Iowa State Football: Way-too-early game-by-game predictions for 2018
Iowa State football surprised many in 2017 with an 8-5 record that included two top 5 upsets and a bowl win. How will they build off their success in 2018?
In his second season as head coach, Matt Campbell has turned the historically bad Iowa State program into a winner. Following a 3-9 first season, Campbell at one point had the Cyclones at 6-2 and ranked No. 14 in the nation, heights the Iowa State program hasn’t seen since Seneca Wallace and Dan McCarney were on the sidelines at Jack Trice Stadium. The Cyclones concluded the season with an 8-5 record with a bowl win over Memphis in the Liberty Bowl.
Turning their attention to the 2018 season, this may be the most anticipated Iowa State football team since the days of Earle Bruce and Johnny Majors. While they may no longer be playing in Clyde Williams Field, the level of excitement is on par with those years. However, the Cyclones do play in the Big 12, a conference full of parity. The schedule will show little mercy for Matt Campbell in company in year three.
After playing UNI to start each of the last three seasons, the Cyclones do get a fresh face, albeit still an FCS school. The Jackrabbits of South Dakota State make the trip to Ames in a game that Cyclone fans should not overlook. SDSU is a member of the Missouri Valley Football Conference, the FCS equivalent of the SEC and is home to powerhouses such as SDSU, North Dakota State, UNI and Youngstown State among others.
The Jackrabbits were strong again in 2017, finishing with an 11-3 record, second in the MVFC behind rival NDSU and winning a playoff game. SDSU was led by junior quarterback Taryn Christion, who passed for over 3,500 yards and 35 touchdowns and running backs Isaac Wallace and Mikey Daniel combined for over 1,000 yards on the ground total.
With most of their skill position players returning, the Jackrabbits look like a scary good team once again the Missouri Valley and in all of FCS. Iowa State does boast a 1-0 series advantage over SDSU with the lone win coming in 2008, one of two the Cyclones got that entire season. Cyclone Fever will be in full swing by the time September 1st rolls around and Matt Campbell’s crew will be out to make a statement and do so.