Previewing the 2011 New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Iowa State
Previewing the 2011 New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Iowa State
The Iowa State season has been quite a streaky year to say the least. They started the season with a three-game win streak, including wins over rival Iowa and a Big East foe in Connecticut.
The Cyclones followed those four games up by losing four straight, three of which were to ranked teams. Those losses must have lit a fire because Iowa State answered back with another three-game winning streak, this time over No. 20 Texas Tech, Kansas and No. 2 Oklahoma State. Those games were followed by two losses.
In today’s breakdown, we will check out the Cyclones offense, defense and special teams. I will take a look at key players and the keys to the game they’ll need to beat Rutgers.
Tomorrow, I will follow up with a more descriptive season recap of both teams.
For you that have no read any articles to date: I am covering the Pinstripe Bowl for the 2011 bowl season. Day one was a complete synopsis of the Pinstripe Bowl, which you can read here. Day two was a complete breakdown of RU football, which you can read here.
Iowa State's Offensive Stats and Rankings
Iowa State’s offense has flourished in big time games and disappeared just as quickly. Their offense consists of a solid rushing attack to go along with a balanced passing game.
Here are some offensive stats and rankings for this unit:
Category Total Rank
Points per game: 23.5 86
Rush Yards per game: 181.2 35 Pass Yards per game: 222.3 76 Yard per game: 392.8 55 As you can see, the Cyclones have very good offensive balance; they just lack the ability to score many points per contest.
Iowa State Offense Key Players
Jared Barnett, QB
Barnett took over as the signal caller halfway through the season in a game against Missouri. Since then he has taken the reins of this offense and proven he can lead this unit.
The 6’1”, 200-pound freshman has six touchdowns to go along with six interceptions. He also has accumulated three games of a 100-plus QBR. Barnett is athletic, and you can look for him to be a major factor on December 30.
James White, RB The sophomore from Dallas, Tex. has seen some great times in this backfield to go along with some disappointing efforts. On the year, he has totaled 701 yards, including two 100-plus yard performances against Baylor and Texas Tech. He has compiled seven touchdowns and has really been a key factor in the offensive game plan all year. His versatility allows him to also grab balls from the backfield. If White gets rolling, he’ll be hard to stop. Darius Reynolds, WR Darius Reynolds has been the top receiver on this team all year long. Overall, he has totaled 655 yards and seven touchdowns. Out of those seven touchdowns, six have come in pairs, as he scored two in games against Iowa, Uconn and Baylor. Darius is also catching balls at a 16.0 yard per catch clip, so look for this deep threat to pressure the Rutgers secondary.
Offensive Keys to the Game
Must Score Early and Often
Only four times this year has this Iowa State team struck first. Many times this year (in wins and losses), they’ve found themselves digging out of a hole. If they want to beat this Scarlet Knights team, they must get on top of them early and keep going. The Rutgers defense is a very solid unit, and it could prove costly for the Cyclones if they encounter an early deficit.
Solid QB Play Like Rutgers, the Cyclones have used multiple guys under center for one reason or another. This game is no different than the rest of the year; your signal caller must play efficiently. Turnovers, mistakes and bad decisions could prove dire for a team in need of points. I feel Barnett can be a huge X-factor in this year’s game. Rushing Attack James White must get going early. When Rutgers played Uconn, the Huskies bolted out of the gate with a solid rushing attack and Rutgers was held off balance nearly all day. If Iowa State can do the same, it could be a long day for the RU defense. White definitely has the ability to carry the load for this team, and he may see an extensive workload if he gets off to a good start. Not only will this help the offense, but this means Iowa State can control the clock and give their defense a breather.
Iowa State Defensive Stats and Ranking
Iowa State has had their work cut out for them this year, facing offenses such as the ones at Baylor, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Kansas State (just to name a few). They’ve forced a few turnovers, but must play much better if they want to stop the Scarlet Knights. Though they don’t have a powerful offense, they are a very solid unit.
Category Total Rank
Points per game: 29.6 81
Yards per game: 432.3 99
Sacks: 17 92
Interceptions: 11 58
Iowa State Defensive Key Players
Jake Knott, LB
The 6’2” 240-pound junior has been a mainstay of this defense all season. On the season, he accumulated 107 total tackles and four tackles behind the line of scrimmage. That’s not all, however, as the junior has three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, two interceptions and five pass breakups. Knott is one of the leaders of this defense, and you’ll likely see him around the football all game.
A.J. Klein, LB Klein is another linebacker for this Cyclone unit. Klein is as solid as they come, and he also has over 100 stops. A.J. made 7.5 of those in the backfield and has three quarterback hurries. Klein is also found around the ball a lot, as he has made one interception and has broken up over 10 passes. Just like Knott, Klein is a solid contributor for this defense, and don’t be surprised to hear his name early and often against this Scarlet Knight team. Ter’Ran Benton, DB Benton is a 6’1” senior from Arlington, Tex., home of the Dallas Cowboys. Benton is as good as they come when it comes to leading a defensive secondary. On the year, the senior has a team-leading three interceptions and nearly 10 breakups. He also has half a sack to go along with his 62 tackles, which is sixth on the team. Look for Benton to be covering various receivers throughout the game and playing in the box as well.
Defensive Keys to the Game
Forcing Turnovers
The Iowa State Cyclones rank in the middle of the pack when it comes to interceptions and turnovers in general. For this team to improve their chances of winning, they must secure those opportunities to give the ball back to their offense. Rutgers has shown this year that they will throw interceptions and will occasionally put the ball on the turf. Iowa State must take advantage of that to help their cause.
Solid Tackling This unit has done a good job of being hungry and attacking ball carriers. In some games, however, their tackling was suspect, and in the end, it seriously hurt them. The Cyclones must be able to tackle ball carriers and receivers in open field and prevent big plays. Look for Knott and Klein to step up and lead this unit all day long. Grittiness This team has already beaten a rival, a Big East Foe and multiple ranked teams. In all of those wins, the defense has shown grit, guts and determination. This unit must show all of those qualities and more to be dominant. RU is by no means a powerful offense, and if the Cyclones can gather some momentum early, it could be a long day. I think these guys will be ready and up for the task, no matter what the score may be.
Special Teams Players and Stats
The special teams for Iowa State have played very well this year. They have been able to aid themselves by forcing teams to start deep in their territory. They also have been able to make their field goals at a very high percentage.
Here are some of the key players for these units:
Zach Guyer, K Extra Points: 28-of-30 (93.3 percent) Field Goals: 9-of-12 (75.0 percent) Kirby Van Der Camp, P Punts: 64 attempts = 42.7 average One blocked 19 inside the 20 Josh Lenz, KR 21.9 yards per kick return, long of 51 Zero touchdowns
Special Teams Keys to the Game
Make Field Goals
The Cyclones are hitting their field goals at a 75 percent clip this year, and that number has to be maintained if they want to put points on the board. Guyer does a great job and must continue to hit his kicks and extra points. Lost points could prove costly in a close game and put pressure on your other units.
Big Returns One thing that Iowa State has lacked this year is the knack for a huge special teams play. Their return averages are a little down compared to Rutgers, and they haven’t returned a ball to pay dirt all year. Uconn was able to exploit the Rutgers kickoff unit, and Iowa State must do the same to garner good field position and put less pressure on their offense. Blocks Van Der Camp has had a punt blocked already this year, and every RU fan knows that Schiano likes to send guys for blocks. Both Van Der Camp and Guyer have to do a solid job in making sure their kicks are off quickly so no problems arise. On the other hand, their other units must be able to get hands on the football as well. A block for Iowa State could be the turning point in the game.
Overview
Overall, Iowa State is a very similar team to the Scarlet Knights, making this a great matchup. If the Cyclones can play sound and jump on their opportunities, they could come out with a victory.
If they fail to create mismatches and don’t make key plays, the Scarlet Knights could squeak this one out.
I think a good game plan and a great defensive effort will be significant in the outcome of this bowl game.