Iowa State Football

Two weeks ago, what had started as a season with College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six aspirations for Oregon looked like it would end in disappointment. The Ducks, who had entered the season ranked in the top 10, lost consecutive games to Oregon State and California, effectively ending their hopes of an undefeated season and Pac-12 title. 

Instead, Washington and USC were set to face off for the crown, but that has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. When the Huskies were unable to field a full enough roster to compete because of positive cases and contact tracing, the Ducks were slid up to fill in and play on short notice. 

And in true 2020 fashion, Oregon upset the then-No. 13 Trojans, stealing away a Fiesta Bowl bid in a game they weren’t even supposed to play in. It’s always good to be good, but it never hurts to be lucky. 

In the desert, an Iowa State team coming off a disappointing loss to archrival Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship will be waiting. The Cyclones, who came into the weekend ranked No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings, had an outside shot at the CFP, though even with a win over the Sooners, their path was narrow. Oklahoma avenged the loss ISU handed them earlier this year, jumping out to a 24-7 halftime lead before holding off a late Cyclones rally to win 27-21. 

Keys to the Game

Iowa State

For Iowa State’s offense, everything starts and ends with sophomore running back Breece Hall, who, after an impressive freshman season, jumped onto the scene in 2020 as one of the country’s best running backs. In 11 games, Hall rushed for 1,436 yards and 19 touchdowns, while also adding 21 catches for 170 yards and two more scores. He leads the nation in rushing yards and attempts, and he’s second in rushing touchdowns only to Alabama’s Najee Harris, who has scored 24 times. 

The Cyclones are no slouch in the passing game, though, as junior quarterback Brock Purdy has put together an impressive season of his own, completing 66 percent of his passes and throwing for 2,594 yards and 18 touchdowns. ISU is one of the more balanced offenses in the country, rushing an average of 36 times per game and throwing 31. 

Their defense, though, has been arguably even more impressive, particularly against the run. Iowa State ranks 10th nationally in rushing defense, allowing just 104.6 yards per game to opposing offenses. Among teams that have played 10 or more games in this shortened season, the Cyclones rank fourth in rushing touchdowns allowed, only giving up nine scores on the ground in 11 contests. 

Oregon 

A large part of Oregon’s offensive identity is centered around running the ball (36 attempts per game), and the Ducks will have to have success against ISU’s run defense to open up their passing game. As a unit, Oregon’s offense is averaging a solid 4.9 yards per carry, and it’s done by committee, with three running backs notching more than 55 carries through six games. 

Junior running backs CJ Verdell and Travis Dye are the primary ball-carriers, though quarterback Tyler Shough has some wheels as well, with 263 rushing yards and two touchdowns of his own on the ground. Shough’s success in the passing game often comes from his ability to neutralize aggressive defenses with his legs, and while his stat line won’t have him in contention for the Heisman this year, he’s dangerous. After attempting just 15 passes last year as a backup, he has filled the starting role admirably, throwing for 1,480 yards, 13 touchdowns and just five interceptions. 

Continuing to take care of the ball will be key against this Cyclones’ defense, which has 14 total takeaways through 11 games, including eight interceptions. Against a team who runs the ball as well as ISU does, limiting turnovers could be the difference in what’s expected to be a tightly contested game. 

Prediction: A little bit of Breece Hall goes a long way, and the Ducks have struggled all season against the run, giving up 159.8 yards per game and 13 rushing touchdowns in just six contests.

It won’t be a blowout, but the Cyclones will ride Breece to their first New Year’s Six bowl victory in school history.

Iowa State 34, Oregon 24

With Iowa State mandating pay cuts for its football coaches amid the COVID-19 pandemic, head coach Matt Campbell has forfeited additional money that is getting distributed to his assistant coaches.

The Des Moines Register's Randy Peterson provided the details:

"According to documents the Register received through Iowa's Open Records Law, Campbell's 10% salary reduction between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021, amounts to a total of $497,124 — $350,000 based on the reduction of his average of $3.5 million-a-year salary through Dec. 31, 2025, and an additional $147,000 to offset some of the reduction from an assistant coach salary pool."

Iowa State director of athletics Jamie Pollard announced in April the school was triggering a one-year pay reduction for coaches and selected staff members. In addition, all bonuses and incentives would be suspended for one year.

According to USA Today, Campbell earns a $3.6 million base salary, with his total pay being the 36th-highest in FBS.

Because of the success Iowa State has enjoyed under his watch, many have questioned whether he'd pursue a new opportunity in the NFL or a higher-profile FBS program. The Cyclones announced in December that he had signed an extension through the 2025 season.

Campbell, 40, is entering his fifth year in charge, having compiled a 26-25 record and led Iowa State to three straight bowl games.

Iowa State University announced Saturday that 10 of the school's athletes, including two football players, have tested positive for COVID-19.

According to ESPN's Heather Dinich, Iowa State released the following statement on the matter: "Iowa State's Athletic Department is taking a number of precautions and has protocols for contact tracing as well as isolation to limit the spread of illness. The university feels strongly about balancing the privacy of our student-athletes and being transparent as well as avoiding speculation on case numbers."

The school told ESPN that none of the students were partaking in team activities when they were exposed to the coronavirus.

Per Dinich, Iowa State said all 147 members of its football program, including players and staff, have been tested for COVID-19 since May 28.

Last month, the Big 12 announced football players could begin reporting to campus for voluntary workouts on June 15. Athletes from other fall sports, including cross country, soccer and volleyball, will be eligible to return July 1, and all other athletes can report to campus July 15.

The workouts will be the first in-person activities college football teams have participated in since March, which is when states first shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.

On Thursday, the NCAA announced a proposed preseason model that will be voted upon by the Division I Council on Wednesday.

If the proposal is approved, it will require players to participate in a set amount of weight training, conditioning and film review during a 14-day period in July and August before the official beginning of preseason practice in early August.

Under that scenario, it would allow the 2020 college football season to begin on time this fall despite concerns that COVID-19 would prevent that from happening.

Perhaps the biggest roadblock in the way of an on-time season start is how the NCAA and individual programs will handle things if some of their players test positive for the coronavirus.

In addition to Iowa State, Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas State, Boise State, Clemson, Florida State, Houston, Iowa, Marshall, Mississippi, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas Tech and UCF are all known to have had student-athletes test positive for COVID-19, according to Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle.

Provided the season does start on time, Iowa State could be a major factor in the Big 12, thanks largely to the return of junior quarterback Brock Purdy.

Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard seems to have no doubt college football will be played in the fall. 

In a letter posted on Iowa State's athletic website, Pollard wrote "we fully anticipate playing football" when the Cyclones are scheduled to begin the season on Sept. 5.

Pollard also remains hopeful that fans will be permitted to attend games at Jack Trice Stadium, but capacity would be reduced by 50 percent to 30,000. 

Pollard wrote attendance figures could be adjusted to comply with rules in place by state and local officials. 

On May 20, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a proclamation permitting several venues, including movie theaters, zoos, aquariums and museums, to reopen on May 22 and summer school activities to resume on June 1 as long as they follow health and safety protocols. 

Pollard noted that because of the potentially limited attendance figure, the school doesn't anticipate selling single-game tickets right now. Fans who have renewed their season tickets and make a required Cyclone Club donation by June 12 will have the opportunity to attend games. 

Iowa State's announcement comes after Saturday's announcement that the Big 12 board of directors approved a phase in for student-athletes that will allow them to take part in voluntary workouts on campus. 

The Cyclones are scheduled to host South Dakota in their first football game of the 2020 season. 

The 2020 college football season is five months away, but some within the sport are already preparing for the worst-case scenario as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread rapidly across the United States.

"If we can't play football this fall, I mean it's Ice Age time," Iowa State Athletic Director Jamie Pollard said during a Thursday teleconference. "Because there is nobody in our industry right now that could reasonably forecast a contingency plan for how they would get through not playing any football games." 

Pollard added:

"The thought that (there's) no football and losing an entire season, that's a complete game-changer. College athletics wouldn't—I'm not going to say go away as we know it, but it's probably closer to that answer.

"I think there'll be a lot of people that will do everything in their human power to stop short of letting it get to that. That's what you hear issues like, 'Well, we could maybe play next spring.' I think that's where that kind of is coming from because [of] the desperation of just how damning that would be."

According to The Athletic's Scott Dochterman, 14 percent ($12.5 million) of Iowa State athletics' $87.55 million 2020 fiscal year budget comes from projected football ticket sales and approximately $34 million of the funding the school receives from the NCAA and Big 12 is football-related.

Pollard previously announced several financial initiatives in an open letter to Cyclones fans, including coaches and certain staff members within the university's athletics department taking a one-year, temporary pay reduction and coaches seeing a one-year suspension of bonuses and incentives.

Stadium's Brett McMurphy surveyed 130 FBS athletic directors about the potential cancellation or postponement of the college football season this fall:

"In a survey conducted by Stadium, all 130 FBS athletic directors were asked to rank their optimism on the upcoming season being played from '1' (will not be played) to '10' (definitely will be played). Of the 130 ADs contacted during the past week, 112 participated in the anonymous survey.

"None of the ADs gave lower than a '5' ranking (meaning a 50/50 chance there is no season). However, several admitted they probably provided a higher-numbered response because they wanted to remain positive and optimistic about having the season."

One anonymous athletic director told McMurphy that "many programs will be out of business without a season," while another state, "we will be f--ked."

Virginia head coach Bronco Mendenhall told CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd he and his program are acting under the assumption the season will at least be delayed if not canceled.

Spring practices across the country were canceled in March:

As of now, the 2020 college football season is scheduled to begin on Saturday, Aug. 29.

Iowa State Cyclones fan Carson King turned a College GameDay sign into one of the best charitable campaigns of the year.

Now, Busch wants to make sure the 23-year-old King achieves his initial goal: free beer.

As ESPN's College GameDay made its way to Ames, Iowa, on Saturday for the battle for the Cy-Hawk, King created a sign that read "Busch Light Supply Needs Replenished" while also listing his Venmo account.

When he received more donations than he had envisioned, he decided to put the money to good use by donating it to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital. Additionally, Venmo and Busch have each vowed to match the donations.

As of Thursday, King had raised more than $67,000 on his own, putting the total contributions at more than $200,000.

Not only will Busch be donating money, but it will be hooking King up with a year's supply of beer:

Hey @CarsonKing2, we said we’d send you a year’s worth of Busch Light, but first we had to make sure the cans were fit for a King. Let us know where to send the truck. #IowaLegend pic.twitter.com/czGBuXRE92

— Busch Beer (@BuschBeer) September 20, 2019

King was obviously thrilled with the gesture:

All of this from a simple sign.

Iowa State Cyclones running back David Montgomery announced Monday he's decided to forgo his senior season to enter the 2019 NFL draft:  

Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell later issued a statement wishing Montgomery well:

Montgomery has come a long way since he committed to the Cyclones as an unheralded 3-star prospect and the No. 1,203 overall player in the 2016 recruiting class, based on 247Sports' composite rankings.

After a solid freshman campaign while splitting time with Mike Warren, he enjoyed a breakout season in 2017 after successfully assuming a workhorse role. He tallied 1,146 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 258 carries and chipped in 36 receptions for 296 yards.

The Ohio native racked up 257 attempts for 1,216 yards (4.7 yards per carry) and 13 touchdowns across 12 games for ISU in 2018. He also had 22 catches for 157 yards.

In October, Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Kliff Kingsbury predicted Montgomery would enjoy a terrific career at the next level, per Randy Peterson of Des Moines Register.

"He's as good as any back in the country as far as being a complete back," Kingsbury said. "We haven't tackled him in a couple years. ... He's going to be heck of a pro for somebody. He's an every-down back, and from what I've heard—he's a heck of a kid, too."

Those comments proved prophetic when Montgomery rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns in a 40-31 Cyclones victory over the Red Raiders.

CBSSports.com's Chris Trapasso compared the rusher to the Pittsburgh Steelers' James Conner:

"Like Conner, Montgomery isn't a burner by any stretch of the imagination. But the two backs have been blessed with tremendous 'contact balance.' Hits of any kind from any angle just don't impact their equilibrium as much as the majority of runners. It allows them to stay on their feet to gain extra yards without being risky lower-the-head, look-for-contact ball-carriers."

Montgomery's decision to leave school after his junior season comes as no surprise. He's showcased a well-rounded skill set, leaving little to prove at the collegiate ranks, and there's no reason for running backs to take additional punishment when it's clear they're ready for the NFL.

Now he'll enter the draft process with an eye on establishing himself as the top running back available and a potential first-round pick.

Iowa State running back David Montgomery was ejected from Saturday's game against Baylor for throwing a punch.

According to Jim Vertuno of the Associated Press, Montgomery will be suspended for the first half of next week's game against Texas.

After Baylor defensive end Greg Roberts reached around an official to punch Montgomery early in the third quarter, the junior running back retaliated:

BR Video

Roberts was also ejected.

Prior to getting tossed from the game, Montgomery had rushed for 53 yards on 11 carries and caught three passes for 25 yards.

Montgomery is arguably the Cyclones' top offensive player, as he had rushed for 712 yards and six touchdowns on the season entering Saturday's contest.

Last season, Montgomery rushed for 1,146 yards and 11 scores.

Montgomery's absence during the first half of next week's game against the Longhorns could loom large since the winner of that game could remain in the hunt for a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game, given they both win this week.

Iowa State honored the life of golfer Celia Barquin Arozamena on Saturday ahead of the Cyclones' football game against the Akron Zips.

The 22-year-old was killed at an Iowa golf course Monday, and Ames Police charged Collin Daniel Richards with first-degree murder.

On Saturday, the Cyclones remembered Barquin Arozamena, the athletic department's 2018 Female Athlete of the Year:

Iowa State showed a video tribute of Barquin Arozamena on the scoreboard prior to its game against Akron:

The band also paid its respects by forming the initials CBA:

In addition, both teams wore helmet decals in her honor:

Iowa State also planned to hold a ceremony at halftime to award Barquin Arozamena a posthumous diploma with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering, according to Molly Sequin of NCAA.com.

A vigil was held on campus earlier this week:

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com), "Richards stabbed Barquin Arozamena and left her body in a pond on the course."

When Barquin Arozamena won the Big 12 Championship in April, the native of Puente San Miguel, Spain, became just the second player in program history to win a conference title. She earned a trio of first-team All-Big 12 honors as well as three first-team Academic All-Big 12 nods. She also broke the Iowa State record for career stroke average (73.4).

Iowa State senior offensive analyst Jim Hofher tweeted a criticism of recruit Jake Karchinski on Monday after the latter received an Iowa offer. The coach's tweet has since been deleted.

Reddit's CFB Twitter page preserved it, which was apparently meant to be a direct message to a third party:

Hofher has not tweeted since, nor has the school issued an apology. Karchinski, a class of 2019 defensive end, has also not commented.

This appears to be little more than an unfortunate mistake. Hofher has fewer than a thousand tweets—it'd be fair to say he's not exactly a social media maven. His criticism, that he was "underwhelmed," was honest and relatively tame.

Coaches are paid to evaluate recruits and identify whether they would fit with the program. Had Hofher sent this as a DM and it somehow leaked, no one would have batted an eye. But since he slid into the mentions of said player, some have had a laugh at his expense.

It's ironic that his last tweet before his flub was one criticizing Oregon State for its mistake in sending Hawaii players recruiting packets.