Game To Watch: #13 Iowa State at #17 Texas: November 27, 2020

One of the things we love about Thanksgiving weekend is College Football on Friday. This year Iowa State will visit Texas for a noon match-up to kick off Black Friday football. The Cyclones are 6 – 2 overall and 6 – 1 in the Big 12 after an impressive blowout win over Kansas State last weekend. Texas has bounced back from a tough stretch and is 5 – 2 overall and 4 – 2 in Big 12 play. They have been off for two weeks due to their game against Kansas being postponed. Both teams control their own destiny in the Big 12 and will make the title game if they can win out.

Recent History

Iowa State won the 2019 contest between the two teams 23 – 21 in a game they won on a last second field goal, despite outgaining Texas by 129 yards. Texas won the three match-ups before that, holding the Cyclones to ten points or less in all three games. Neither team has scored more than 30 points in the last five games between the two teams. Both offenses are averaging well over 30 points per game this season so that trend may be coming to an end Friday.

Top Players

What To Watch For…

Will Iowa State’s momentum carryover?

The Cyclones played their best game of the season against Kansas State last weekend. They dominated the game offensively and defensively en route to a 45 – 0 win. The defense was suffocating and the offense was balanced and efficient. The big question is if Iowa State can replicate that performance against Texas this weekend. Since an early October 10th loss to Oklahoma, Texas has won three straight games, holding Baylor and West Virginia under 20 points and beating Oklahoma State 41 – 34 in overtime. The Texas offense is led by senior quarterback Sam Ehlinger who is an experienced and proven quarterback unlike Will Howard of Kansas State. Texas’ defense will be a tougher test for the Iowa State offense as well. The Longhorns have been strong against the run, allowing just 3.2 yards per carry this season. This week they will have to slow down Iowa State’s Breece Hall who has run for over 100 yards in every game this season and leads the country in rushing yards. Iowa State is playing it’s best football coming into this game but it will be a challenge to continue to play at such a high level against Texas.

Can the Cyclones contain Sam Ehlinger?

Texas’ offense is dependent on Sam Ehlinger to make big plays. Ehlinger is not your traditional quarterback and will not beat teams as a traditional pocket passer, but he is a tough runner who picks up yardage in key spots and has has all of the intangibles a leader needs. Ehlinger may not be the most consistent passer, as evidenced by his 58 percent completion percentage, but he picks up big plays in the passing game and limits turnovers (22 TD to 5 Int). He is a tough and athletic runner who will not shy away from contact but instead will power through tacklers for extra yardage. Iowa State will try to keep Ehlinger contained in the pocket and force him to be one dimensional. The Cyclones have a talented pair of defensive ends in Will McDonald and JaQuan Bailey. The duo has combined for 12.5 sacks this year and will be key in pressuring Ehlinger and making sure they are able to bring him down. If Iowa State can keep Ehlinger from extending plays with his legs and making positive plays out of broken ones they will have a good chance to keep the Texas offense in check.

Can Bijan Robinson take the pressure off Sam Ehlinger?

Bijan Robinson was the crown jewel of Texas’ 2020 recruiting class. He was expected to be an immediate impact player at Texas. He wasn’t used much the first four games of the season but has been coming on since. Over the last three games, Robinson has gotten 37 carries and run for 227 yards and caught 4 passes for 46 yards. In his most recent game against West Virginia, Robinson went over 100 rushing yards for the first time in his young career. He is showing the skills and explosiveness that caused him to be such a highly touted recruit. Robinson’s emergence could finally take some of the burden off Sam Ehlinger, who seems to do everything for the Longhorns. Ehlinger is the team’s leading rusher and passer on the season. Texas does not have a receiver averaging over 50 yards per game either. If Robinson can be a consistent weapon, Iowa State will not be able to focus solely on Ehlinger making it easier for the quarterback to succeed.

Prediction

Texas has played better the last three weeks, but two of those opponents did not have the offensive firepower to challenge Texas. Iowa State will move the ball behind the strength of their running game. Brock Purdy has found a rhythm and when he plays well Iowa State is tough to beat. Ehlinger and company will score and make this a tight game but Iowa State is the better team this year and will hold them off. Iowa State 34 Texas 28.

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ISU vs OSU 2019-10-26 Image taken by Daniel Hartwig is licensed under CC BY 2.0.