Iowa State Football Preview: Oklahoma State

Iowa State (1-2) vs Oklahoma State (2-1)

Time: 3pm CST

TV: FS1

Where we last left off..

It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day all around for Iowa State. The offense was basically puking before, during and after the game. The defense continued to show up. Our kickers went back to the old days and started missing kicks and Ohio played more physically and beat Iowa State 10-7.

Oklahoma State Tidbits

The Cowboys are 2-1 on the season but may have hit their low point already much like Iowa State. Oklahoma State took an absolute butt kicking by the hands of South Alabama. The Cowboys turned the ball over two times and were just over 208 total yards of offense on Saturday. A recipe that sounds all too familiar to me.

Iowa State Offense

Oklahoma State Defense

The Oklahoma State defense took a bit of a beating from South Alabama. The Jaguars put up 398 total yards of offense good enough for 6.8 yards per play. Most of the damage came on the ground, South Alabama ran the ball for 243 yards

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

What should be eye-popping to Iowa State, if in fact, they do want to keep forcing the run and trying to establish it. The Cowboys are the 85th rushing defense in the country in terms of yards per play at 4.4 yards per rush. It sits at just over 176 yards per game on the ground.

Nickolas Martin is one Iowa State will have to scheme for on the Oklahoma State defense. Last week they struggled to take the linebackers out of the game allowing them to roam free and impact the game all over. This week may be no different if they don’t eliminate the second level including Martin on this Cowboy defense.

Verdict - Who The Hell Knows

Both units are on the struggle bus but Iowa State has a bit more ugliness to them. Which one is willing to make strides? That’s who will take the cake here.

Iowa State Defense

What can we say here that hasn’t been said already? This defense is carrying the team, and, aside from not scoring more touchdowns, they really aren’t doing anything wrong! I look for that to be the same case this week.

Oklahoma State Offense

When we think of Oklahoma State offenses in the past, we see teams scoring 50 points week after week. That hasn’t been the case for the last two seasons. The Cowboys are averaging 17 points per game while totaling just over 265 total yards on offense. So not only are they not really scoring, they are having trouble moving the ball. Part of that may be the quarterback situation that is less than ideal.

Currently, Oklahoma State is deploying the THREE quarterback system. Alan Bowman, Gunnar Gundy, and Garret Rangel have all seen times at the quarterback spot this season, but none of the three really seem to have taken charge of the offense and become the full-time starter. Iowa State will more than likely see all three.

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De’Zhaun Stribling is the wide receiver to watch if you had to pick one. He averages 11.8 yards per reception and has caught one touchdown on the season. None of these receivers in this group have really blown the doors off people but that may be due to the quarterback play being a bit inconsistent.

Verdict - Iowa State

This defense will overpower the Cowboy offense and hold them at bay. It will be much of the same for the good guys in this matchup.

Special Teams - Oklahoma State

The Cowboys have only missed one kick on the season and it continues to plague Iowa State a bit. Overall the unit has been better for the Cyclones, but when you need some field goals to go in and they aren’t? We have another problem.

Winning Scale on 1 to 10?

I’d give this one a weather report. The chance of rain on the morning of the game will be the probability of Iowa State winning this game. Let’s see what that is on Saturday morning!

Final Analysis

This is going to be another agonizing game for us to watch. Both offense’s are struggling. The defenses are both able to stop each other’s offenses and it’s building up to just be a sloberknocker and who ever makes the most critical mistake will lose this game. I just don’t feel good about the ability by Iowa State to score any points. They have shown me nothing there. Until that happens I have no confidence in this team, regardless of who they play to win a game.

Final Score Prediction

Oklahoma State - 10

Iowa State - 7