grier to 317 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. The defense gave up a lot of yards (524), but it stiffened up when it needed to, holding West Virginia to 20 points.

The lack of scoring plagued Iowa State against West Virginia last season. This season, the Cyclones need more out of the offense in their meeting with the Mountaineers at Jack Trice.

Texas Tech

Homecoming features a favorable opponent for the Cyclones. Iowa State has dominated Texas Tech the past two years, including a 31-13 win last season.

In last year’s meeting Kyle Kempt only passed for 192 yards, but he did toss three touchdowns. David Montgomery shouldered most of the load, running for 164 yards.

The Red Raiders have gradually improved their defense from year-to-year. If Iowa State can gash them with the run game again, the Cyclones will have a successful homecoming.

Kansas

The struggling Kansas football program hosts Iowa State in early November. After a tough run of games in the early and middle of the season, Iowa State’s late season lightens up.

Kansas will provide another opportunity for Iowa State to heal up and rest before the last three games.

Baylor

Zeb Noland started against Baylor last season, throwing for 180 yards and two touchdowns. Once again, though, it was the David Montgomery show. Montgomery ran for 144 yards, and Sheldon Croney also chipped in 45 yards.

Meanwhile the Iowa State defense held Baylor to 198 passing yards and 133 rushing yards. This matchup is shaping up for another grindy game in Ames, Iowa.

Texas

After a 17-7 loss that triggered an early season turnaround, Iowa State will face Texas on the road near the end of the season.

The Longhorn defense delivered four sacks and three interception, while holding Montgomery to 34 rushing yards.

The Cyclones will have to put more points on the board in a late season battle with Texas to snag a win.

Kansas State

Will Iowa State finally get a win over Bill Snyder and Kansas State? After a 20-19 loss last season, Iowa State still hasn’t beat Kansas State since Gene Chizik won in 2007.

Last season, Iowa State was superior in the air and on the ground, but the Wildcats still pulled out the win. If you’re a glass half-full Cyclone fan, the last two wins against Kansas State happened in Ames.