AMES - Iowa State comes into Saturday’s trip to Baylor riding the high of a 51-49 escape against then-No. 24 Oklahoma State, but the Cyclones are still walking into another tough spot on the road. Baylor is 5-3, 3-2, coming off a 41-9 win over UCF, and the Bears will host the Cyclones at 11 a.m. in a game set for FS1.
The Bears have had their own share of upheaval this season, but the group has found some traction behind several key contributors. If Iowa State wants to slow Baylor in Waco, these are the names that matter most.
DJ Lagway is the engine of the offense. The former consensus five-star recruit spent the past two seasons starting 19 games at Florida before returning to his home state for a reset with Baylor.
The results have been uneven, but mostly effective. Lagway is completing a career-low 53.3 percent of his throws, yet he has also posted 13 touchdown passes against four interceptions.
That’s a better decision-making profile than the 16-to-14 touchdown-to-interception mark he put up last season with the Gators. When he gets rolling, he looks like one of the Big 12’s best passers, as shown by four-touchdown, no-interception outings in blowout wins over Arizona State and UCF.
He can also hurt defenses with his legs, though 13 sacks have cut into those rushing numbers. For Iowa State, the challenge starts up front, where producing pressure has been a problem in conference play.
Gavin Freeman has become the kind of receiver quarterbacks trust. The 5-9, 181-pound fifth-year player spent two seasons at Oklahoma and two more at Oklahoma State before landing at Baylor, and he leads the Bears with 63 catches for 794 yards.
He is not Baylor’s biggest vertical threat - that label belongs more to Jayden McGowan, who leads the team in receiving touchdowns - but Freeman has still delivered chunk plays. He owns Baylor’s longest reception of the season at 77 yards and is tied for second on the team with three touchdown catches.
He has topped 100 receiving yards in three of the past four games and just turned in the most explosive performance of his career at UCF, finishing with five catches for 114 yards, 22.8 yards per catch, and that 77-yard score.
Tony Livingston gives Baylor another reliable target, especially in the red zone. The 6-6, 255-pound fourth-year player from Tampa previously spent two seasons catching passes from Lagway at Florida, where he had four touchdown receptions over that stretch.
He and Freeman have become dependable options for the Bears in key moments, and Livingston made the most of his chances last week by turning both of his catches at UCF into touchdowns. He also brings value as a blocker in the run game.
Micah Gifford has made a smooth move from receiver to defense. The 6-3, 205-pound fourth-year player had started only one game in his Baylor career before this season and had mostly been a special teams contributor after switching positions.
Now he is a regular part of the secondary rotation and ranks second on the team with 41 tackles. He has also picked off three passes and has faced a team-high two fumbles.
Travion Barnes leads the Bears in tackles and has already shown he can be a difference-maker. The 6-0, 247-pound linebacker arrived at Baylor last season, flashed promise in four games, and then suffered a season-ending injury.
He is back this year and has produced 57 tackles, plus a sack. He has also reached double digits in tackles in two Big 12 games.
In Other News...
Iowa State Just Got The Jimmy Rogers Moment Fans Needed
Halloween night brought the kind of jolt Iowa State fans have been waiting for, as the Cyclones knocked off ranked Oklahoma State in a high-scoring game that felt bigger than a single October win. Jaylen Raynor powered the offense with 309 passing yards and three touchdowns, while Aiden Flora delivered one of the nights defining performances on the ground with 221 rushing yards and two scores.
For a program that has dealt with its share of recent challenges, the result offered a welcome reset and a reminder of what can happen when the offense clicks and the moment meets the stage. It also extended Iowa States run of success against ranked Oklahoma State teams to three straight, a streak that gives Jimmy Rogers and his group a little more credibility as they keep trying to build something lasting. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Just Changed Its Big 12 Outlook In A Big Way
Week 9 in the Big 12 delivered the kind of shakeup that can redraw the conference race in a hurry, and Iowa State was right in the middle of it. The Cyclones win over Oklahoma State stood out in a weekend that also saw Texas Tech beat Arizona after a quarterback change, Utah stay unbeaten against Cincinnati, BYU survive a tight one against Arizona State and Kansas State fall in overtime to Colorado.
For Iowa State, the result matters well beyond one Saturday afternoon because the league picture is suddenly getting crowded with contenders and pressure points. The Cyclones helped create a clearer path for themselves while the teams around them kept trading blows, and the standings now feel a lot more fluid than they did a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State May Have Found The Spark Its Offense Needed
Iowa State needed a lift on offense, and it may have found one in freshman wide receiver Jamal Polite Jr. In the Cyclones 51-49 win over Oklahoma State, sealed by a last-second field goal, Polite was the most dangerous player on the field for Iowa State, finishing with six catches for 171 yards and giving the passing game a much-needed jolt.
The timing matters because Iowa States receiver room has been thinned by multiple season-ending injuries, leaving the offense searching for answers as the Big 12 grind continues. Polites emergence does not solve everything, but it gives the Cyclones a promising option at a position where they badly needed stability, and it could change how this offense looks moving forward. [Read more 🡒]