The answer to this question is YES.
I know a lot of Cyclone fans and 99.99% of Hawkeye fans think that Iowa State has no chance tomorrow. I can understand why. Iowa has looked very impressive in wins over Northern Illinois and Syracuse, while Iowa State has looked, well…terrible in games against Kent State and Northern Iowa. So that means that Iowa will destroy ISU…right? Not necessarily.
So how does Iowa State beat Iowa?
1. Put the Game In Jake Christensen’s Hands
I know… Syracuse tried this and didn’t work. I still think this gives Iowa State the best chance to beat the Hawks. Last week Jake was in the comforts of Kinnick Stadium; this week he goes on the road for the first time as a starting quarterback. Iowa State should do everything they can to make him feel uncomfortable. Force him into early errors and break his confidence.
ISU needs to stop the Albert Young/Damian Sims combo and take away Jake’s favorite target Tony Moeaki. I would force the wide receivers, who have struggled catching the ball at times, to make the plays. If Iowa is going to beat you, make Christensen, Brodell, Cleveland and Sandeman do the work.
2. Eliminate Mistakes / Create Turnovers
Iowa State has to win the turnover battle and capitalize on opportunities to win the game. This means reversing the trend of the past two weeks. No more bad/dropped snaps, no more fumbled/muffed punts, no more missed field goals, no more dropped interceptions, etc. Bret Meyer has been involved in a majority of ISU’s 7 turnover this year. He is a Senior, he is from Iowa, he has been in this game three times, it is a must that he take care of the football and lead his team to a victory.
3. Aggressive Play Calling / Big Plays
Iowa State has only four plays over 20 yards this year and three are runs. The Cyclones need to take more shots down the field in the passing game. Exploit the matchups, Blythe/Hamilton/Sumrall/Moses against Godfrey/Shada/Moylan/Dalton should be in ISU’s favor. Blythe is the playmaker on the team, throw him the ball, even if he is double covered, he will make the play.
