Oklahoma football: Sooner rebound begins at home with Iowa State
By Chip Rouse
Keys to an Iowa State victory
Iowa State is 24-22 in four seasons under Matt Campbell. The Cyclones’ head coach is 1-2 against Oklahoma, but both losses were by just 10 points.
The Cyclones rank 16th in the country in total offense, averaging 479.5 yards a game, and are the sixth-best team in the nation when they air the ball out. They are averaging 328 yards through the air. ISU quarterback Brock Purdy leads the Big 12 in passing yardage. He has completed 68.5 percent of his passes and thrown 13 touchdowns to go with seven interceptions.
Purdy is 9-3 against Big 12 opponents in games he has started.
Iowa State has attacked the Sooners through the air in previous games and undoubtedly try to do so on Saturday. The Cyclone rushing offense has not been overly productive this season. Iowa State ranks next to last in the Big 12 in rushing, averaging 151 yards per game.
The Iowa State offense has outgained its opponents in seven of eight games this season.
If Iowa State learned nothing else from Oklahoma’s loss to K-State, it’s the importance of ball control and keeping Jalen Hurts and the explosive Oklahoma offense on the sidelines for long stretches. That is not the Cyclones’ strength, given that they are not a strong running team, however they have allowed only seven true three-and-outs all season. keep
Defensively, Iowa State leads the Big 12 in rushing defense. The Cyclones want to stop, or at least slow down, the OU run game and try to contain Hurts in the pocket, forcing him to become one dimensional and beat them throwing the football. That will be a tough task, because the Cyclone defense must also respect Hurts’ running ability, and the Sooners lead the conference, allowing the fewest sacks this season (seven through eight games).
As much as they can, the Cyclones want to force Oklahoma to begin possessions deep in its own territory and not give the powerful Sooner offense a short field with which to operate.