GAME DAY: Iowa State at Colorado
For the first time in 15 years, the Iowa State Cyclones and Colorado Buffaloes will renew their long-time rivalry and face off in Folsom Field on Saturday afternoon. It’s not a series Iowa State has fared well in, compiling just a 15-49-1 record across 65 matchups from 1946 through 2010. ISU hasn’t won in Boulder since the 2000 season and proceeded to lose seven of the next 10 meetings prior to the Buffaloes’ departure for the Pac-12. But a lot has changed with regards to the football program over the past decade and a half. Mainly, it’s been with the leadership of the program. Head coach Matt Campbell took over six years after the last ISU/CU meeting and has led the Cyclones to a 69-52 record and 47-37 mark in Big 12 play. His team has caught its stride over the past 13 months, rolling to a 16-4 record since the start of the 2024 campaign. ISU has also won nine of its last 12 true conference road games. However, it’s coming off a 38-30 loss in the most recent of those games away from Jack Trice Stadium. The Cyclones came out flat against Cincinnati and fell behind 31-7 with 66 seconds left in the first half before rallying to get back to within a one-score margin. But for the first time in 2025, Iowa State was unable to come out on top and fell to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in league play. A porous rush defense in the first quarter and a half proved to be the difference early, and then one final 82-yard pass play late drove the nail in ISU’s coffin. Although it was the first time the Cyclones were playing without both starting cornerbacks in Jeremiah Cooper and Jontez Williams, with Tre Bell and Quentin Taylor stepping into the lineup, much of their issues came in the front-six of the defense. A unit that came in averaging just 14.2 points allowed per game was gashed for 31 in the first half alone. The good news is the offense has remained largely intact behind a veteran quarterback in Rocco Becht who’s led the Cyclones to 23 wins in 2 ½ seasons, including seven in which they were tied or trailed in the fourth quarter. If the defense continues to struggle in Boulder, it could be up to Becht and the offense to once again show the way.
Following a breakout nine-win 2024 season under head coach Deion Sanders, things are not trending in the right direction on the opposing sideline. The Buffaloes dropped to 0-3 in the Big 12 with a 35-21 loss at TCU last Saturday. That came on the heels of a 24-21 setback to BYU and 36-14 blowout defeat at Houston. Their only wins have been over G6 foe Wyoming (37-20) and FCS opponent Delaware (31-7). The record isn’t good, but Colorado has been solidly in its past two conference games. It opened up a 14-0 lead over the Horned Frogs but folded late last weekend. And likewise, against BYU, the Buffaloes led 14-3 after the first quarter and had the advantage in the fourth quarter before surrendering a touchdown that lost them the game. The biggest problem has been offensive production over the final 30 minutes, averaging seven second half points through the first six games of the season. Last week against the Horned Frogs, Colorado ran a total of 27 offensive plays in five possessions. Similarly to the Cyclones, injuries are creeping up on the Buffs who had five starters show up in Wednesday night’s availability report as either out, doubtful or questionable. It’s been a rough first season for it without the likes of quarterback Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, who starred on both sides of the field after joining Deion Sanders in Boulder following a brief run at Jackson State. Some new superstar skill players have started to emerge but haven’t yet impacted winning. The pieces are there, especially on the offensive line, where CU fields one of the nation’s best starting units. However, that hasn’t paved the way for results, with it ranking 15th in the Big 12 in total offense (355.7 yards per game). Defensively, the Buffs were gashed on the ground in a season opening loss to Georgia Tech and have also been susceptible against the pass. One season after Hunter left as a first round NFL Draft pick, the Buffaloes rank 132nd out of 136 FBS teams with a 52.8 PFF coverage grade. They’re also 14th of 16 conference teams in total defense, allowing nearly 400 yards per game. This has all the ingredients of being another high-scoring affair for the Cyclones.
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