Saturday Spotlight
(10) Iowa Hawkeyes at (9) Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa: Last Friday night, I was on one of the shows I contribute for called “The Prime”. When we previewed the Big Ten West, I originally stated I picked Wisconsin to win the division while my radio associate, Israel Rivera said he’s picking the Iowa Hawkeyes to take the West. What a game they played on Saturday against the Indiana Hoosiers. Defense was the mantra of the day. That was dominance at its finest in week one. I saw how they made Michael Penix look lost and discombobulated. Iowa’s defensive line bought continuous amounts of pressure and attacked the Hoosiers offensive line consistently. They also created turnovers and recorded two pick-sixes. Here’s a fun fact. The Hawkeyes defense hasn’t allowed 24 or more points in their last 23 games. That shows how solid yet locked in their defense has been. The offense did struggle at time. They didn’t need a lights out performance from Spencer Petras because they simply needed him to control things like a game manager. They’ve quietly been one of the hotter teams in the country. Dating back to last season, they’ve won seven in a row. The funny thing is you don’t hear a thing about it. Today, they travel to Ames for an in-state showdown with the Cyclones.
Iowa State: For the first time in school history, they’re ranked within the top ten. They’re seventh to be exact. However, in that game on Saturday against Northern Iowa, I didn’t like what I saw from them. If you say they looked flat, you’re not wrong in any way, shape or form. When this Cyclones team is clicking on all cylinders, they are the biggest threat to the Oklahoma Sooners in the Big-12. They have what it takes to dethrone the Sooners off the top of the conference. Iowa State has the best quarterback in the conference and his name is Brock Purdy. Then, they also have not just the best running back in the Big-12, but in all of college football and that’s Breece Hall. I can’t wait to see what he does at the next level in the NFL. While the performance in week one wasn’t what they were necessarily expecting, the defense rose to the occasion and made several plays when it was needed. What I enjoy about this Cyclones offense is they’re a pro-style offense. They use multiple tight ends because they want to run the football and control the line of scrimmage. There’s nothing flashy about them which is fine with me because they stick to their identity. Today, they’ll welcome Kirk Ferentz and the Hawkeyes to town.
Iowa X-Factor: Tyrone Tracy Jr– He’s one of the best play-making receivers you don’t hear much about. When you feed him the ball, he’s explosive in space with it in his hands. Tyrone is a versatile guy because he can also run jet sweeps and be a factor in the running game. I see Iowa State doing everything they can to limit Tyler Goodson who’s the focal point of the Hawkeyes offense. In other words, Petras will need to throw the ball for them to have a shot.
Iowa State X-Factor: Will McDonald IV– I’m finally getting the chance to watch him play! He is one of the best pass rushers in the nation. Will has recorded 17.5 sacks which rank third in school history. As I like to say, he’s what stirs the drink for this Cyclones defense. Outside of his pass rushing abilities, he’s a tackling machine. I look for him to be all around the ball today and all over the field.
Final Thoughts: We couldn’t get this matchup last season due to COVID-19 so the Big Ten cancelled all interconference games. A year later, here we are, and this could be the most anticipated matchup ever between these instate rivals. Iowa State will see a much better team today than they did in week one. They can’t come out as rusty as they did. I see this game coming down to who can dominate the line of scrimmage more consistently. Iowa will be all in trying to limit Breece Hall. Watch them close up those running lanes. For either team, both quarterbacks will have to make plays with their arm. That favors Purdy more. I’m watching the Cyclones offensive line against this Iowa defensive front that loves to get after the quarterback.
Prediction: Iowa 20 Iowa State 17
