College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Iowa State Cyclones season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Iowa State Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 7-6 overall, 5-4 in Big 12
Head Coach: Matt Campbell, 5th year, 26-25
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 33
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 63
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 29
No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Iowa State Cyclones Offense 3 Things To Know
– The offense took things to another level with the passing game, and the team scored the most points in school history and more than 400 points for the first time since 2002.
And then things fizzled out, coming up with 17 in the loss to Kansas State and nine in the Camping World Bowl blowout loss to Notre Dame to close things out.
Brock Purdy is back after throwing for 3,982 yards and 27 touchdowns, bombing away for an attack that came up with two touchdown pass or more in nine of the first 11 games and hit the 300-yard mark seven times. He can run, too – he was second on the team with 249 yards and eight scores – but the high-powered offense will keep on bombing away.
Former star recruit Re-al Mitchell transferred to Temple, and the only other backups from last year’s team are walk-ons. Aidan Bouman and Hunter Dekkers were okay recruits who’ll need to be ready to go early on.
CFN in 60 Video: Iowa State Cyclones Preview
– Leading receiver Deshaunte Jones is gone, but junior Charlie Kolar might be the Big 12’s best tight end. He’s coming off a 51-catch, seven-touchdown season, and 6-7, 245-pound senior Chase Allen isn’t a bad second option.
Tarique Milton averaged over 20 yards per catch, but the Cyclones need a few volume catchers to step up with Jones and La’Michael Pettway gone. Sophomore Sean Shaw caught five touchdown passes, and Landen Akers is a veteran in the system, but the nice recruits from last year’s class have to rise up, and 6-3, 200-pound JUCO transfer Xavier Hutchinson needs to become an instant factor.
– The running game is effective enough to get by, but it has to work. Iowa State was 0-5 last year when it ran for fewer than 100 yards, and is 0-8 over the last two seasons when it can’t get there.
6-1, 205-pound Breece Hall stepped in as a true freshman for David Montgomery and led the way with 897 yards and nine touchdowns, turning it on over the second half of the season. He’ll be the all-purpose back – he made 23 grabs – and the workhorse at times, but junior Johnnie Lang and senior Kene Nwangwu are veterans with starting experience that can be worked into the mix.
The O line, though, needs some work to make it all go. Four starters from the lend of last year are done, with only sophomore Trevor Downing returning to one guard spot. Junior Colin Newell will likely take over at center, and the cupboard isn’t bare to fill in the other spots, but it’s asking a lot to lead the Big 12 again in fewest sacks and tackles for loss allowed.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Iowa State Cyclones Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: Iowa State Cyclones Defense 3 Things To Know
– The defense gave up over 300 points for the first time since 2016, however, it was more than fine. It finished third in the Big 12 in scoring defense, fifth overall, and was able to hold up well against the run.
The defensive line loses its stars on the inside with Ray Lima and Jamahi Johnson done, but the pass rushers are in place on the outside with a good rotation of ends around star JaQuan Bailey, who was knocked out early last year with an ankle injury. He has 113 career tackles with 18.5 sacks and 31.5 tackles for loss, and now he’s all back full. But he’s not alone.
Sophomore Will McDonald was second on the team with six sacks, and 262-pound junior Zach Petersen and 285-pound senior Enyi Uwazurike bring the size. It’ll take a bit to get the right tackle rotation going. There isn’t the big 300-pound space-eater, but there’s a little bit of experience returning.
– The linebacking corps has the potential to be a killer. Leading tackler Marcel Spears is done, but the trio of Mike Rose, O’Rien Vance, and Jake Hummel will get all over the field and will make a whole lot of plays. Rose and Vance combined for ten sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss. The depth has to be developed, but the starting three will crank up the stats.
– The Cyclones gave up 230 passing yards per game – that’s the cost of doing business in the Big 12. However, picking off just six passes is a big problem – more on that in later in the Keys To The Season.
Four of the top five defensive backs return, starting with all-star Greg Eisworth at one safety spot to lead the way. With Eisworth combined with Lawrence White, the safeties are terrific, and corners Anthony Johnson, Tayvonn Kyle and Datrone Young are veterans who can tackle. Now they have to come up with more big plays.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top Iowa State Cyclones Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top Iowa State Cyclones Players
Best Iowa State Cyclones Offensive Player
QB Brock Purdy, Jr.
There was a time not all that long ago when the Iowa State quarterback job was anything but settled. Remember Joel Lanning, before he became a star linebacker? Kyle Kempt, Jacob Park, Zeb Noland?
2019 was first time in over ten years that just one Iowa State player threw more than 50 passes in a season. Three threw that many or more in 2017, and 2014 was the only other time since 2010 that one Cyclone QB threw more than 100 times in a campaign.
The 6-1, 210-pound Purdy took over in 2018 and the job has been his ever since, throwing for close to 4,000 yards with 27 touchdowns and nine picks last season, to go along with eight scores. He earned Second Team All-Big 12 honors, and it’s not crazy to think he’ll be the best quarterback in the conference this year.
2. TE Charlie Kolar, Jr.
3. RB Breece Hall, Soph.
4. WR Tarique Milton, Jr.
5. OG Trevor Downing, Soph.
Best Iowa State Cyclones Defensive Player
S Greg Eisworth, Sr.
The 6-0, 205-pound veteran safety didn’t make as many tackles, but he became more of a playmaker for a solid secondary that should be among the Big 12’s best.
He followed up his 87-tackle first season with 65 stops as an all-conference performer, but he made up for his lack of stops – others started to pick up the slack – with a whole lot of big plays when the ball was in the air, coming up with ten broken up passes.
2. DE JaQuan Bailey, Sr.
3. S Lawrence White, Sr.
4. LB Mike Rose, Jr.
5. LB O’Rien Vance, Jr.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Iowa State Cyclones Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: Iowa State Cyclones Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Iowa State Cyclones Offense
A few more third down conversions would be nice. It’s hard to argue too much with the results when you come up with an offense that was as explosive through the air as Iowa State’s was, but for all the good things the attack did, it didn’t move the chains enough.
1-of-13. That was what Iowa state did on third downs against Kansas State, and lost. On the year, the team connected on just 38% of its tries – not totally miserable, but it mattered in losses Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, and Iowa.
The Cyclones were 5-1 when they converted 40% or more on their third down tries, and are 9-1 in their last ten games when they do that.
Biggest Key To The Iowa State Cyclones Defense
Pick off more passes. Iowa State opponents threw the ball 441 times last season. Only six of them were caught by Cyclones.
But that’s nothing new. Iowa State only came up with eight interceptions in 2018, and only cracked the ten-mark once in the last five years.
This year’s secondary is too good and too experienced to not come up with a whole lot more big plays. Last year’s team got ULM for two picks, and just four more against everyone else.
Under Matt Campbell, Iowa State is 7-0 when it comes up with two or more interceptions.
Key Iowa State Cyclones Player To A Successful Season
OT Joey Ramos, Soph.
Or junior Sean Foster, who might end up living on the right side. The 6-5, 300-pound Ramos was a huge get for the program a few years ago, and he’s seen a little bit of time in the rotation.
Now he’ll get the first look to take over for Julian Good-Jones at left tackle. The rest of the line – even with so many new starters – shouldn’t be all that bad, but it led the Big 12 last year in the sacks and tackles for loss allowed. The left tackle spot has to be locked down early on.
Key Game To The Iowa State Cyclones Season
at Oklahoma State, Oct. 10
Beating Iowa for the first time since 2007 would be massive for the base, and taking out Oklahoma would certainly be fun, but Oklahoma State has been one of the biggest pains in Iowa State’s butt over the last several years.
The Cyclones won a 48-42 firefight in Stillwater in 2018. That was the only win in the series since 2011 and just the second since 2008.
It Iowa State is good enough to even dream about playing for the Big 12 title, it has to take out Texas Tech and win at Kansas to open up the season. Beat Oklahoma State, and the OU game in Ames the following week will be a really, really big deal.
– Iowa State Cyclones Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Iowa State Fun Stats
– Sacks: Iowa State 27 for 156 yards – Opponents 14 for 91 yards
– Iowa State 1st Quarter Scoring: 59 – Iowa State 4th Quarter Scoring: 139
– Red Zone Scores: Iowa State 48-of-51 – Opponents 29-of-33
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Iowa State Cyclones Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: Iowa State Cyclones Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
CFN in 60 Video: Iowa State Cyclones Preview
1976 to 1978. That’s the last time the Iowa State football program put together three winning seasons in a row before Matt Campbell was able to do it from 2017 to 2019.
Before that, the last time Iowa State had three straight winning seasons was the last time it went on a run of four or more winning seasons in a row – 1922 to 1927, and the team never won more than four games in any of those seasons.
In other words, there’s a shot that this season will mark the most successful era of Iowa State football in over 100 years – the program rocked in the early 1900s – and it’s going to happen.
There’s a huge problem if QB Brock Purdy gets hurt, and the offensive line has to rise up fast, but the skill parts are terrific and the defense might be the best yet in the five-year Campbell era. Throw in the solid special teams, and it’ll be at least another winning season with a bowl appearance.
Set The Iowa State Cyclones Regular Season Win Total At … 8
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 8
The Big 12 isn’t going to be all that amazing – there isn’t a game on the slate that isn’t winnable.
Going down the road to Iowa City to face the Hawkeyes will be tough, and the Texas, Oklahoma State, and TCU games are on the road, but four of the first five games are against teams that didn’t go bowling, and Oklahoma and Baylor have to come to Ames.
There are enough possible wins to realistically shoot for a spot in the Big 12 Championship, but assume losses in at least two of the four games against Iowa, Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and there’s going to be a misfire along the way against at TCU on the road or Kansas State at home.
Expect eight wins in the regular season, but go ahead and hope for a bit more.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
