TCU Football Week 6 Opponent Preview: Iowa State Cyclones
Week 5 presented a new slate of problems for the TCU Horned Frogs (3-2, 1-1). They dropped an exceedingly winnable game against West Virginia and missed out on a 2-0 conference start. Now, it's an uphill battle to get to AT&T Stadium. They hit the road to face the Iowa State Cyclones (2-3, 1-1) with an opportunity to get back on track.
TCU at Iowa State kicks off Saturday, Oct. 7, at 7:00 p.m. CT. The game was bumped from its FOX broadcast window to FS2 in leu of Fresno State-Wyoming and can also be listened to on 88.7 FM KTCU.
Iowa State vs. TCU Series History
Before TCU joined the Big 12 Conference in 2012, the Horned Frogs and Cyclones had just three all-time meetings, all of which were won by TCU. While TCU owns a 9-5 series lead, Iowa State has won three of the last four and four of the last six. Between 2017-20, the teams played to three one-score finishes in battles between some very strong teams.
The first edition of the game was played in 1995 in Fort Worth, one of the more recent series to begin in the current Big 12. They played a rebound game in Ames in 1998 and then once more in the 2005 Houston Bowl. TCU won each game.
TCU steamrolled a depleted Iowa State team in Fort Worth last season 62-14. This season, both teams shape up very differently.
Iowa State Players To Note
Iowa State hangs its hat on its defense first and foremost, as has been the case for the past couple of seasons. Preseason All-Big 12 selection TJ Tampa continues to play at that all-conference level, allowing under a 50% completion rate in coverage – including no touchdowns –and notched an interception.
Safety Beau Freyler leads the team with 25 tackles through five games and all top four tacklers on the team come in the secondary. Jeremiah Cooper and Myles Purchase round out the unit.
Offensively, the team is led by quarterback Rocco Becht, who was thrust into the starting role after Hunter Dekkers was suspended indefinitely due to an ongoing NCAA investigation into his potential participation in gambling. Three players have over 100 yards rushing on the season, but Abu Sama leads the team with 4.2 yards per carry.
Sizing Up The Cyclones
Just weeks before the season began, Iowa State's starting roster was decimated due to the aforementioned NCAA investigation. Their starting QB, leading rusher, starting tight end, and top defensive lineman were all suspended indefinitely and have not played this season.
Predictably, the Cyclones have taken a big hit to talent and, as a result, wins. Their two wins on the season came over Northern Iowa (FCS) and an Oklahoma State team ranked second from last in our Big 12 power rankings. While the defense began extremely strong, the unit is regressing, allowing 29 points per game over their last three games (they allowed 29 in their first two games combined).
Becht is completing just 60.5% of his passes and has five thrown interceptions through five games. Perhaps most concerning is his average depth of target, which is the second-lowest of any Big 12 quarterback (just 8.5 yards!). The Iowa State scheme does call for quick passes and not a lot downfield, but both QBs with a lower average time to throw than Becht (Dillon Gabriel, Quinn Ewers) usurp his aDOT.
Of course, TCU can't assume this team is the same one that rolled over and allowed 62 points. Both times TCU took their opposition lightly, they lost both games outright despite having multiple opportunities to win those games (Colorado, WVU).
As a program, Iowa State is heading in the wrong direction. Matt Campbell – once thought of as a top candidate for some of the nation's biggest coaching gigs, including USC – has just a 43.3% win percentage since the start of 2021 (13-17) and is potentially on the hot seat.
Opponent Rundown
Team: Iowa State Cyclones
Record: 2-3 (1-1 Big 12)
Coach: Matt Campbell (9th season)
Scoring Offense: 18.5 points per game (113th)
Scoring Defense: 26.8 points allowed per game (62nd)
Iowa State 2023 Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|
Sept. 2 | Northern Iowa | W 30-9 |
Sept. 9 | Iowa | L 20-13 |
Sept. 16 | at Ohio | L 10-7 |
Sept. 23 | Oklahoma State | W 34-27 |
Sept. 30 | at #14 Oklahoma | L 50-20 |
Oct. 7 | TCU | |
Oct. 14 | at Cincinnati | |
Oct. 21 | BYE | |
Oct. 28 | at Baylor | |
Nov. 4 | Kansas | |
Nov. 11 | at BYU | |
Nov. 18 | Texas | |
Nov. 25 | at Kansas State |
TCU vs. Iowa State Game Info
- When: Saturday, Oct. 7, 7:00 p.m. CT
- Where: Jack Trice Stadium (Ames, IA)
- TV: FS2
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