K-State Wildcats vs. Iowa State Cyclones: 5 things to know about Big 12 football game
Iowa State and Kansas State are currently heading in different directions.
The Cyclones (3-2, 0-2 Big 12) have lost back-to-back conference games by single digits and are coming off an agonizing defeat at Kansas in which their kicker missed three field goals. The Wildcats (4-1, 2-0) have bounced back nicely from an unexpected home loss to Tulane by winning their first two league games against Oklahoma and Texas Tech.
Matt Campbell has recent success against K-State, as he has guided the Cyclones to wins in three of the past four games in the Farmageddon rivalry series. But momentum certainly favors Chris Klieman’s team heading into this matchup.
Here is everything you need to know to start preparing for this week’s game.
The details
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, Iowa
TV: ESPNU
Radio: KCSP (610 AM) in Kansas City and KKGQ (92.3 FM) in Wichita
Betting line: K-State by 1.5 with an over/under points total of 48.5
Five things to know
1. Iowa State is suddenly a desperate team. Things were looking up for the Cyclones when they beat rival Iowa for the first time under Matt Campbell and started the season 3-0. But things are feeling less optimistic in Ames now that Iowa State has lost its first two conference games against Baylor and Kansas State. The Cyclones need to bounce back quickly if they hope to qualify a bowl or push for a decent finish in the Big 12 standings.
2. Adrian Martinez leads the nation in rushing yards for a quarterback. The Nebraska transfer has been on a roll for the Wildcats over the past two weeks. He rushed for 148 yards and four touchdowns against Oklahoma and then followed that up with 171 yards and three touchdowns against Texas Tech. He is up to 469 yards and nine touchdowns this season. No quarterback in college football has rushed for more yardage.
3. The Cyclones will challenge Martinez with their rushing defense. You can’t blame Iowa State’s defense for its 14-11 loss to Kansas last week. It limited KU to 213 total yards and bottled up Jalon Daniels for nine rushing yards on eight carries. Deuce Vaughn and Martinez carved up Oklahoma and Texas Tech on the ground, but that may not be so easy against the Cyclones. They are only allowing 2.9 yards per rush this season.
4. It’s clear that Iowa State misses Brock Purdy and Breece Hall. Offense has been a problem for the Cyclones as they have tried to replace one of their best quarterbacks and running backs in school history. They rank last in the Big 12 in both points per game (26) and yards per game (381.6). That being said, Xavier Hutchinson is one of the top receivers in the country. He already has 504 yards this season.
5. K-State had no shortage of big plays on defense against Texas Tech. Felix Anudike-Uzomah and Khalid Duke both had three sacks. Nate Matlack and Robert Hentz each recovered fumbles. Austin Moore and Julius Brents both came up with interceptions. The Wildcats created havoc against the Red Raiders, and that was a big reason why they won the game. K-State has been excellent at creating turnovers at home all season. But it didn’t force any takeaways in its lone road game against Oklahoma. It will look to change that trend at Iowa State.
This story was originally published October 3, 2022 at 11:17 AM with the headline "K-State Wildcats vs. Iowa State Cyclones: 5 things to know about Big 12 football game."