Iowa State Just Needs a Clean Game Tomorrow

Here we go.

Whom:

Iowa State vs. Northern Iowa

When:

3:30 PM Cyclone Time

Where:

Jack Trice Stadium

Weather:

Partly cloudy, temperatures in the 70’s, wind blowing out of the north endzone at about ten miles per hour.

The Opponent:

UNI played a spring season and was its usual competitive self despite the 3-4 record. All losses came by seven points or fewer, and while they didn’t live up to their top-five preseason ranking in the FCS…it was a strange year. They’re ranked in the FCS’s most prominent poll entering the weekend, but they’re only 21^st.

Traditionally defense-first, I don’t know of anything that’s going to change that this year. It’s a solid program, but it’s an FCS program, and it just doesn’t have the quality Iowa State has, which feels nice to be able to say after 2016, 2013, 2007…etc.

The Numbers:

Betting lines aren’t available everywhere on this one, but Bill Connelly’s SP+ has Iowa State a 41.7-point favorite with the total set at 60, and Connelly’s higher on UNI than the polls.

What Iowa State Needs to Do:

Grab the lead early, make it a big one, and get the starters the hell off the field.

In games like this, you want to see cleanliness and competence. ISU shouldn’t have a problem outgaining the Panthers, but things like limiting big plays, eliminating turnovers, and playing efficient football (few incompletions) would be encouraging hallmarks.

Other Games of Interest:

Around the Big 12, Kansas State hosts Stanford, West Virginia visits Maryland, Texas hosts Louisiana-Lafayette, and Texas Tech plays Houston in Houston. All four of those are games where the outcome’s up in the air and Iowa State would like to see its league-mates do some winning. As for next week’s opponent, Iowa: The Hawkeyes host Indiana, and while there’s an argument to be made that the best outcome for Iowa State would be Iowa pulverizing the Hoosiers, I personally would rather see Iowa look sloppy and unimpressive. Quite nervous about next week. That game will likely not be easy.

Iowa State Thoughts:

It’s exciting to be opening this season with so much fanfare. I don’t need to share the stats about how unusual this is. It’s unusual! And it’s exciting. It’s a great opportunity for the program and the school, and hopefully it gets off to an easy, good-vibes start.