Iowa State Cyclones Believe Star Tight End Will Be Healthy Against Arizona Wildcats

The Iowa State Cyclones have entered their first bye week of the season at a great time after four straight weeks of games and a narrow victory on the road. Even though the team is undefeated so far, there have been some ups and downs for the program.

While the Cyclones were able to pick up some impressive wins to start the year, their recent victory against the Arkansas State Red Wolves didn’t impress anyone. Barely beating a Group of Five team put a little bit of a dent in what was looking like an impressive early resume for Iowa State.

Even though it wasn’t a perfect game by any stretch, there were some positive takeaways and strong performances both on offense and defense. Seeing the running game finally getting going was important with the duo of Carson Hansen and Abu Sama III both having big games. However, the offense was certainly missing one of their top weapons in this one. Fortunately, the unit was able to do just enough to get the job done, but it should have been a better overall day.

Cyclones’ head coach Matt Campbell recently spoke to Eugene Rapay of the Des Moines Register about the decision to sit his star tight end Gabe Burkle against Arkansas State. Furthermore, he highlighted that he expects him to be 100 percent for Week 5

"We've got some depth (at tight end), felt really confident in that piece of it, but obviously we know what Gabe means to our football program, so hopefully we can have him 100% coming back out of the bye."

Being Safe with Burkle Was Smart

Iowa State Cyclones tight end Gabe Burkle catching a pass — Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Even though the game ended up being much closer than most anticipated, not rushing Burkle into a situation that could have made things worse was the smart move. Campbell spoke about the star tight end getting injured at practice during the week, but the good news is that he is expected to be ready for the showdown against the Arizona Wildcats.

So far this season, Burkle has been an excellent weapon for Rocco Becht and the passing attack. The junior has totaled 10 receptions, 149 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown in three games so far. His consistency within the offense early on has been impressive, and he was certainly missed in Week 3.

With Iowa State being able to survive against the Red Wolves, the decision to sit Burkle worked out. The Cyclones will be hosting the Wildcats in Week 5 under the lights, and having one of the top weapons at 100 percent is crucial for their success.