Good Cop

By Noah Rohlfing

Well, that could’ve gone better.

This weekend, though, everything’s going to work out just fine. Iowa State plays Akron on the road on Saturday, and yes, it’s exactly as weird as it sounds. 

Akron, I dare say, is not a very good football team. The Zips failed to score at all against fourth-ranked Penn State on the opening weekend of the season, surrendering 569 yards on defense in the process.

David Montgomery will have a field day against a Zips team that gave up 247 yards on the ground in their only game against an FBS team so far. I’d be shocked if he finishes with less than 25 carries.

Akron also presents an opportunity for the Cyclones’ defense to bounce back from giving up 44 points to Iowa. Akron scored 52 points last week, but the Zips’ opponent was FCS Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Hardly a Power Five opponent (no offense to the Golden Lions), and not exactly a barometer for the Zips’ offensive quality.

Iowa State’s secondary suffered setbacks against Iowa, with Nate Stanley throwing for over 300 yards and leading the Hawkeyes to victory. The good news for the Cyclones is that Akron has only 283 yards through the air all season.

If the Cyclones secondary can’t contain the mighty Zips, then it’ll be a rough season.

Simply put, this is a game the Cyclones have to win and win convincingly. Luckily, I am confident they’ll do just that. Expect an emphatic win in Akron to celebrate Matt Campbell’s return to MAC country. 

Prediction:

Iowa State 48, Akron 13

Bad Cop

By Garrett Kroeger

Told you Cyclone fans that Iowa State was going to lose to the Iowa Hawkeyes. However, the Cyclones did prove me wrong in some aspects.

Quarterback Jacob Park played well against a good defense and running back David Montgomery looks like a top-3 back in the Big 12. But the defense still has issues (cough Akrum Wadley made them look silly cough).

Now, this Saturday, Iowa State travels to Ohio to take on the Akron Zips. Currently, the Zips are 1-1 and looking for their second win. 

While the Cyclones on paper and on field look like the better team in this matchup, they will still lose. The reason why is because it is the Iowa State way. The Cardinal and Gold always find a way to lose a give me game like Akron.

So come Saturday, fans should not use the hashtags “Trust the Process” or “Raise the Standard” but “Lower the Expectations.”

Prediction:

Akron 31, Iowa State 28