AMES - Iowa State’s passing game has found an unlikely spark at just the right time, and it’s coming from a pair of young receivers who barely had wideout experience before this season.
Cameron Pettaway last lined up at receiver in high school. Jamal Polite Jr. was making his name there only a year ago. Now, they’re the Cyclones’ most dangerous threats through the air over the last two weeks, a development that has helped steady an offense dealing with a battered receiver room.
“It’s a lot of fun to see those guys kind of hitting their strides and getting their feet wet,” said ISU quarterback Jaylen Raynor, who hopes to keep rolling when the Cyclones host Cincinnati at 11 a.m. Saturday at Jack Trice Staidum. “And then you can just see the confidence building each rep, each game, each practice, and it’s amazing to see those young guys really start to flourish.”
That growth has become necessary. Iowa State’s receiving corps has been hit hard by injuries, with transfers Jordyn Bailey, Evan Boyd, Carter Pabst and Cody Jackson all done for the season, along with returning deep threat Dominic Overby. With so many options gone, Pettaway - a backup running back now working downfield - and Polite have stepped into bigger roles and earned Raynor’s trust.
“Jaylen’s a great quarterback,” Polite said recently. “(He’s) trusted me with every pass.”
Polite leads the Cyclones with 321 receiving yards and is averaging 18.9 yards per catch. He broke out with 171 receiving yards in the 51-49 win over Oklahoma State two weeks ago. Pettaway has added touchdown catches of 40 and 50 yards in the past two games, while freshman Malcolm Watkins has also become a reliable target with three catches over that stretch.
Raynor’s surge has matched theirs. The Arkansas State transfer posted a season-high 309 passing yards against the Cowboys, then followed with 256 yards in last week’s 42-31 loss to Baylor. Over those two games, he has six total touchdowns - five through the air and one on the ground - and no interceptions.
“I think Jaylen’s a little bit more comfortable at this point,” said ISU head coach Jimmy Rogers, whose team is trying to move to 5-1 at home Saturday in a game that will air on TNT. “(He’s) just operating faster.
We’re changing tempos and I think he’s done a really good job. These last two games have been his best football thus far, so we need him to keep on that trend.”
That will matter against a Cincinnati defense that is tied for second in the Big 12 in turnover margin at plus-0.56 per game. Raynor has a 12-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio this season, and his best two outings have come after he was benched in the second half of the blowout loss at Arizona three weeks ago following an interception.
“I think these last two weeks’ we’ve kind of got some rhythm going, some confidence going on the offensive side,” said Raynor, whose five rushing touchdowns this season rank sixth among Big 12 quarterbacks. “Not too worried about statistics, but that’s obviously something people look at.”
Aiden Flora has also been a major piece of the offense, and defenses have spent plenty of time trying to slow him down. They haven’t had much success lately. The former walk-on and Paul Hornung Award finalist has piled up 393 rushing yards and three touchdowns over the past two weeks, helping create more room for the passing game.
“Sometimes I hand the ball or toss him the ball, and I’m just like what?” Raynor said. “He’s doing an amazing job, and obviously we’ve gotta continue to find ways to get him the ball in space.”
With injuries thinning the room, Pettaway, Polite, Watkins and the lone healthy season-long starter, Omari Hayes, are among the few receivers left standing for the final three games of the regular season. Iowa State is hoping that short stretch is enough to push the team toward one more game in the postseason.
“We’re not going to stop trying to grow to get our best out of this football team,” Rogers said.
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