(Memphis, TN) – Iowa State (7-5) has been in Memphis in preparation for the AutoZone Liberty Bowl game against the Memphis Tigers (9-3) on Friday. This game is a rematch between the two in the same bowl game in which Iowa State won 21-20 in 2017.
Looking at Iowa State, they are playing in their sixth bowl game for the last seven seasons. They enter the game with freshman quarterback Rocco Becht who has thrown for 2,674 yards and 20 touchdowns, while only giving up eight interceptions. The freshman was named the Big XII Freshman of the Year while breaking records for competitions with 209, touchdowns, and passing yards. He had six completions for 60 yards or more which are the most for an Iowa State quarterback since Brock Purdy. His two main targets this season have been Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel as they each have 700 yards receiving.
The Cyclones will be without their two backup running backs Cartevious Norton and Eli Sanders which could play a big role late in the game. Counting both Norton and Sanders, Iowa State will be missing a total of 15 players due to the transfer portal or the NFL Draft.
The Cyclones led the Big XII in total defense and ranked first in passing defense at 204.3 yards, third in rushing defense with 124.7 yards, and ninth nationally in defense. The Cyclone’s defense has only given up 30 points in one game alone this season. They also have a total of 15 interceptions, the most since 2009. Leading that charge is safety Jeremiah Cooper who ranks second nationally with five interceptions. The success factor for Iowa State has been the special teams game as Chase Contreraz has knocked in 91 points kicking this season which is the fifth-most in Iowa State history.
Memphis has now qualified for their 10th bowl game as they are led by quarterback Seth Henigan. The junior has passed for 3,516 yards and 28 touchdowns while only giving up nine interceptions this season. Both Roc Taylor and Demeer Blankumsee have led the team in the receiving game with over 800 yards and four touchdowns each. Their offense has been one of the most successful in college football as they currently rank 24th in FBS play. The defense for Memphis gives up around 29 points per game while they are ranked 110th in defense this season. A main key for the Tigers is that they will be missing nine players who are in the transfer portal in this competition, two of which may come to impact the team if injuries prevail.
Iowa State is the favorite to win by Bleacher Nation (57%), ESPN (62%), and BetMGM (64%). We will see how these teams favor this Friday as they’ll battle it out in Memphis, Tennessee.
(Click below to listen to this article)
