Iowa State
This past weekend against Cincinnati was the first real time we saw the full extent of the Cyclone wide receiver room as Brett Eskildsen, Chase Sowell, and Xavier Townsend combined for 19 catches, 213 yards, and a pair of touchdowns. We haven’t seen as much of Gabe Burkle and Benjamin Brahmer, and the emergence of that wide receiver is certainly why. Townsend has shown his shiftiness off the line while Sowell and Eskildsen have more than proven their worth down the field.
If I had to pick one of these
guys to watch, it would be Sowell (and it totally has nothing to do with his return to Colorado *wink wink*). He was a little banged up in Cincy and still managed to put together a solid performance and should hopefully be good to go this weekend in Boulder. Rocco has got this group moving at a high level, and the ceiling is extremely high.
Colorado
Iowa State seemingly hasn’t faced a “stationary” quarterback all year, and you could argue that in football in 2025, you’re not going to. That mobility used to be one of the best ways to attack the Cyclone defense, and while Jon Heacock still has some weak points to mobility, it has been steadily improving. That said, Kaidon Salter is the second week in a row this team will be tested with a quarterback who tops the team in some way or another on the ground.
Avery Johnson had 8 carries for 21 yards, Mark Gronowski had 16 for 37, Jalen Raynor had 16 for 83, Noah Fifita had 6 for 17, and Brenden Sorsby had 9 for 64. Look for the Cyclones to key in on Salter on Saturday. He’s at 56 carries for 213 yards, and a team-high 5 touchdowns on the year. Stopping him will be key for Heacock if the Cyclones are to succeed on Saturday.
