Know Your Enemy: What Texas must do to beat Iowa State

Iowa State defensive end Dale Pierson is one of the premier defensive players in the Big 12 and is on the midseason watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award, which is given annually to the nation's premier college defensive end (photo courtesy of cyclones.com).
Iowa State defensive end Dale Pierson is one of the premier defensive players in the Big 12 and is on the midseason watch list for the Ted Hendricks Award, which is given annually to the nation's premier college defensive end (photo courtesy of cyclones.com).

By Adam Sweeney

This is Adam Sweeney here, writing this preview in a kayak as I float down the flooded Barton Springs area of Austin. As we try to avoid the torrential downpour in ATX, the Texas Longhorns are brimming with optimism and trying to avoid an upset in their pursuit of bowl game eligibility. The Iowa State Cyclones have made their name in the Big 12 as a nemesis to Texas, starting in 2009 when they beat the then-No. 19 Longhorns in Austin, 28-21, and nearly knocking them off again in 2013 as Texas barely escaped with a 31-30 controversial win in Ames, Iowa ... and let's not forget the 48-45 thriller last season, in which Nick Rose kicked the game-winning field goal with 3 seconds left. This has been a series recently that is full of ghoulish gamesmanship for both teams.

The Longhorns aim to knock the spirit (get it? Because ... Halloween) out of the 2-5 Cyclones on Saturday, and finally look like a team with swagger and identity. Meanwhile, Iowa State head coach Paul Rhoads is fighting like Rick Grimes on The Walking Dead to save his job, a week after offensive coordinator Mark Mangino was turned into zombie food. We're here to let you know how Halloween night can be a treat for Texas in this week's "Know Your Enemy."

The Lanning Strip

Senior quarterback Sam Richardson has lost his way, so Rhoads has handed the keys to redshirt sophomore Joel Lanning. The 6-foot-2, 230-pound quarterback  [article-offer]

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