Iowa State Cyclones vs. Utah Utes Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 23rd 2024
Preview and Prediction
In the aftermath of his team's 34-17 triumph over Cincinnati last week, Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht succinctly summed up his performance.
"When I have possession of the ball," he stated, "I have the ability to make a play with it."
On Saturday night, Becht will strive to continue making those game-changing plays as the 22nd-ranked Cyclones fight to keep their Big 12 Conference championship aspirations alive in Salt Lake City against struggling Utah.
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After suffering two consecutive losses that dropped them behind BYU (9-1, 6-1) and Colorado (8-2, 6-1) in the conference standings, Iowa State (8-2, 5-2) relied on Becht's playmaking abilities to get back on track. He threw a touchdown pass in the third quarter to give the Cyclones a lead they would not relinquish, and added a rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter after the Bearcats had closed the gap to three points.
Becht completed 24 of 33 passes for 234 yards and added 48 yards on the ground on seven carries. He enters this week's game with 2,628 passing yards and 17 touchdowns on the season.
However, Becht will have to earn every yard and point against Utah (4-6, 1-6), who have lost six straight games. While their defense has not been the main culprit for their struggles, they did give up 49 points in last week's loss to Colorado.
In that game, Utah's defense was carved up by quarterback Shedeur Sanders, who threw for 340 yards and three touchdowns. This was the first time this season that the Utes' defense had a subpar performance, as they had only allowed an average of 20.4 points in their first five losses. However, their offense has not been able to provide enough support to help their defense.
"This is without a doubt the best defense we will face," said Iowa State coach Matt Campbell. "Their front seven is made up of fifth- and sixth-year seniors, some of the best defensive players in the country at their positions."
Unfortunately for Utah, their offense has struggled since veteran quarterback Cam Rising suffered an injury in September that kept him out for three games. He then returned in October, only to suffer a season-ending injury in his first game back against Arizona State.
Freshman quarterback Isaac Wilson has shown flashes of potential, but has not been consistent enough to win at the college level. He has thrown for 1,436 yards and 10 touchdowns, but has also thrown 11 interceptions and completed only 54.8% of his passes. Aside from running back Micah Bernard, who has 880 rushing yards, the Utes' offense has struggled to find consistent production.
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Utah, who were predicted to win the Big 12 in July, must win this week and next week against UCF just to qualify for a bowl game.
"We just don't have enough firepower on offense," said Utes coach Kyle Whittingham.
In comparison, Iowa State averages 31.4 points and 434.2 yards per game. The Cyclones hold a 4-1 lead in the all-time series against Utah, but the teams have not played since 2010 when the Utes defeated the Cyclones 68-27 in Ames.