AMES - Iowa State’s passing game has found help in the most unlikely places, and the timing couldn’t be better.
With injuries tearing through the receivers room, the Cyclones have leaned on a pair of young, unexpected contributors in Cameron Pettaway and Jamal Polite Jr. Pettaway hadn’t played wide receiver since high school, while Polite was still starring at that level just a year ago. Now both have become central pieces of an offense that needs them in a hurry.
“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 (4-5, 2-4 Big 12) face Cincinnati (5-4, 2-4) at 11a.m. Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium. “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.”
The need is obvious. Jordyn Bailey, Evan Boyd, Carter Pabst and Cody Jackson are all done for the season, and returning big-play threat Dominic Overby is out, too. That has pushed Pettaway, a backup running back working downfield routes, and Polite into much larger roles than anyone likely expected a few weeks ago.
Polite has made the biggest splash. He erupted for 171 receiving yards in the 51-49 win over Oklahoma State two weeks ago, and he now leads Iowa State with 321 receiving yards while averaging 18.9 yards per catch.
“Jaylen’s a great quarterback,” Polite said recently. “(He’s) trusted me with every pass.”
Pettaway has delivered in the red-hot stretch as well, hauling in touchdown catches of 40 and 50 yards over the past two weeks. Freshman Malcolm Watkins has also started to earn trust, with three catches in the last two games. And the group has been getting production while Raynor has put together his best two-game run as a Cyclone.
The Arkansas State transfer threw for a season-high 309 yards against Oklahoma State and followed with 256 yards in last week’s 42-31 loss to Baylor. Over that span, he has accounted for six total touchdowns - five through the air and one on the ground - without throwing an interception.
“I think Jaylen’s a little bit more comfortable at this point,” said ISU head coach Jimmy Rogers, whose team is trying to get to 5-1 at home Saturday in a game that will be broadcast 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 matters 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 recent surge has 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 rank sixth among Big 12 quarterbacks. “Not too worried about statistics, but that’s obviously something people look at.”
Aiden Flora has also helped drive the offense. The former walk-on and Paul Hornung Award finalist has piled up 393 rushing yards and three touchdowns over the past two weeks, forcing defenses to account for him and creating more space 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.”
That leaves Pettaway, Polite, Watkins and the lone healthy season-long starter Omari Hayes as the short-handed group carrying Iowa State into the final three games of the regular season. The Cyclones are hoping that stretch leads to one more game after that.
“We’re not going to stop trying to grow to get our best out of this football team,” Rogers said.
In Other News...
Iowa State Freshman Just Gave Cyclones Fans A Real Reason For Excitement
Iowa States 77-55 win over Howard offered an early look at what could become a useful formula for the Cyclones this season: balanced scoring, active rebounding and a freshman who looked ready for a bigger role right away. Tjaa Turnek led the way with 20 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, giving Iowa State a steady presence on both ends while Mya Babbitt and Alex-Anne Bessette added 16 and 15 points to keep the offense moving.
For a team still sorting out its identity, that kind of production from a newcomer matters. Turnek did more than fill the box score, and the way she fit alongside Babbitt and Bessette gave Iowa State a glimpse of a rotation that can stretch defenses and create problems in different ways. The bigger question now is how quickly that early promise turns into something the Cyclones can count on once the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State's New-Look Roster Is Starting To Feel Very Real
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Iowa State Suddenly Has A New Offensive Pressure Point Against Cincinnati
Injuries have pushed Iowa State into a different look at receiver, and the results have given the offense a needed jolt. Cameron Pettaway and Jamal Polite Jr. have stepped into bigger roles in recent games, helping a group that has had to adjust on the fly while quarterback Jaylen Raynor has started to settle in more comfortably.
Raynors improved play over the past two games has come with more dependable help around him, and that has changed the feel of the passing game heading into Cincinnati. The Cyclones will try to carry that momentum forward, but the real test is whether this reshuffled receiver room can keep creating the same pressure point when defenses have more time to prepare for it. [Read more 🡒]