This Area Will Be Matchup Nightmare for Iowa State Cyclones vs TCU Horned Frogs

What area are the Iowa State Cyclones going to be at a disadvantage in against the TCU Horned Frogs

Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell reacts during the fourth quarter against BYU at Jack Trice Stadium on Oct. 25, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones are coming off their fourth-straight loss and being defeated at home by the Arizona State Sun Devils. This was a game that the team should have won, and now the season has completely come off the rails. 

Now, with the campaign falling apart, the Cyclones will be heading on the road for an extremely tough matchup against the TCU Horned Frogs. The Horned Frogs are still very much alive in the Big 12, and they could use this game against Iowa State to secure another conference win and improve their resume. 

Even though the Cyclones have shown the ability to be one of the best teams in the conference, they have struggled for the last month and don’t look like anything close to the team that started the campaign 5-0. Mistakes have really impacted the team in recent weeks, but they could be dangerous if they clean things up. 

However, this matchup against the Horned Frogs is going to be one that isn’t ideal for the program. TCU features one of the best passing offenses in the country and they are going to be looking to exploit a banged-up secondary for Iowa State. 

Passing Attack Poses Massive Threat

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This very well could be the best passing attack that the Cyclones will have seen all year and it is going to be a matchup nightmare for them. Due to the season-ending injuries to defensive backs Jontez Williams and Jeremiah Cooper, the unit has been short-handed and is lacking top-tier talent. 

While the secondary hasn’t been completely to blame for the struggles in recent weeks, the unit has allowed a lot of big plays. Fortunately, they haven’t had to face off against the best quarterbacks in the conference, but that will be changing in Week 11. 

TCU’s Josh Hoover is having a really strong year so far, totaling 2,371 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, and six interceptions. The signal caller has some talented weapons on the outside, such as wide receivers Eric McAlister and Jordan Dwyer. 

With a great quarterback and two excellent wide receivers, the pressure is going to be on the secondary for Iowa State in this one. Furthermore, while the secondary will be under pressure, so will the front seven of the Cyclones to try to generate some pressure on Hoover. 

Overall, things aren’t looking good for Iowa State heading into Week 11, and this is a matchup nightmare for the program. Hoover has all the tools to really light the defense up and this could be a high-scoring game.