Coming off one of the most electric performances in recent memory, Iowa State now faces one of the toughest challenges of the season. The Cyclones head to Provo on a short week for a night game at LaVell Edwards Stadium against No. 8 BYU. No rest for the weary.
What Just Happened
Before we look ahead we have to acknowledge what happened Saturday. Aiden Flora ran 22 times for 212 yards and three touchdowns, threw two touchdown passes, and scored the go-ahead points with 1:57 left in a 45-42 thriller.
A redshirt sophomore from Adel just had one of the more complete offensive performances you will see from a running back in a Big 12 game. Flora now has 594 rushing yards and 6 rushing touchdowns on the season. Not bad for the first player Jimmy Rogers put on scholarship. Turns out that decision aged pretty well.
The defense gave up 42 points and 518 yards which is the less fun part of the recap. Running quarterbacks have given this defense real problems and Michael Hawkins made them pay all day. The film from that game is not something Jesse Bobbit is putting on the highlight reel. The good news is BYU operates differently than West Virginia. The bad news is that Bear Bachmeier can still hurt you with his legs.
Know Your Opponent
BYU comes in at 4-0 and ranked No. 10 in the country. Bachmeier is the reason why. The sophomore is completing 64 percent of his passes for 704 yards and 6 touchdowns with a passer rating of 153.5. His 704 passing yards rank 115th in FBS which does not tell the full story of how efficient and dangerous he has been when called upon. BYU has not needed him to carry the offense alone and that balance is what makes this team so difficult to prepare for in a short week.
The injury news is significant though. Sitake confirmed that both running back LJ Martin and wide receiver Isaiah Glasker are out for Saturday. Martin has been BYU’s most dangerous weapon on the ground and Glasker has been Bachmeier’s favorite deep target. Losing both in the same game is a meaningful blow to an offense that has been rolling.
Iowa State’s defense absolutely has to capitalize on those absences. Force Bachmeier to beat you without his two best playmakers and the equation changes significantly.
The Crawford Factor
Caden Crawford is out for Saturday and that is significant to an already struggling defensive line. Crawford’s absence has been felt in recent weeks and Provo was shaping up to be the game where his return would have mattered most. A healthy Crawford alongside Terrell would have given Iowa State a legitimate pass rush capable of disrupting Bachmeier’s rhythm. Instead Jesse Bobbit will have to scheme around that void against one of the better quarterbacks in the Big 12.
Terrell, Ta’ase, and Hawk need to step up and fill that void on Saturday. There is no other option.
The Iowa State Angle
Bachmeier is not Michael Hawkins. He is a pocket passer first who uses his legs as a secondary weapon rather than his primary one. That distinction matters for Iowa State’s defense which struggled mightily against pure dual threat quarterbacks. The assignment discipline issues that plagued them against Hawkins may not be as severely tested on Saturday.
For the offense this is another opportunity for Raynor and Flora to build on Saturday’s momentum. A road win at a top 10 program on a short week would be the most significant result of the Rogers era by a wide margin.
The Outlook
Night games in Provo are notoriously difficult. The crowd is loud, the atmosphere is electric, and BYU has built a program that takes care of their home field. Iowa State is coming off an emotional win on a short week against a ranked opponent. The fatigue factor is real.
But this team just showed something on Saturday that cannot be coached or schemed. Iowa State goes into Provo as an underdog with nothing to lose and a redshirt sophomore running back who apparently did not get the memo about rebuilding years.
