(Photo Credit: Charlie Neibergall/AP)
Key Players Returning:
QB Brock Purdy, RB Breece Hall, WR Xavier Hutchinson, TE Charlie Kolar, OC Colin Newell, OG Trevor Downing, OG Derek Schweiger, OT Sean Foster, OT Jake Remsburg, DE Will McDonald, DE Eyioma Uwazurike, LB Jake Hummel, LB Vance O’Rien, LB Mike Rose, CB Anthony Johnson, CB Tayvonn Kyle, CB Datrone Young, NB Isheem Young, SS Greg Eisworth, PR Tarique Milton, PK Connor Assalley, and PT Corey Dunn.
Key Players Departing:
DE JaQuan Bailey, DT Joshua Bailey, DT Latrell Bankston, FS Lawrence White, KR Kene Nwangwu, and PT Joe Rivera.
Top 10 Recruits:
3 Star Recruits: ATH Eli Sanders (Chandler, Arizona), TE Tyler Moore (Johnston, Iowa), OT Tyler Maro (Davenport, Iowa), ATH Malik Verdon (Hamilton, Ohio), DL Howard Brown (Kansas City, Missouri), WR Jaylin Noel (Kansas City, Missouri), OT Jim Bonifas (Dubuque, Iowa), S Beau Freyler (Colorado Springs, Colorado), LB Carston Marshall (Wadsworth, Ohio), and S Jaquan Amos (Villanova transfer).
2020 Results:
G01 LOUISIANA L 14-31
G02 at TCU W 37-34
G03 #18 OKLAHOMA W 37-30
G04 TEXAS TECH W 31-15
G05 at #6 Oklahoma State L 21-24
G06 at Kansas W 52-22
G07 BAYLOR W 38-31
G08 KANSAS STATE W 45-0G
09 at #17 Texas W 23-20
G10 WEST VIRGINIA W 42-6
G11 KANSAS STATE W 42-38
B12 vs. #10 Oklahoma L 21-27
BOWL vs. #25 Oregon W 34-17
Misc. Team Information:
2020 Record: 9-3 (2nd in Big XII)
Home: 5-1
Away: 3-1
Neutral: 1-1
B12: 8-1
Non-B10: 1-2
Head Coach: Matt Campbell
Iowa State: 35-28
Career: 70-43
Bowls: 4-3
Returning Statistical Leaders:
Passing: Brock Purdy (243-365, 2750 yards, 66.6%, 7.5 avg., 19 TD, 9 INT)
Rushing: Breece Hall (279 car., 1572 yards, 5.6 avg., 21 TD)
Receiving: Xavier Hutchingson (64 rec., 771 yards, 12.0 avg., 4 TD)
TDs Scored: Breece Hall (23)
Sacks: Will McDonald (10.5)
Tackles: Mike Rose (99
)Interceptions: Mike Rose (5)
Pass Deflections: Tayvonn Kyle (6)
Tackles For Loss: Will McDonald (13)
Forced Fumbles: Isheem Young (3)
Kick Returns: DeShawn Hanika (1 ret., 3 yards, 3.0 avg., 0 TD)
Punt Returns: Greg Eisworth (5 ret., 47 yards, 9.4 avg., 0 TD)
Kicking: Connor Assalley (13-19 fg/fga., 68%, 48-50 xp/xpa., 87 pts.)
Punting: Corey Dunn (2 punts, 88 yards, 44.0 avg., 1 in20)
Projected Offensive Starters
QB: 15 Brock Purdy (SR)
RB: 28 Breece Hall (JR)
WR: 8 Xavier Hutchinson (SR/TR)
WR: 1 Tarique Milton (RS SR)
WR: 2 Sean Shaw (RS JR)
TE: 88 Charlie Kolar (RS SR)
LT: 75 Sean Foster (RS SR)
LG: 52 Trevor Daowning (RS JR)
OC: 57 Colin Newell (RS SR)
RG: 64 Derek Schweiger (RS SR)
RT: 72 Jake Remsburg (RS SO)
KR: 21 Jirehl Brock (RS SO)
PK: 96 Connor Assalley (RS SR)
Projected Defensive Starters:
DE: 58 Eyioma Uwazurike (RS SR)
NT: 93 Isaiah Lee (RS JR)
DE: 9 Will McDonald (RS JR)
LB: 35 Jake Hummel (SR)
LB: 34 O’Rien Vance (RS SR)
LB: 23 Mike Rose (SR)
NB: 1 Isheem Young (RS SO)
CB: 26 Anthony Johnson (SR)
CB: 2 Datrone Young (RS SR)
FS: 00 Jaquan Amos (GR/TR)
SS: 12 Greg Eisworth (RS SR/TR)
PR: 1 Tarique Milton (RS SO)
PT: 00 Corey Dunn (RS SR/TR)
Team Grades:
Offense
Quarterbacks: B
Running Backs: A
Wide Receivers: B
Offensive Line: A
Defense
Defensive Line: B
Linebackers: B
Secondary: C
Special Teams
Kick Returners: C
Punt Returners: C
Kickers: B
Punters: C
Schedule:
09/04 NORTHERN IOWA PANTHERS | Iowa State leads the series 15-5. The Cyclones won (29-26 3OT) the last meeting between schools in 2019.
09/11 IOWA HAWKEYES | Iowa State trails the series 22-45. The Cyclones are 3-6 since 2011, and they lost (17-18) the last meeting between schools in 2019.
09/18 at UNLV Rebels | First meeting between schools.
09/25 at Baylor Bears | Iowa State trails the series 9-20. The Cyclones are 4-6 since 2011, and their last series loss (21-23) was in 2019.
10/02 KANSAS JAYHAWKS | Iowa State trails the series 44-50. The Cyclones are 9-1 since 2011, and their last series loss (14-34) was in 2014.
10/16 at Kansas State Wildcats | Iowa State leads the series 51-49-4. The Cyclones are 2-8 since 2011, and their last series loss (17-27) was in 2019.
10/23 OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS | Iowa State trails the series 19-33-3. The Cyclones are 2-8 since 2011, and their last series win (48-42) was in 2018.
10/30 at West Virginia Mountaineers | Iowa State trails the series 4-5. The Cyclones won (42-6) last season’s meeting between schools, and their last series loss (16-20) was in 2017.
11/06 TEXAS LONGHORNS | Iowa State trails the series 4-14. The Cyclones are 3-7 since 2011, and their last series loss (10-24) was in 2018.
11/13 at Texas Tech Red Raiders | Iowa State trails the series 8-11. The Cyclones are 6-4 since 2011, and their last series loss (31-66) was in 2015.
11/20 at Oklahoma Sooners | Iowa State trails the series 7-77-2. The Cyclones are 2-9 since 2011, and they split (37-30 W | 21-27 L) the two meeting between schools last season.
11/26 TCU HORNED FROGS | Iowa State trails the series 4-8. The Cyclones are 4-5 since renewing the series in 2012, and their last series loss (14-17) was in 2018.
Predictions:
Home: 6-0
Road: 4-2
Neutral: 0-0
B12: 7-2
Non-B12: 3-0
Overall: 10-2 (4th in Big XII)
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