Three Matchups That Will Decide Oklahoma State’s Week 9 Game Against Iowa State
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys face another important Big 12 Conference showdown when they face the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday in Ames, Iowa.
It's a Halloween showdown as Iowa State will wear their all-black uniforms and the Oklahoma State Cowboys have opted to wear all-orange uniforms. The Cowboys hope to follow up the uniform cooperation with their second straight victory and their sixth win in their last seven games.
It's part of a critical stretch in which the Cowboys can keep themselves in the Big 12 Championship game contention if they continue winning. The Cyclones are hoping to play spoilers.
Here are three matchups that will decide the game for the Cowboys on Saturday.
Cowboys Front Six vs. Iowa State RB Aiden Flora
I remember watching Aiden Flora against West Virginia and thinking to myself, “Why can't they stop this guy?” And then I remembered that West Virginia's defense isn't very good. Flora is one of the most unique players in the conference and slowing him down is hard for even the best defenses.
As a running back, he's gained 712 yards and scored six touchdowns this season. But he also has two touchdown passes. He's only the second player in the history of the Big 12 to have multiple rushing touchdowns and passing touchdowns in the same game. He's in company with Vince Young and that's good company.
The Cowboys have been solid against the run but not always spectacular. The last two weeks the Cowboys have done a good job against running backs but not running quarterbacks. The Cowboys give up 137.6 rushing yards per game, which is ranked No. 65 in the country.
To beat the Cyclones, the Cowboys are going to have to hold Iowa State under that average. That means limiting Flora’s effectiveness by setting the edge and forcing him inside. Lose contain and you’re going to lose this guy downfield.
Iowa State Red Zone Offense vs. Oklahoma State Red Zone Defense
Iowa State's red zone offense is the envy of the Oklahoma State offense. The Cyclones have been inside the opponent's 20-yard-line 18 times this season and have scored touchdowns 18 times. That's a 100% success rate and it's the best red zone offense in college football. How do they do it? Cowboys head coach Eric Morris talked about the Cyclones’ multiple formations, their ability to use Flora in space and the running ability of quarterback Jaylen Raynor. That's going to put how Oklahoma State defends inside their 20-yard-line to the test.
Oklahoma State's red zone defense is well above average. It's tied for 23rd in the country at 76.2%. That means the Cowboys don’t give up a touchdown one out of every four times. It's possible that forcing the Cyclones to go without a touchdown once inside the 20-yard-line on Saturday makes all the difference.
Oklahoma State Third Down Offense vs. Iowa State Third Down Defense
The third down offense for Oklahoma State has gotten so bad at times that Morris has joked that he's happy to take any advice from anyone, including fans, to fix the problem. But it's possible that Oklahoma State will get its elixir this weekend.
The Cowboys are No. 105 in the country with a third-down conversion rate of 35.8%. For an offense that puts up more than 30 points a game, that's unheard of. The only thing worse is Iowa state's third-down defense. The Cyclones are only stopping opponents on third down 29.4% of the time, which is 134th in the country. There are only a handful of teams worse at holding teams down on third down than the Cyclones.
This is one of those games where Morris’ offense can finally get their third down offense going in the right direction. If they can't do it against a defense like Iowa State, they the Cowboys aren’t going to get it done against anyone.
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Matthew Postins is the publisher of Oklahoma State on SI. He is an award-winning sports journalist who was formerly the editor of the College Football America Yearbook and covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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