Texas Tech at Iowa State
Written by Steve Janus - Google +
This Saturday the Iowa State Cyclones will host the Texas Tech Red Raiders in Big 12 play, and both teams will be looking for their first conference win of the season. The Cyclones lost their Big 12 opener against Kansas State 27-20, but responded with a nice win last week against Northern Iowa 27-0. The Red Raiders were not in action last week, and they will look to rebound from a tough 24-14 loss at home against Texas. The Red Raiders are 7-1 all time against the Cyclones, with the most recent meeting coming in 2007, where Texas Tech rolled to an easy 42-17 win. If you are thinking about betting on the game this weekend, the current odds have Red Raiders favored by 7-points over the Cyclones on the road.
Texas Tech (2-1, 0-1 Big 12): The Red Raiders have had plenty of time to prepare for the Cyclones this week, and I think that is going to play a huge factor in this game. The Red Raiders gave Texas all they could handle in their last game, as they rallied from a 14-0 deficit to tie the game at 14-14, but the offense just couldn’t do anything in the second half to give them a chance to win the game.
Quarterback Taylor Potts opened the season with 652 passing yards in the first two games, but really struggled to get anything going against the Longhorns, as he threw for just 158 yards with just one touchdown to two interceptions. This week Potts and the offense go up against a Cyclones defense that has played the pass pretty well this season, as they are allowing just under 144 yards passing a game. The guy to look out for is running back Baron Batch, as Iowa State has allowed nearly 210 yards on the ground per game this season. Batch has just 121 yards in three games this season, but if the passing game struggles don’t be surprised to see the Red Raiders give Batch a few more carries in this one.
Iowa State (2-2, 0-1 Big 12): The Cyclones rebounded from a tough loss on the road against Kansas State with a dominating defense performance against UNI last week. Iowa State forced five turnovers in the win, including two interceptions that were returned for touchdowns. That defense is going to have to be even better this week, if the Cyclones want any chance of beating the Red Raiders at home.
Quarterback Austen Arnaud tried to go in last week’s game against the Panthers, but after just three plays was pulled in favor of backup Jerome Tiller. Arnaud injured his shoulder in the Kansas State game, and despite getting yanked last week, Arnaud is expected to start the game against Texas Tech this week. Tiller completed just 11 of 22 passes for 87 yards, so there is no question that the Cyclones need Arnaud on the field. Running back Adam Robinson had 74 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries, but has yet to break the 100 yard mark in any game this season.
Looking at the Odds: The Red Raiders have dominated the Big 12 North over the last seven years as they are 16-5 in their last 21 games. I believe they add another win to that total this weekend, as I think you have to put your money on the Red Raiders at -7. Iowa State just doesn’t have the offensive fire power or the defense to stick around with the Red Raiders, as I believe this game ends in a route. My final score prediction is Texas Tech 38, Iowa State 23.
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