Good Cop: Aleigha Bailey
Following a 28-16 victory against West Virginia, the No. 9 Cyclones look to advance their historic run against the University of Central Florida this weekend.
For the first time since 1938, Iowa State has remained undefeated with its 6-0 record, while UCF has not fared as well with a 3-3 overall record.
As the Knights started their season off strong with a 3-0 run with notable success, that energy dropped, which led them to three straight losses. The wins for UCF have been high-scoring, but in the end, I think the defense and overall ranking of Iowa State will give the Cyclones another win to their record.
Last weekend, the Knights took a 19-13 loss to Cincinnati. During that game, UCF had 397 total yards, but ultimately, the errors of the Knights cost them the game. They had 10 penalties resulting in the loss of 75 yards compared to the Bearcats six penalties and loss of 33 yards.
Throughout this season, Iowa State has solidified its game in the second half to earn the 6-0 record. For this matchup, the opportunity for the Cyclones to dominate in the first half could happen against UCF.
Overall, this should be a high-scoring game for Iowa State, and as long as the defense shuts down UCF, this should be an attainable win for the Cyclones. The Knights can put themselves on the board late into the game but ultimately, Iowa State will take the win in a highly offensive-based game early on.
Score Prediction: No. 9 Iowa State 42, UCF 14
Bad Cop: Stephen Schwartz
The No. 9 Iowa State Cyclones remain unbeaten after a solid 28-16 win over West Virginia, pushing its record to 6-0 for the first time in 86 years.
The Cyclone defense has been dominant, and their run game has steamrolled opponents. However, despite the comfort of playing at home in Jack Trice Stadium, Iowa State should not get too comfortable with UCF rolling into town.
UCF started its season strong at 3-0 but came crashing down to earth, dropping three straight games. The Knights were humiliated by Colorado and Florida and narrowly missed out on a win against Cincinnati.
On paper, this might look like an easy win for the Cyclones, but let’s not kid ourselves—this is the Big 12, where upsets happen, and UCF could easily turn this into a trap game.
The Knights’ offense revolves almost entirely around their running game. Week after week, they crank out over 150 rushing yards and their workhorse, RJ Harvey, has been the backbone of the attack. With nearly 700 years and 11 total touchdowns on the season, Harvey is more than capable of giving Iowa State a run for its money.
Make no mistake, this is a game where Iowa State could be upset at home. UCF isn’t going to win by a wide margin if they pull it off. Instead, it’ll be a high-scoring affair where they squeak out a victory by going for two at the end and winning by a single point or two.
It’s the Big 12, and literally any team can beat any other team. Sure, Iowa State is steamrolling the conference right now, but all it takes is a few mistakes, and UCF could capitalize.
An upset could reignite the Knights’ season, sending shockwaves through the conference and creating momentum that could carry them for weeks to come while sending Iowa State in a downward spiral out of its Big 12 conference championship hopes.
Score Prediction: UCF 35, No. 9 Iowa State 34
