Key matchups for Texas football against Iowa State

By Riley Zayas

The Longhorns will make the trip 965-mile trip up to Ames, Iowa, for Saturday’s game against an Iowa State team that is much better than its record suggests. Overall, Iowa State has played very well this season, even going into Norman last weekend and losing to the Sooners on a failed two-point conversion. Currently sitting in sole possession of third place in the league, the Longhorns know that they have to win out to have a shot at getting into the Big 12 title game. Last week’s victory continued to give the entire team confidence that such a goal can be accomplished.

“Part of being on the ropes is that you don’t get off of them with one win,” head coach Tom Herman said.“But to beat a top-25 team showed a lot of fortitude by our players. That being said, we gotta move on. We have another road test against a very good, well-coached, experienced Iowa State team who probably feel like their backs are against the wall a little bit too.”

Indeed, this will be [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]a must-win ballgame for both sides as the Longhorns and Cyclones know that with only three games left and in such a tough league, another loss could be devastating to their postseason chances. Several matchups will play a role in the team that comes away victorious, and three of the most intriguing are laid out below.

Running backs
As is the case when games are played in conditions as cold it will be played Saturday, (the high is projected to be 38 degrees), the running game for both teams will become tremendously important. Iowa State has one of the best backs in the Big 12 in freshman Breece Hall, who has broken out in his first season, racking up 585 yards for an impressive seven touchdowns. UT’s top rushing threat is Keontay Ingram, a sophomore from Carthage, Texas, who has battled back from an early-season injury. Last week against Kansas State, he was phenomenal, rushing for 139 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 8.7 yards per carry. Converted quarterback Roschon Johnson also should see some snaps after he hurdled, side-stepped, and raced past Wildcats defenders on Saturday. With cold weather in Ames, both team’s running backs will have a heavy workload throughout Saturday’s showdown.

Brock Purdy’s legs vs. the Texas defense
Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy has shown his ability to take off and run throughout this season, with a style similar to that of Kansas State quarterback Skylar Thompson. He’s not a bruising power runner like Sam Ehlingher is, but when he’s flushed out of the pocket and forced to scramble, he can definitely pick up yardage. This season, he’s second in the team in rushing with 251 yards on 74 attempts and has seven touchdowns on the ground.

“I think what’s he’s doing right now is great,” Herman said of Purdy. “You can tell there is a lot of confidence in that offense.”

The entire Texas defense will need to be committed to the mission of stopping Purdy on the ground. Last week, the Horns allowed Thompson to run just seven times, never gaining a yard. Having had success against a similar type quarterback, the Longhorns should come in prepared, but of course, Purdy will try his best to out run them.

Texas offensive line vs. Iowa State front seven
The battle in the trenches has long been called one of the biggest matchups in football. That should be the case Saturday when UT’s offensive line squares off against Iowa State’s defensive line. Both groups have talent and experience, something that will be key in this “must-win” game for either team. The Texas offensive line is accorded by center Zach Shackelford, a senior who has appeared in 30 games for the Longhorns, and grad transfer Parker Braun, who will get the start at left guard. It’s also important to note that right guard Derek Kerstetter has only been playing guard for just over a week after he was forced to play the position when Junior Angilau went down with injury during the K-State game. Iowa State’s defensive line, on the other hand, is also a group of talented players, as they were ranked No. 1 by Athlon Sports to start out the year. Linebacker Marcell Spears, Jr., is a big reason for that, as he’s on pace for 100 tackles this season, coming into Saturday’s ballgame with 70. Fellow linebacker Vance O’Rien has been the Cyclones’ biggest threat to quarterbacks this year, getting into the backfield many times and picking up 6.5 sacks for 42 yards of loss.

Texas has won the past three meetings with the Cyclones, including a 24-10 victory in Austin last season, but Herman said the Longhorns will have to raise their level of play if they hope to collect a fourth straight win over Iowa State

“We’re going to have to prepare even better this week than we did last week,” Herman said. “You saw a team Saturday afternoon that was completely united. They played really, really hard for each other.”
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