By Michael O'Deay (@MODeay70)

Iowa State traveled to Norman with slim hopes for a repeat trip to the Big 12 Championship Game. With a win and some help the Cyclones still had a shot to make it to Dallas. The game started with ISU getting the ball and marching 75 yards in 12 plays. It could've been 11 plays, however, ISU got the benefit of a replay review when a fumble was lost out of the end zone. The Oklahoma player who forced the fumble was out of bounds and touched the ball after Scates lost it which caused an illegal touch. Instead of OU getting the ball as a touchback ISU retained possession. The next play, Breece Hall scored a rushing TD for the 23rd consecutive game giving the Cyclones a 7-0 lead. The TD tied Breece Hall for the most consecutive games with a rushing TD. 
The next drive Oklahoma QB Caleb Williams had a 74 yard rushing TD on Oklahoma's second offensive play. Williams went up the middle angling to the right sideline. Once he got to the second level it was a footrace, which he won. Game tied at 7.
After each teams first drive the defense won the rest of the 1st and 2nd quarters. Oklahoma had a drive that got into the redzone, however, they were unable to cash in when Gabe Brkic clanged a 25 yard FG from the right hash off the left upright. ISU was in business! With a possibly of gaing momentum heading into halftime!
ISU drove outside of FG range. On a 3rd and 7 from the OU 44, ISU was trying to go for the kill shot. Purdy, under duress, rolled to his left, it looked like he may have been trying to pump fake and tuck the ball away to get some yards on the ground. He was hit and fumbled the ball. The ball traveled all the way back to the ISU 41 (15 yards) where it was scooped up by Jalen Redmond and taken into the end zone for a Sooner TD. OU took the lead going into the break 14-7. That was this week's What Happened Moment which was brought to you by an OU booster.
Oklahoma got the second half kick off and punted. ISU returned the favor when they punted it back. Oklahoma punted again. ISU turned it over on downs. Oklahoma went 64 yards in 10 plays with Mario Williams snagging an 11 yard Caleb Williams pass for a TD. The deficit was 21-7. As OU was on that drive Purdy headed back to the locker room and was replaced by Hunter Dekkers. On Dekkers second pass of the game he threw an interception. At that point I thought OU was about to run away with the game. No knock on Dekkers, however, being down 21-7 and after a turnover with the backup in, I thought the outlook was bleak. Then the defense stepped up. As OU was trying to get into the red zone Caleb Williams threw an INT and ISU was in business! OU held to a 4th and 2, Dekkers converted on a keeper, that he fumbled and recoved. After 3 more plays, ISU had a perfect fake punt that kept the drive alive. Dekkers capped off the drive with a 12 yard TD pass to Chase Allen. 
After OU and ISU traded punts, OU went on a 6 play 68 yard TD drive that was capped off by an Eric Gray 7 yard TD run. OU led 28-14.
With just over 5 minutes to play, Brock Purdy and ISU went on 9 play 75 yard TD drive. Purdy hooked up with Charlie Kolar 3 times on the drive. With completions of 28 yards, 14 yards, and a 2 yard TD, ISU climbed back to 28-21. Iowa State's defense came up with another big 3 and out. Once again, after trailing by 2 TDs for most of the second half, ISU had a chance to tie it in the final moments of the game. For the second straight drive it was the Charlie Kolar show. Kolar had 4 catches for 60 yards extending drives and getting into a scoring opportunity. Sadly Purdy's 4th down throw to Chase Allen was a little too high and was picked off. 
OU wins 28-21.
Purdy was 30-43 for 281 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT. Breece Hall only gained 58 yards on the ground, however, he extended his TD streak and probably had one the best catches of the year. A falling one handed grab that extended a drive. It is one of the best Breece Hall highlights you'll see. Charlie Kolar came to life in his hometown, with 12 catches for 152 yards and a TD. I have laughed for 4 years when starting lineups are announced and I hear from Norman, Oklahoma TE Charlie Kolar. What a homerun of a recruit. I am so glad he spent his college career in Ames. 
Friday is Senior Day. Pack the Jack. Be loud. Show the Seniors and a couple of Juniors who are most likely gone, that we are proud of their accomplishments.

Go Cyclones!

By Michael O'Deay (@MODeay70)
Game 11 at Oklahoma 
Kickoff: 11:00 AM
​TV: Fox
Radio: Cyclone Radio Network

Texas Tech Recap:
When Texas Tech raced to a 28-7 lead, Iowa State had their work cut out for them. ISU went on a 7 play 75 yard drive to score a TD, thanks to a Breece Hall 17 yard run. Iowa State cut their deficit to 28-14. Texas Tech Freshman QB Donovan Smith led Tech on a drive that led to a FG and a 31-14 lead. To start the second half Brock Purdy threw his 2nd pick of the game. Texas Tech drove down to the red zone, instead of kicking a FG, they were held on a 4th down and ISU had new life. ISU would close the gap to 31-28 after two Charlie Kolar TDs. Texas Tech scored a TD to take a 38-28 lead. ISU went on a drive that would result in a TD and 2 sections of the Texas Tech crowd moved over 2 sections because the fans were throwing bottles and other debris on the field. The Cyclone defense would hold Tech to a 3 and out. The offense drove down the field and Andrew Mevis kicked a game tying FG with 1 minute to play. Tech’s freshman QB would lead the Red Raiders on a drive that set up a game winning 62 yard FG as time expired. It was a truly heartbreaking loss.

Know your opponent:
Oklahoma is 10-1 and 6-1 in Big 12 play. Baylor ended Oklahoma’s undefeated season with a 27-14 win in Waco last week.
 
The Series:
Oklahoma leads the overall series 77-7-2. The Sooners and Cyclones split 2 games last season. ISU Won 38-31 in Ames. The Sooners won the Big 12 Championship Game against Iowa State.

The Game:
These two teams had very high hopes coming into this game. The Sooners have a good chance to make the Big 12 championship while ISU is on life support. There is still a chance for ISU to make it to Dallas, however, all the stars in the universe need to align. 2 ISU wins paired with 2 losses from Baylor and Oklahoma, and winning a 3 team tie breaker with Baylor and Oklahoma.
Preseason Heisman hopeful Spencer Rattler was benched during the Sooners come from behind win against Texas. Rattler then replaced Caleb Williams last week in the Sooners loss to Baylor. The defense for ISU is going to need to come up big because With a TD on the ground Breece Hall would tie the record for consecutive games with a rushing TD. With both teams coming off difficult losses this will be a very good game with two great college teams.   

Key to the Game:
1) Fast Offensive Start
2) Convert 3rd Downs
3) Limit Big Plays

ISU has been plagued by slow starts in their 3 conference losses. The offense has the capability to come back, however, Oklahoma would be their best overall team. In 2019 OU raced to a 35-7 lead, to barely hold on to a 42-41 victory.
Part of ISU’s success in their wins has been able to convert third downs. That is very important because of OU’s high powered offense.
ISU has been one of the best schools at limiting big plays. ISU gave up 8 plays of 20 or more yards against Texas Tech. Prior to that the D had only given up 2 such plays.

My prediction: 
Let's send the Sooners out in style! ISU 34 Oklahoma 38

Go Cyclones!

By Michael O'Deay (@MODeay70)

A 62 yard FG and a ton of broken hearts. This loss stings. Before the game ISU had a dream to play in the Big 12 Championship game and possibly a New Years 6 bowl. Those dreams were shattered by a 62 field goal off the foot of Texas Tech Kicker Jonathan Garibay. 
Texas Tech raced to a 28-7 lead in the second quarter. With scoring drives of 75 yards, 75 yards, 70 yards, and 71 yards. Brock Purdy threw his first interception in over a month and Texas Tech was rolling. 
ISU answered with a 7 play 75 yard drive that was capped off with a 17 yard TD run by Breece Hall. His 2nd of the day. With 1:11 and 1 timeout surely Texas Tech would go to the locker room happy with a 14 point cushion. Right? Nope. Garibay hit his first FG of the day, a 45 yarder with no time to play in the first half making it 31-14.
The 2nd half started out with Brock Purdy throwing his 2nd INT of the day. He had Jaylin Noel in single coverage, however, Texas Tech corner Dadrion Taylor-Demerson had the beat on the pass that was thrown inside the numbers and picked it off. Texas Tech would go on what seemed to be a soul crushing drive.  They drove 69 yards to the ISU 11 and had a chance to go up 34-14. Instead they went for the first down. QB Donovan Smith was short on his keeper. ISU regained a little life. However they were held to 3 and out and punted it. 
The punt was returned 39 yards to the ISU 30. Once again, Texas Tech was set up for the haymaker. After a sack by Blake Peterson, an incompletion by Smith, and a completion of 18 yards on 4 and 21 once again Tech decided to go for the jugular instead of kicking a FG to take a 20 point lead. Smith kept it again and was dropped for a 4 yard loss. ISU football!
ISU would score on their final four possessions. Brock Purdy atoned for his two picks with 3 TD passes, two to Kolar and one to Hall. Hall's 17 yard TD reception to cut the lead to 38-35 was a highlight real TD where he caught the ball on the left hash, instantly spun to the middle of the field and angled toward the goal line for the score.
ISU then held Tech to a 3 and out. It set up a final drive for the ISU offense to take the lead and turn back the Red Raiders. Brock led the offense on a 15 play 68 yard drive that led to the tying FG. ISU was faced with a 4th and 4 from the Tech 12 yard line. Instead of playing aggressive and trying for the winning TD, ISU opted for the FG. In my opinion it was the right call. After a 2 yard run to start the possession Purdy threw an incomplete pass and scrambled for a 4 yard gain. On the two passing plays Tech had Kolar and Hutch locked up. If you get to OT there's a chance to win. 
Then ISU had their hearts ripped out of their chest and stomped on.
I want to take a moment to address some complaints I read online after the game. I read this is a wasted season. The team underperformed. Bench Brock Purdy. Fire Matt Campbell.
Stop it! If you remember the 90s, ISU went 23-80-3 for the decade! Along with several others, I remained a Cyclone. Coach Mac took over in 1995 and started the winning ways we enjoy so much right now. Since 2000 Iowa State has been to 12 bowl games, (13 after this season). Prior to 2000 ISU had been to 4 bowl games in over 100 years. That's it. Brock Purdy is the best QB ISU has ever seen. Matt Campbell and this senior class has laid the foundation where a bowl game is an EXPECTATION and not a pipe dream. The #7 ranking in the pre season poll was awesome. The 4 sellouts are amazing. The progress the athletic department has made is remarkable. Jack Trice Stadium is almost unrecognizable from just a decade ago. If I could personally thank everyone involved in the process, I would. I would shake their hand and tell them thank you for playing your ass off for the last four years. Thank you for giving new hope to a fan base that is already one of the most passionate fan bases in all of sports. Go out and win another bowl game. Keep your heads held high because we can't be happier than we are now for what you've done.
The expectations for ISU Football are rising. In the future there will be seasons with hopes and expectations like this season. 
Trust the process.
I will.

Go Cyclones!

By Michael O'Deay (@MODeay70)
Game 10 at Texas Tech 
Kickoff: 2:30 PM
​TV: ESPN 2
Radio: Cyclone Radio Network

Texas Recap:
This game started out as a big boy game. The defenses were flying around hitting everyone. ISU opened the game forcing a Texas turnover. ISU promptly drove into a goal to go situation and walked away with a FG. That score would hold up until the middle of the 2nd quarter when Hudson Card drove Texas on a 14 play 78 yard TD drive, to take a 7-3 lead on a 4 yard pass to Xaiver Worthy. Halftime score 7-3.
ISU had a solid 2nd half. Texas was on the field. That’s about it. The Cyclones got the ball to start the 2nd half and wasted little time to take the lead on a 4 play 75 yard drive that was capped with an impressive zig zagging Breece Hall 47 yard TD run. That was the gut shot to Texas. Then the teams exchanged punts. After the Cyclone defense forced the Longhorns to their 2nd three and out of the half, ISU used some trickery to deliver the hay maker! On 1st and 10 from their own 49 yard line, Brock Purdy threw a pass to Xaiver Hutchinson who then threw the ball to a wide open Tarique Milton for a 49 yard TD. After a 3rd consecutive 3 and out for Texas, Breece hall had a 21 yard run, a 3 yard run, then Purdy hit Kolar for a 23 yard gain that took the ball to the 2, and Breece Hall finished the 4 play 49 yard drive with his second rushing TD of the game. ISU would add two FGs to get to the final score of 30-7.
The defense was phenomenal! Creating two turnovers, holding Texas to 8 three and outs, and holding Texas to 205 yards of total offense.
Brock Purdy was efficient throwing for 252 yards with no TDs or picks. Breece Hall had 136 yards on 19 carries with 2 TDs. Xavier Hutchinson had 8 receptions for 96 yards with a passing TD. Will McDonald broke the ISU record for career sacks.  

Know your opponent:
Texas Tech is 5-4 and 2-4 in Big 12 play. The Red Raiders have lost their last 2, a 25-24 loss vs Kansas State and a 52-21 loss at Oklahoma. Texas Tech fired their head coach afte3r the loss to K State.

The Series:
Texas Tech leads the overall series 11-8. Iowa State has won the last 5 games. Last season Iowa State won 31-15 in Ames.

The Game:
Iowa State can still make it to Dallas. The first step is to beat Texas Tech. Brock Purdy is completing 74.3 % of his passes on the road this season. He has 6 TDs compared to 1 pick. Purdy hasn’t thrown an interception since the 3rd quarter of the Baylor game. Breece Hall surpassed the 1,000 yard mark on his second carry of the game last week. Hall is averaging 124.5 yards per game. He continued his TD streak to 21 consecutive games in the win over Texas.

Key to the Game:
1) Just win

As always 3rd downs, turnovers, and the line of scrimmage are huge.

My prediction:
Texas Tech has received thorough whoopins against Texas, TCU and Oklahoma. ISU has lost 2 out of the last 3 on the road. I’m expecting a big win. Cyclones 48-7.
 
Rest of the Season:
Iowa State’s goal of winning the Big 12 is still feasible. Baylor’s loss to TCU last week was huge! Baylor has 2 conference losses. If they lose one more and ISU wins out, Baylors tiebreaking win against ISU is irrelevant because they would have more conference losses. If ISU can win their last 3 games, @ Tech, @ OU, and VS TCU they would need Oklahoma wins @ Baylor and @ Oklahoma State. If we play this one week at a time, the most important thing this week is an ISU win and a Baylor loss.
 
Go Cyclones!

By Michael O'Deay (@MODeay70)
Game 9 vs Texas 
Kickoff: 6:30 PM
​TV: FS1
Radio: Cyclone Radio Network

West Virginia Recap:
There are a couple ways to look at the West Virginia game. 1) The Cyclones got hosed by officiating. 2) The Cyclones couldn’t come up with a crucial stop.
I have praised the defense all season. In clutch moments they have come up with the stop after stop and set the offense up to succeed. The Mountaineers had a great game plan. They called out routes all day. ISU couldn’t come up with a stop. There was a lot of separation between the corners and West Virginia’s receivers. Jarret Doege had a serviceable day 30-46 with 3 TDs and 2 picks. Leddie Brown went over the century mark with 109 yards and 2 TDs.
ISU had the big plays Breece Hall extended his consecutive rushing TD streak with a 70 yard TD. Tarik Milton had a 68 yard TD. Jake Hummel had a 24 yard pick 6. ISU fell short. That’s not an indictment of how ISU played. Nor is it of the coaching staff. The Mountaineers did what they needed to do to win. After West Virginia took a 38-31 lead, ISU had 2 drives that put them within reach of tying the game. The Breece Hall “fumble” is what I have the biggest issue with. The side judge called a TD, the back judge called a fumble. After what seemed like an hour long conference, the head ref said it was a fumble. Then there was a review. I knew there wouldn’t have been enough evidence to overturn it, (thanks for having the game on ESPN +). The call wouldn't have been overturned had the ruling on the field would’ve been a TD. It was to say the least a painful loss. It’s tough to win conference road games. ISU gave up 38 points, which is the most since a 42-41 loss to OU in 2019. Let’s move on to Texas.   

Know your opponent:
Texas is 4-4 and 2-3 in Big 12 play. The Longhorns are currently on a 3 game losing streak. They’ve had dominating wins against Texas Tech, Louisiana, and Rice. They blew a huge lead against OU, and lost 2 tough games to Oklahoma State and Baylor. The Longhorns are more than likely making their last trip to Ames, because after basketball season I’m sure the SEC will pony up the dough for OU and Texas to exit the Big 12.

The Series:
Texas  leads the overall series 14-4. Iowa State has won the last 2 games. Last season Iowa State won 23-20.

The Game:
Texas  is a struggling football team. Since blowing a 35-17 lead against OU, the Longhorns have been outscored 101-61. Texas also lost a double digit lead to Oklahoma State the following week. Texas has Bijan Robinson, the 2nd best running back in the Big 12. Robinson is averaging 5.93 yards per carry with 11 rushing TDs. He is a very powerful runner that gets a lot of YAC. QB Casey Thompson has Completed 64% of his passes with 17 TDs and 6 picks. He is a pocket passer that can thread the needle. Brock Purdy was efficient in Brocktober throwing for 945 yards with 8 TDs and no interceptions. This senior class is 16-1 at JTS against Big 12 opponents. Breece Hall is 15 yards away from eclipsing the 1,000 yard rushing for the season. The WR matchup is going to be a battle of the Xavier’s. It’s Worthy for Texas and Hutch for ISU. Worthy is a big play receiver averaging 19.9 yards per catch while Hutch is more of a possession receiver averaging 11.3 yards per catch.
This is going to be the loudest and most wild game at Jack Trice Stadium. Everyone in Cyclone Nation has had this date on their calendar since Texas and OU decided to jump ship. I know I am ready.

Key to the Game:
1) Just win baby

As always 3rd downs, turnovers, and the line of scrimmage are huge. ISU needs to find a way to win because believe it or not, there still is a way to get to Dallas. I’ll talk about that with a win in next week’s recap.

My prediction:
Texas is averaging 39.4 points per game and 447.4 yards of total offense. The Cyclones are giving up 19.6 ppg and 291.5 ypg. After last week’s game, I think the Cyclones are going to get back on track with a 34-24 win. I hope it’s more lopsided.

Go Cyclones!

By Michael O'Deay @MODeay70

Iowa State knocks off Oklahoma State 24-21. This game had a little bit of everything. Tough defense. Playmakers on both sides. One really bad call. A loud Jack trice Stadium. And some Sweet Caroline! 
Oklahoma State started the scoring on their 2nd drive. After a short punt Oklahoma State was in business. They took 6 plays and drove 48 yards to score a TD. QB Spencer Sanders completed a 5 yard TD pass to Brennan Presly. Iowa State went 3 and out. Oklahoma State put together a nice drive going 41 yards in 9 plays, however, kicker Tanner Brown missed a 50 yard FG. Then the Cyclones started a long 15 play, 67 yard drive that was capped off with a Brock Purdy pass to Xaiver Hutchinson for a 1 yard TD. Sitting in the other end zone it looked like Purdy's keeper, a Breece Hall Run and another Purdy keeper all scored. They didn't. I watched the game again, and agree the refs got that right. (We'll talk about the refs later)
After ISU and OSU traded punts, it seemed the teams were destined to be tied at 7 at halftime. With less than 2 minutes, after a negative play on first down, Sanders connected with Tay Martin for a 25 yard gain. Then a prayer of a throw was answered. Spencer dropped back and rolled out and chucked a ball into double coverage, that Brennan Presley went up and caught for a TD. It was a heck of a dangerous, should've been picked but somehow the WR made the catch, we're down 14-7 at half time.
Oklahoma State received the second half kick with a chance to gain momentum. ISU defense was having none of it. The defense got a huge stop on 3rd and 2 holding RB Jaylen Warren to no gain.
ISU got the ball back and probably the most significant sequence of the season occurred. Breece Hall had a big 28 yard rush to get ISU out of the shadow of their own end zone. Brock Purdy hit Darren Wilson Jr for a 5 yard gain. Then on 2nd and 5 Brock Purdy hit Hutchinson for a 54 yard TD and ISU was a PAT away from tying the game. As Hutchinson blew kisses to the crowd the back judge was discussing a penalty with the ref. A penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct was called on Xaiver Hutchinson at the 3. With replays and listening to the radio call after the game and watching the TV replay, everyone agrees that was a call that shouldn't have been made. Hutchinson looked back and "high stepped" one step into the end zone. In college football, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty prior to scoring a TD, makes the play dead at the spot of the foul and 15 yards are assessed from that point. They took the TD off the board. In this situation ISU could've crumbled and kicked a FG. They didn't. It took 3 more plays for Purdy to hit Hutch for the TD and ISU was in business. At that point, Jack Trice was the loudest I've ever heard. We, the fans, relentlessly booed the ref on all 3 plays and the whole media timeout. It was awesome. The energy continued throughout the rest of the game. It was an intense environment. That garbage penalty ramped up the noise in the stands. I have never been more proud to be a Cyclone.
But there was still football to play. Oklahoma State went on a drive to get the momentum back. Sanders was making plays with his arm.  He opened the drive with completions of 22 and 13 yards. Oklahoma St went 59 yards in 7 plays. ISU held the Cowboys to a 2nd FG attempt. Tanner Brown missed again. The score remained tied at 14.
ISU drove down and kicked a FG. In the 4th quarter Oklahoma State regained the lead on a beautifully thrown 25 yard pass from Sanders to Martin and the Cowboys went up 21-17.
Have no fear, the Cyclones were there. Against K State I said ISU had their best drive of the season, an 18 play 93 yard TD drive. This week ISU had their biggest drive of the season. Down to the number 8 team in the nation, the Cyclones used their experience and a raucous JTS crowd to go on the drive that kept Big 12 title hopes alive. Brock Purdy had 3 huge completions. A 30 yarder to Breece Hall, a 13 yarder to Hutchinson, and a 33 yarder to Tarique Milton. That set up Hall's 4 yard TD run. Hall now has a TD run in 19 straight games. Cyclones take a 24-21 lead.
The defense came up huge after that. With the stadium shaking Will McDonald had two sacks. The Cowboys were forced to punt. ISU had a chance to end the game but the Cowboy defense forced a punt. With 3:18 to play and 76 yards away from the end zone OSU had one shot left. In 3 plays, all Sanders completions, the Cowboys were at midfield. A false start pushed the ball back to the 45. Sanders hit Martin for a 10 yard gain, then threw an incompletions, on 3rd and 5 Jaylen Warren gained 3 yards to set up a 4th and 2. Oklahoma State ran a WR screen to Presly and he was SHORT! A review confirmed he was short. ISU took two knees, the fans stormed the field, and it was SO GOOD SO GOOD SO GOOD!
Great win! The Cyclones are in Morgantown to face the Mountaineers on Saturday.
​Go Cyclones!

By Michael O'Deay (@MODeay70)
Game 7 vs Oklahoma State
Kickoff: 2:30 PM
​TV: Fox
Radio: Cyclone Radio Network

Kansas State Recap:
Iowa State started fast and never looked back. Breece Hall started the game with a 75 yard TD dash and Iowa State controlled the rest of the game. Brock Purdy was 22-25 for 208 yards with 1 TD and no picks. Breece Hall had 232 yards from scrimmage (197 rushing and 35 receiving). Sack Masters Will McDonald and Uwazurike combined for 3 sacks. Iowa State improved to 4-2 and 2-1 with their 33-20 win over Kansas State

Know your opponent:
The Oklahoma State Cowboys are undefeated and ranked 8th in the AP Poll. Oklahoma State has recorded Big 12 wins against Kansas State, Baylor, and Texas. The Cowboys overcame a 24-16 deficit against Texas by shutting the Longhorns out in the 4th quarter, 16-0, to win 32-24.

The Series:
Oklahoma State leads the overall series 33-19. The Cowboys have won 2 in a row and 7 out of the last 8. Last season Oklahoma State edged 24-24 in Stillwater.

Cyclone History:
Iowa State had a huge win in 2011 when the 2nd ranked Cowboys came to Ames with National Title hopes, and left with a double OT loss. With Oklahoma State 24-7 in the 3rd, ISU mounted a comeback for the ages and beat those Pokes 37-31 in double OT. Jeff Woody scored the winning TD from 4 yards out. I still get goosebumps listening to John Walters call of the winning play.
If you go all the way back to 2018, Brock Purdy took over for Zeb Noland in Stillwater and the legend of Brock Purdy began with a 48-42 win. 

The Game:
Despite ISU's 2 losses these two teams are very evenly matched. Cowboy QB Spencer Sanders can make plays when all seems lost. He has tossed for 959 yards with 6 TDs and 5 picks. He also has 3 rushing TDs. When Chuba Hubbard went to the NFL, I thought, finally there is going to be a break in RBs. In comes Jaylen Warren who is averaging 4.8 yards per carry. He has 705 yards and 6 rushing TDs. The Cowboys have a suffocating defense. They are allowing only 307.2 yards per game with only 98.8 rushing yards per game. 
Iowa State has a good defense as well. The Cyclones are allowing 251.3 yards per game and 97.7 rushing yards per game. Breece Hall has nearly eclipsed the 200 rushing yard plateau twice in the last 3 games. 190 at Baylor and 197 at Kansas State. Hall extended his consecutive game rushing TD streak to 18 games. 

Keys to the Game:
1) Win the turnover battle
2) Limit big plays
3) Convert 3rd downs

This is going to be a "big boy" football game. The turnover battle could be the difference. Iowa State has an opportunity to create turnovers as Cowboy QB Sanders has thrown 4 interceptions in Big 12 play. 
Oklahoma State has an explosive offense. The last time these two teams met in Ames, Oklahoma State had TDs from 71 yards, 50 yards, 65 yards, and a 4th quarter pick 6. In order for ISU to win and to limit the big plays, ISU must win the line of scrimmage.
I say converting 3rd downs every week because it's what good football teams do. In the knock out punch drive against Kansas State last week, ISU had a 93 yard TD drive where they 5 for 5 on third downs. Keep it up.

My prediction:
ISU gets a hard fought 28-27 win.

Go Cyclones!

By Michael O'Deay (MODeay70)

Iowa State was searching for their first win in Manhattan since 2004. Breece Hall raced past the Kansas State for a 75 yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage and ISU left little in doubt after that. The Cyclones recorded a huge 33-20. The Cyclones improved to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in Big 12 play. Kansas State fell to 3-3 overall and 0-3 in Big 12 play.
Winning on the road in the Big 12 is a daunting task. Winning in Manhattan has been a rare occurrence. Iowa State showed they were more than capable of both. The Wildcats scored a 1st quarter TD to cut ISU’s lead to 10-7. The Cyclones shutout K State the rest of the 1st half. Kansas State had a nice drive that could’ve tied the game at 10, however, kicker Taiten Winkel missed a 43 yard FG. After the missed kick, ISU put together a 13 play 80 yard touchdown drive ending in a Breece Hall's 2nd TD of the day. K State was forced to a 3 and out and a punt. The Cyclones efficiently used the last 2:27 of the second quarter to extend the lead to 20-7 on Andrew Mevis’s 41 yard FG. Mevis was successful on FG attempts from 44, 40, 41, and 40 yards.
Kansas State was held to a punt on their 1st possession of the 2nd half. Iowa State had their best drive of their season. With the offense pinned at their own 7, ISU went on an 18 play 93 yard TD drive that took 10:02 off the clock, culminating in Brock Purdy’s only TD pass, a beautifully thrown fade route to Sean Shaw Jr for an 11 yard TD. That extended the lead to 27-7. On the drive ISU was 5-5 on third downs, Purdy was 6-7 for 57 yards and had a 7 yard run, Breece Hall had 32 yards. That is the type of drive that can be a huge confidence builder for later in the season.
The game ball goes to Breece Hall. He had 232 yards from scrimmage, 197 rushing and 35 receiving. Hall also had 2 rushing TDs. Hall now has a rushing TD in 18 straight games. Hall had the 75 yard rushing TD in the 1st and a 43 yard rush to start a drive in the 4th. The 43 yard run came after K State scored a TD to make it 27-13.
Brock Purdy was 22-25 for 208 yards with a TD and 0 picks. The defense wreaked havoc all day recording 3 sacks, 2 for Will McDonald and 1 for Uwazurike, 4 tackles for loss, and forced the only turnover in the game.  The defense made the plays to keep the Wildcats out of scoring situations. When the defense came up with stops, the offense turned them into points.
Up next: #8 Oklahoma State at 2:30 on Saturday. It’s time to Pack the Jack and send the Pokes packing back to Stillwater.
Go Cyclones!

By Michael O'Deay (@MODeay70)
Game 6: at Kansas State Farmageddon
Kickoff: 6:30 PM
​TV: ESPN2
Radio: Cyclone Radio Network

Kansas Recap:
ISU started the Kansas game in a big way. The Cyclones were up 28-0 in the first quarter. In the first quarter Brock Purdy was 5-5 for 96 yards with 4 TD strikes to Xaiver Hutchinson, Charlie Kolar, Joe Scates, and Jierhl Brock. Purdy finished 17-22 for 245 yards and 4 TDs. Breece Hall had 17 carries for 123 yards and 2 TDs. Breece has now scored a rushing TD in 17 straight games. Xavier Hutchinson led all receivers with 7 receptions for 96 yards and a TD. Iowa State dominated an over matched Kansas team 59-7. Hunter Dekkers had turned on the jets for a 41 yard rushing TD. Deon Silas capped off the scoring with a 16 yard TD run.

Know your opponent:
Kansas State  is 3-2 overall and 0-2 in Big 12 play. The Wildcats went undefeated in non-conference play, however, they have lost back to back games to Oklahoma State and Oklahoma. In their losses the Wildcats played tough but were overmatched and lost 31-20 and 37-31 respectively.

The Series:
Iowa State leads the series 51-49. The Cyclones won last season 45-0 in front of no fans in Ames. The recent history favors the Wildcats as they have won 13 out of 18 with a 10 game winning streak from 2008 to 2017. Iowa State hasn’t won in Manhattan since 2004. This series over the past 20 seasons have provided several gut punches to ISU. In 2009 Iowa State lost 24-23 on a missed extra point with less than a minute to play when the game was played at Arrowhead. The worst loss suffered in my opinion was in 2015 in Manhattan. ISU raced to a 35-14 halftime lead, only to be outscored by Kansas State 24-0 in the 2nd half and lose 38-35. It was exceptionally tough as ISU had a 35-28 lead with 1:31 to play. The Wildcats capitalized on 2 ISU fumbles scoring 10 points including a game winning FG as time expired.
 
The Game:
Kansas State has one of the better running backs in Deuce Vaughn. The talented sophomore is averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Vaughn leads the Wildcats with 20 receptions. With 7 total TDs (5 rushing and 2 receiving)  all eyes will be on Deuce. QB Skylar Thompson is completing nearly 70% of his passes with 3 TDs and 2 picks. The Wildcat defense is averaging 3 sacks per game. In 5 games the defense has forced 7 turnovers.
Iowa State has the best back in the Big 12: Breece Hall. After a slow start in the rushing yard department, Hall will be a big part of the Cyclones offense. Hall has 551 yards and 8 rushing TDs this season. Hall is looking to get his 4th consecutive 100 yard rushing game. With the pressure Kansas State can get up front and only 7 turnovers in 5 games, Brock could put up big yards through the air. If the K State defense gets aggressive and blitzes, Purdy will look for Charlie Kolar to slow the pressure and Xaiver Hutchison to stretch the field if he has 1 on 1 situations.

Keys to the Game:
1) Win the battle up front
2) Win the turnover battle
3) Be as efficient on offense as possible

Kansas State is in need of a win to get their season back on track. ISU is only giving up 2.6 yards per carry and 90 yards per game. The front 7 is a huge reason. D Ends Will McDonald and Eyioma Uwazurike have 6.5 of the Cyclones 11 sacks. Mike Rose and Jake Hummel have been solid run stoppers combining for 69 total tackles.
ISU has only forced 6 turnovers this season. In a conference road game that could be close, winning the turnover battle and setting the offense up with a short field on multiple occasions would be huge.
Iowa State has improved on 3rd down conversions. This is vital because K State isn’t a quick strike offense. The Wildcats are going to pound the ball to attempt to have long drives. ISU doesn’t need to keep K State off the field because the Wildcats can score 50, but the defense is going to be in a tough grind it out game. If ISU can have long offensive drives while being efficient, they will have the advantage.

My prediction:
ISU wins 42-21. Jump on the Wildcats early and let the defense smash them late.
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Go Cyclones!