When Oklahoma comes to Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Iowa State’s offense will be looking to open up its rushing attack.
That might sound like it contrasts with how Iowa State has performed on offense recently, as the team hasn’t topped 100 rushing yards in any game of the four-game losing streak it is on.
If you haven’t listened to the latest episode of Football and Random Things, or read my story from Matt Campbell’s weekly presser, you might not know just how big of an outlier Oklahoma’s rushing defense is.
The Sooners have allowed opponents to rush for 207.4 yards per game thus far. That’s ranked in the bottom 10 teams nationally and dwarfs the comparison of other Big 12 defenses against rushing attacks.
Iowa State is going to try and run the football – it’s a characteristic that coach Matt Campbell believes is integral to the success of his team.
Campbell said Tuesday that both Jirehl Brock and Cartevious Norton – who have been limited in recent games – have been practicing through the bye week. If either is completely healthy for Saturday’s game, it will provide the Cyclones with a push that it hasn’t had during this streak.
As big of an outlier as the Oklahoma rushing defense is, Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel might be bigger.
The transfer quarterback has missed action in two games due to injury, being taken out of the team’s 55-24 loss to TCU early and not playing at all in the 49-0 loss to Texas.
In the five games where Gabriel was healthy, the Sooners are 4-1 and have not failed to score 30 points.
Gabriel can get things done with his feet if needed but expect him to do the majority of his work through the air. He finished with 403 passing yards against Kansas a week ago and has thrown 13 touchdowns with just one interception this season.
That just means the status quo for the season will continue to be tested – Iowa State’s defense going against a dominant opponent and trying to be the team that slows them down the most.
It’s been the lone consistency in the team’s game this season, and the defense is ranked in the top 10 in the country, allowing just 289.7 yards per contest to its opponents.
Saturday will come down to consistency – and it will be as needed as ever. The major tests come in the defense against Gabriel and the rushing attack finding its way to 100 yards.
If Iowa State can do both, expect the Cyclones to find a Big 12 win.
