Iowa State is about to get a prime-time feel at Jack Trice Stadium.
The Cyclones’ Week 9 meeting with Oklahoma State on Oct. 31 will be played at 6 p.m. CT/7 p.m.
ET, giving fans their first chance this season to see a home game under the lights. Every Iowa State home game so far has kicked off in the afternoon, so Halloween night brings something different to Ames.
That matchup also carries real weight for Iowa State, which sits at 3-3 and still needs three more wins to reach bowl eligibility. With the Cyclones already dealing with a rugged schedule, protecting home field has become a major part of the path forward. Their only loss at Jack Trice Stadium came against Utah, when an early deficit proved too much to overcome.
The Oklahoma State game arrives after Iowa State’s trip to Arizona, another opponent that is ranked heading into the matchup. That would make Arizona the fourth ranked foe the Cyclones have faced this season, and they have not taken care of business in the first three, falling to Iowa, Utah and BYU.
Oklahoma State narrowly missed the top 25 this week, finishing eight points behind Arizona, which checked in at No. 25. That sets up a potentially demanding stretch for Iowa State, which could end up facing back-to-back ranked opponents.
And the Cowboys are no easy follow-up. First-year head coach Eric Morris has brought Northern Texas Mean Green standouts quarterback Drew Mestemaker and running back Caleb Hawkins with him, and that group figures to keep pressure on Iowa State’s defense.
After Oklahoma State comes to Ames, the Cyclones will still have home dates left against Cincinnati and Kansas State. Given how high-scoring Iowa State’s most recent Jack Trice outing was - a 45-42 win over West Virginia - another offensive shootout would not be a surprise.
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Iowa State Faces A New Era As A Cyclone Favorite Nears More History
Bill Fennellys announcement that this season will be his last has added another layer of significance to an already pivotal stretch for Iowa State womens basketball. The longtime coach has been a fixture in Ames for years, and with Jared Benko set to take over as athletic director, the program is now headed toward a transition that will include the search for the next leader of the Cyclones.
There is change on the mens side, too, with Ames native Tamin Lipsey expected to be granted eligibility to play this season. If that happens, the starting point guard could become a five-year fixture for Iowa State, giving the Cyclones a familiar centerpiece at a time when so much else around the program is shifting. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Showed Fight But One Early Concern Stood Out
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The concern, though, was how much ground Iowa State had to make up in the first place. Creighton had control for long stretches behind Katrell Harmons 16 points and six assists, while the Cyclones were left trying to chase the game until the final buzzer. Jamarion Batemon finished with 15 points, and six Iowa State players reached double figures, but the early hole ultimately proved too deep to escape. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Faces A Tough Road Test With One Big Offensive Concern
Iowa State heads into Saturday nights trip to Tucson with a tricky assignment waiting at Casino Del Sol Stadium, where the Cyclones will face Arizona at 6:30 p.m. CT. The Wildcats are favored by 10 points, and for Iowa State the challenge is made even steeper by the absence of wide receiver Dominic Overby, who is out for the season after suffering an injury in a previous game.
Overbys loss leaves an offense trying to regroup on the road against a ranked-up level of pressure, and it adds another layer of difficulty to a game that already looks demanding on paper. With kickoff set for Oct. 24, Iowa State will have to find answers quickly in the passing game if it wants to keep pace and turn a tough road test into something more manageable. [Read more 🡒]