College Football: Iowa State vs Oklahoma: Week 9 preview, how to watch, more

Two formerly-ranked teams do battle in Week 9 when the Iowa State Cyclones head home to take on the Oklahoma Sooners.

Oklahoma Sooners (4-3) at Iowa State Cyclones (3-4)

@ Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas

How to Watch:

Date: Saturday, October 29th
Time: 12:00 ET
Channel: FS1

Betting Stats:

Spread: OKLA -1 (-110)
Over/Under: 56 (-110)

Matchup:

The battle for the bottom of the Big 12 is quickly approaching as Oklahoma travels to Ames to take on Iowa State.

Both teams have struggled so far in Big 12 play, as they enter Saturday’s game with a combined one win in the conference. Both teams are also coming off bye weeks, which should have given them time to figure out the inconsistencies and game plan for what could prove to be a must-win game.

Iowa State is winless in the Big 12, dropping its last four games. The first time in school history that the Cyclones lost four-straight games by one score.

The shining light in the Cyclones season has been the defense, which has held onto the top spot in the Big 12 throughout the entire season. The reason Iowa State can keep games close is due to the low-scoring performances of opponents. Oklahoma tends to get hot early in the game, so the Cyclones will need to lock them down if they want to leave Saturday with a win.

Iowa State’s offense has struggled in each of the losses. Every week, the Cyclones came within reach of a win but left games empty-handed. The offense moved the ball better against Texas, but costly turnovers and miscues cost the Cyclones yet another win.

The bye week should give the Cyclones much-needed time to work on the areas they still lack. Playing at home will also give the Cyclones an advantage, as Saturday could prove to be the defining moment in their season. A bowl game will be hard to come by if Iowa State can’t topple Oklahoma.

The Sooners are also coming off a bye week, although they entered the week off with heads held high. Oklahoma took down a then-ranked Kansas team, snapping its losing streak and adding life back into its season.

Oklahoma lost the previous three games, although the losses were to top teams in the Big 12. Kansas State and TCU are both gunning for a Big 12 title, and the Sooners were without their starting quarterback in the loss to Texas.

Although the Sooners are near the bottom of the conference, Saturday could be a heat check for them to see where their season could be headed. Oklahoma has easier matchups coming up, so momentum could be necessary to finish the season strong.

Iowa State has a tall task in taking down Oklahoma, as the Sooners dominate the series. Oklahoma leads the overall series 78-7-2, going into Saturday with a two-win streak over Iowa State. The Cyclones have a 2-5 record in the series with head coach Matt Campbell at the helm while being competitive in all the losses.

Luckily, Iowa State quarterback Hunter Dekkers has experience facing off against Oklahoma, as he entered late in the game in 2021. Dekkers got a taste of success and failure, throwing for a touchdown and an interception. Now that the series is returning to Ames, where the Cyclones won the last matchup, the Cyclones should get a shot at revenge.

With how crucial a win is for Iowa State, the game could swing either way. The Sooners are more beatable than they have been in the past, but the Cyclones still need to be careful not to underestimate them.

Players to Know:

Xavier Hutchinson – Iowa State, WR

2022 season stats: 67 receptions, 758 yards. five touchdowns

It might be exhausting to see Hutchinson constantly on the players to know, but there is good reason for that. Hutchinson continues to show why he’s a top receiver in the Big 12 week in and week out. Saturday will be no different. In a must-win game for Iowa State, Hutchinson will likely be Dekkers’ favorite target, which has been a trend this season.

The main thing to keep an eye on with Hutchinson is how he can bounce back from his mistakes. In each of the last two losses, Hutchinson dropped touchdown passes in games decided by one score. Hutchinson hasn’t found the end zone since the start of Big 12 play, so the senior wide receiver will need to find a way to be impactful in the red zone to give the Cyclones a chance to win on Saturday.

Jaylin Noel – Iowa State, WR

2022 season stats: 35 receptions, 378 yards, two touchdowns

Noel hit his stride at the start of the Big 12 season and hasn’t looked back since. In recent weeks, Noel even rivaled Hutchinson in receptions, coming out on top of the touchdown category as well. Not only that, both of Noel’s touchdowns came in the close loss to Texas, where he nearly put up 100 receiving yards.

It’s clear that with the increased talent of Big 12 defenders, more attention on Hutchinson will open up more opportunities for Noel. Going forward, the wide receiver duo has to continue helping Dekkers out of tough situations if the offense wants to compete.

Dillon Gabriel – Oklahoma Sooners, QB

2022 season stats: 1,618 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, one interception

Saturday could prove to be a battle of the quarterbacks, as two fresh faces to Big 12 are set to face off. Gabriel showed signs of greatness in each of his starts, most recently leading the Sooners to an impressive 52-42 win over Kansas. Oklahoma’s offense will be tough to stop with Gabriel on the field.

Gabriel demonstrated his ability to hurt teams in the air and on the ground. Along with 13 passing touchdowns, Gabriel has three touchdowns on the ground. Gabriel will face one of his toughest challenges yet, as the Sooners will match up against the top-ranked defense in the Big 12.

Eric Gray – Oklahoma Sooners, RB

2022 season stats: 695 yards, five touchdowns, 7.2 yards per carry

The final offensive piece to watch for either team is Gray. The one-two punch of Gray and Jovantae Barnes has been a menace to opposing teams, as the two running backs combined for over 1,000 yards so far on the year. Gray also leads every major rushing category on the team, averaging a daunting 7.2 yards per carry.

Iowa State has an elite defense, so Gray has his work cut out on Saturday. When it comes down to it, the victor could be decided by which offense can move the ball better. With that in mind, Gray could be a big factor in Oklahoma’s success.

Key Injuries: