Breaking Down Iowa State Being Predicted to End BYU Cougars' Undefeated Season

Will the Iowa State Cyclones be able to end the BYU Cougars' undefeated season?

Iowa State Cyclones' football head coach Matt Campbell reacts during the first quarter game against Arizona in the Big-12 conference showdown on Sept. 27, 2025, at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones are getting set for a critical Week 9 matchup against the undefeated BYU Cougars. Recently, it was predicted that the Cyclones would end that impressive streak for the Cougars. 

Coming into Week 9, it is really a must-win game for the Cyclones. With two losses in the conference, the team can’t afford to lose three straight games in conference play and realistically be expected to compete. For the first five games of the year, Iowa State was undefeated and playing some good football. However, they suffered two straight losses on the road, and the campaign has taken a left turn. 

Despite things going wrong of late, the Cyclones have a golden opportunity to change their fortune. BYU is currently ranked 11th in the country, and a win on Saturday should help get the team back into the Top 25 and keep the possibility of winning the Big 12 alive as well. 

A little bit surprisingly, the team will be entering the game as the favorite. Hopefully, that will be an indication of things to come. David Kenyon of Bleacher Report recently predicted that the Cyclones would end the Cougars’ undefeated season on Saturday with a 27-23 victory at home. 

Iowa State Predicted to Handle Business

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Seeing the Cyclones being predicted to win this game is certainly encouraging, but it doesn't make sense. Iowa State has played a more demanding schedule overall compared to the Cougars, who just recently got their best win of the season against the Utah Utes. 

While that was an impressive win at home, there aren’t many great wins for the program as of now despite being undefeated. Furthermore, playing on the road has been a struggle for the program this year with some close games being played away from home. 

If the Cyclones are going to secure the win, they will have to slow down the dynamic rushing attack of the Cougars. This is a team that is going to try to run the ball early and often against Iowa State, and they will need their defense to be great, especially against the run. 

This could very well become a physical game in the trenches, and the Cyclones will be hoping to have their star defensive lineman, Domonique Orange, healthy and in the lineup. If Iowa State can slow down one of the best rushing attacks in the conference, it should be able to escape with a signature win.