Texas has not lost 4 straight games since 2010 and will need a win at Iowa State Saturday night to avoid hitting that mark in 2021. The Longhorns again were unable to hold a double digit lead in the second half last week against Baylor and now face an Iowa State team that has given them problems the last few years. Let’s take a look at what to expect from Matt Campbell’s group.
Offense
Brock Purdy, who has been at Iowa State for what feels like 10 years, is still the signal caller for the Cyclones. Purdy is very experienced within Matt Campbell’s system and is completing over 73% of his passes on the season. The senior does a good job in the short and intermediate passing game. He does have a tendency to make some mistakes when he pushes the ball down the field, but he has not thrown an interception in his last 4 games and is doing a good job of taking care of the football.
The focal point of the Iowa State offense is the running game and running back Breece Hall. Hall is one of the best running backs in the country and already has 985 rushing yards on the season. He has terrific balance and feel running behind a veteran offensive line. Texas has shown little ability to slow down the run this season, so expect a heavy dose of #28 on Saturday evening.
The Iowa State passing game will center around WR Xaiver Hutchinson and a pair of strong TE’s (Charlie Kolar and Chase Allen). Hutchinson leads the Big 12 in receptions with 52 and has 590 yards on the season. Kolar creates a lot of matchup issues with his 6’6 frame and is one of the best tight ends in the college football. Allen joins Kolar on the field in 12 personnel and is a threat as a pass catcher and blocker.
The Cyclones offensive line is experienced and strong at tackle with LT Sean Foster and RT Derek Schweiger. The unit as a whole has only allowed 10 sacks in 8 games. The Texas defensive line will have their hands full.
Defense
While Iowa State has a good offense, the strength of the Cyclones is on the defensive side of the ball. Defensive coordinator Jon Heacock has owned Texas the last few meetings. Iowa State deploys a 3-down front that is paired in the backend with 3 safeties. The extra safety is able to be used in both run support and in coverage. The Cyclones have excellent linebackers in Mike Rose and Jake Hummel. Rose, who missed the West Virginia game with an injury, was the preseason Big 12 defensive player of the year.
Up front, Iowa State does a good job of winning at the point of attack with defensive ends Will McDonald and Zach Petersen. McDonald was a huge problem for Texas last year and the Longhorns never really found an answer for blocking him.
In the backend, Greg Eisworth is one of the best safeties in the Big 12 and fellow safety Isheem Young is coming off a big game against West Virginia. Corner Anthony Johnson has started over 30 games and will likely find himself across from Xavier Worthy regularly.
So the question is how do you attack the Iowa State defense? Well, Texas faced a similar defense when they traveled to Fayetteville in week 2 and the results were not pretty. Texas tried to run the ball into what they thought were favorable boxes, but crashing safeties and linebackers flying downhill made life miserable for Bijan Robinson. Iowa State has proven to be vulnerable to the quick passing game at times, including last week against West Virginia. Texas has struggled with the quick passing game at times this year, but they will likely need it this week if they want to move the ball.
Final Thoughts
This is an extremely tough matchup for Texas, and the fact the game is on the road makes it even tougher. The Longhorns haven’t proven they can stop any good running backs this year and they are about to go up against one of the best in the country.
Offensively, Texas is coming off a game where Baylor was able to load the box and slow down the Texas rushing attack. Iowa State will do it in a different way, but the Cyclones will surely be keying on Bijan Robinson almost every down. Casey Thompson is going to have to connect on some throws in the passing game for Texas to have a shot at winning this game.
As Texas has proven throughout the first half in the last 3 games, they can play with pretty much anybody, but it will take a complete 4 quarter performance to walk out of Ames with a victory.
