Defense might be the name of the game this Saturday. Both teams have had tough competition, and both looked fairly close to the same against an equal opponent in Kansas State. This might not be the barnburner some like, and with the current state of Iowa State victories, the nickname “Cardiac Clones” might be circling yet again through the whiteout night.
Iowa State
With the confidence level of Noah Fifita and the dual-threat capability of their running back, Ismail Mahdi, Iowa State’s defense might have its
hands full trying to cover everyone, leaving someone open on the back end. Marcus Neal is the Cyclone we need to watch as he needs to be the voice, heart, and strength to adapt during the game to give us the best chance to win.
He has proven to be a sure tackler in crunch time situations, and has the leading tackler on the team with 29 total, five for a loss, one sack, and a crucial pass deflection against Kansas State. With Mahdi being the potential game-changing threat in both the pass and run game, it will be imperative that this hard-hitting safety reads the plays to come up with clutch stops when we need them.
Arizona
Genesis Smith is the Arizona player to watch this weekend. He is their ballhawk safety who also assists heavily in their run defense. Smith currently has 19 combined tackles, one tackle for loss, an interception, and four pass deflections. He has been a cornerstone for Arizona’s defense. In his career, he has accumulated 107 total tackles, 10 pass deflections, two forced fumbles, and five interceptions.
