AMES — The circumstances are different, but the situation is familiar.
Iowa State football‘s once-promising unbeaten start was derailed by a series of injuries and a sudden string of bitter losses.
Last season, the Cyclones matched a program-record seven straight wins to begin the year before suffering back-to-back losses to Texas Tech and Kansas as injuries piled up.
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Iowa State rallied and regrouped, though, winning its remaining three games to close the regular season. And with the help of other results across the Big 12 Conference, Matt Campbell’s team was able to secure a spot in the conference championship game after tiebreaking procedures were applied. The Cyclones finished with a program-best 11 wins.
This year, Iowa State (5-2, 2-2 Big 12 Conference) took its bumps earlier. The Cyclones suffered consecutive road losses to Cincinnati and Colorado after a 5-0 start. The road doesn’t get any easier, with No. 10 BYU (7-0, 4-0) coming to Ames for Oct. 25 homecoming, followed by Arizona State and Kansas, plus road trips to TCU and Oklahoma State.
Campbell has long lamented the fear of having one loss snowball into multiple ones. The Cyclones are desperate to stop the bleeding, but BYU will provide a formidable challenge.
“We’re either going to rally up here and fight like crazy, or it’s going to go the other way,” Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock said. “And I think we have a locker room of guys that really care.”
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BYU is battle-tested and well-composed in tough situations. The Cougars have won three of their last four games by a touchdown-or-less margin, including a double-overtime road win at Arizona and a recent 24-21 victory over top 25-ranked rival Utah.
Offensively, the Cougars boast a balanced attack that is averaging 35.6 points per game. They average 232.9 rushing yards per game, which is good for 10th nationally in the FBS. They also average 203.9 passing yards per game and have proven to be punish opposing defenses on play-action passes.
“I see a team that’s going to run the ball, be physical with you,” Iowa State safety Marcus Neal said. “You just got to give it back to them.”
The BYU offensive line has been impressive, averaging 6-foot-4 and 315 pounds across the line. Not only have they paved the way for the Big 12’s leading rusher L.J. Martin, who has 774 yards and four touchdowns on 127 carries, but the offensive line also has protected freshman dual-threat quarterback Bear Bachmeier well. BYU has allowed just seven sacks through its 7-0 start, good for 15th in the country.
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Chase Roberts leads BYU with 24 receptions for 463 yards and four touchdowns, and Parker Kingston (27 receptions for 383 yards and two touchdowns) and tight end Carsen Ryan (247 yards and two touchdowns) also have been prominent targets in the passing game.
As successful as BYU is on offense, defense remains its backbone.
The Cougars are allowing just 15.6 points per game, which is the third-lowest in the Big 12 and 14th overall in the country. They hold opponents to an average of 293 yards per game, and they are one of 20 FBS teams to allow an average of fewer than 300 yards.
Safety Tanner Wall recently became the Cougars’ first player to earn Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors after posting 10 tackles and an interception in the win over Utah, but there are numerous playmakers on the BYU defense.
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BYU safety Faletau Satuala has a team-high 43 tackles and has an interception and two forced fumbles. Linebacker Isaiah Glasker and defensive end Logan Lutui are behind with 31 tackles apiece. Glasker also has two interceptions and a forced fumble. Linebacker Jack Kelly is one of the top sack artists in the Big 12, with five, and he also has a forced fumble.
BYU has the stingiest red-zone defense, allowing opponents to put up points (field goal or touchdown) on 66.7% of trips. It also excels at generating turnovers, and its secondary is tied for a conference-best nine interceptions this season.
Opponents have had a hard time converting on third downs against the Cougars’ defense. BYU is allowing a third-down conversion rate of 29.8%, which is second to UCF’s Big 12-leading 28.9%.
“All those guys are doing great things in all phases of the game,” Campbell said of BYU. “They’re a complete offense, and they can really attack you in all facets.”
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It’ll be a tough challenge for Iowa State, but the Cyclones are favored by 2.5 points and don’t plan on backing down. And despite the recent struggles, Iowa State announced the Oct. 25 homecoming game is sold out.
Fortunately for Iowa State, running back Carson Hansen and kicker Kyle Konrardy are trending closer to a return. Defensive lineman Domonique Orange is doubtful for Saturday, though, and it’ll be an all-hands-on-deck effort to stop the balanced BYU offense.
“I think it was sold-out three days after Colorado, which shows that these fans still care about this football team and we got to do our part and go out there and play good football for them,” quarterback Rocco Becht said. “… Coming into this week, we should have a great plan in what we’re doing, going against a great BYU team. Understanding where they’re at, everything that they’re doing, and kind of just going out there and playing free.”
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State football welcomes undefeated BYU for homecoming game
