Last season, Iowa State football delivered a beat down to Akron on the Zips home turf, how will they fare the second time around coming into Jack Trice?
It’s a label no one wants to have, but I’m a firm believer that Iowa State is the best two-loss team in all of college football. Even without their original home-opener against South Dakota State, the Cyclones have lost to an Iowa team that should be in the top 25, and an Oklahoma team that appears ready to win the Big 12 once again. Iowa State is in the midst of one of the toughest schedule’s to start the season in all of college football.
Even without Kyle Kempt, Iowa State had plenty of positives to take away against Oklahoma. Zeb Noland was tremendous against an improved Sooners defense, and Hakeem Butler was a man amongst children out at wide receiver. David Montgomery returned to his beastly ways as he willed was for plenty of yards after contact. One area of concern for the Cyclones was their defense as they appeared to take two steps back following their stout performance against Iowa.
Akron comes into the game with loads and loads of confidence following their huge win at Northwestern, their first win against a Big Ten opponent since 1894 – yes, 1894. The Zips are coming off a MAC Championship game appearance in 2017 and have a rising, young quarterback by the name of Kato Nelson. Nelson has thrown for 509 yards and five touchdowns in his first two contests after taking over their reigns late last season as a true freshman.
Here’s where to find Saturday’s game:
Date: Saturday, Sept. 22
Time: 12:00 p.m. EST
Location: Ames, Iowa
Venue: Jack Trice Stadium
TV: Fox Sports Net
Live Stream: FoxSportsGo
Keys to Victory
For Iowa State, all they need to do is what Matt Campbell has built them to do. Their offense is a spread offense, but they are predicated on controlling the clock and being very efficient in the passing game. Akron may have a very good offense, but the Cyclones defense is built to stop high-flying, fast-paced spread attacks. If Iowa State sticks to what makes them good, they will have no trouble with the Zips.
In Akron’s case, they need to try to duplicate the performance they gave last week at Ryan Field against Northwestern. Their defense didn’t shut down the Wildcats, but they were able to convert turnovers directly into points with two pick sixes of Clayton Thorson, which proved to be the difference maker in the game. Kato Nelson must continue to play mistake free if the Zips want to come away from Ames with a win.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Iowa State -18 1/2
Over/Under: 47 1/2
Prediction
Make no mistake, Akron is a good football team with more talent than most people might think a MAC school would have. However, Matt Campbell’s crew is hungry for a victory and our are out to prove that they were anything but a fluke. Zeb Noland starts his second consecutive game at quarterback, but it wouldn’t shock me if true freshmen Brock Purdy or Re-al Mitchell see some playing time. Cyclones win this one comfortably.
Final Score: Iowa State 45, Akron 17