Iowa State at Nebraska Preview

By J.E.  |   Friday, September 30, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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The No. 23 Iowa State Cyclones (3-0) head to Lincoln to take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers (3-0) in a Big 12 matchup. Kickoff is set for 3:30pm EDT at Memorial Stadium.

Iowa State is coming off a 28-21 come-from-behind win against Army last week, and will be looking to keep that momentum going in their Big 12 Conference opener. Fullback Ryan Kock scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to put the Cyclones ahead, but the victory wasn't sealed until the final seconds of the game when Army quarterback Zac Dahman was sacked as time ran out.

Iowa State QB Bret Meyer completed 18 of 26 passes for 158 yards and two TDs. But he also had three picks on the day. He'll have to eliminate those mistakes for the Cyclones to beat Nebraska. The Cyclones will also have to jump-start their running game, which was pretty much non-existent last week. The team's leading rusher this season, Stevie Hicks, managed to gain just 22 yards on nine carries. Iowa State can't afford to turn into a one-dimensional team against a Nebraska defense that has given up only 16 points in three games. The Cyclones will also need wide receivers Todd Blythe and Austin Flynn to contribute on offense.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers last played on September 17th in a 7-6 win against Pitt. The Zac Taylor-led offense was ineffective for most of the game. Taylor was 10-of-20 on the day for just 93 yards. He's going to have to do much more than that in order to take care of the Cyclones. Senior RB Cory Ross provided the lone bright spot for the Cornhuskers' offensive unit. Ross carried the ball 32 times for 153 yards and added three receptions for 23 yards. He'll have to have another 100+ yard game for the Huskers this week, too. When Taylor throws downfield, his primary targets will be receivers Frantz Hardy and Terrence Nunn.

Most of Nebraska's early-season success can be attributed to the defense. They have recorded 20 sacks through the first 3 games, and lead the Big 12 in total defense. They'll be looking to add to those numbers against Iowa State.
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