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Perfect No. 11 Iowa State Takes on Tenacious Texas Tech

The No. 11 Iowa State Cyclones (7-0, 4-0 Big 12 Conference) will face the Texas Tech Red Raiders (5-3, 3-2 Big 12) on Nov. 2 at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. The Cyclones look to stay perfect as a talented-yet-somewhat-inconsistent Red Raider squad looks to play spoiler.

Red Raider Spoiler?

The Cyclones come out of a bye week looking to prove that their perfect record is no fluke. Many Cyclone faithful feel that their team was disrespected when they were dropped from No. 9 to No. 11 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. They will be out to prove themselves with a statement win.

The Red Raiders, after suffering back-to-back brutal losses to the Baylor Bears (4-4, 2-3) and TCU Horned Frogs (5-3, 3-2), are looking for a major bounce-back win to propel themselves into bowl eligibility. A win that spoils Iowa State's Homecoming weekend and perfect season will do the job, but it certainly won't be easy.

Key Players: Iowa State

The Cyclones survived a scare against the UCF Knights (3-5, 1-4) before they went on their bye. Their talent is immense and is what eventually saved them from certain upset. They will count on the resilience and gumption of not just these players, but their whole program, to continue this perfect season.

Rocco Becht, Quarterback

Texas Tech ranks dead last in the FBS in passing yards allowed, which means nothing but good news for Cyclone quarterback Rocco Becht and his corps of stellar wide receivers.

Becht struggled against a solid UCF secondary, so using this as a get-back game and to gain confidence will work in his favor. Expect a big game for the sophomore passer.

Beau Freyler, Safety

While the talent in the backfield certainly can't be ignored, Texas Tech ranks No. 19 in passing offense, passing for 288.1 yards per game on average. This is where Beau Freyler can come in.

Freyler is a sure tackler, but also is a stud in coverage, having two interceptions and two pass deflections on the year. He will need to lead this Cyclone defense in slowing down a balanced, talented attack.

Key Players: Texas Tech

The Red Raiders are in a slump and need to get a grip quickly. They will need to lean on their veteran leadership in order to come out of Ames with a win. Throwing the ball against the No. 2 secondary in the nation will be no easy feat, so how will the Red Raiders adjust?

Tahj Brooks, Running Back

Tahj Brooks is just 75 yards away from another 1,000-yard rushing season. Given he's going up against the No. 99-ranked run defense in Iowa State, his odds of breaking 1,000 are high and the Red Raiders will need him to have a big game.

Brooks averages 5.2 yards a carry and if he can do what RJ Harvey and Jacurri Brown did to this defense, then he gives his team the best chance to win.

Jacob Rodriguez, Linebacker

Jacob Rodriguez leads his troops into battle amidst a great struggle for his unit. The Red Raider secondary has been torn apart all year, with the run defense being not much better, allowing 157.6 yards a game on average.

This is a game, though, where they can prove themselves and get a major weight off their backs. It all starts with Rodriguez, who leads the Red Raiders with 70 total tackles, 1 sack and 2 forced fumbles. He, along with the rest of the Red Raider defense, must have a big game if they have any chance at a win.

Tough Sledding for Tech

The Red Raiders face an uphill battle against one of the nation's most balanced and well-oiled attacks. Stopping both the run and pass has been a struggle for them, which means this game will likely be a shootout if the Red Raider offense can get going.

Even then, that's still a big "if" given the strength of the Cyclone defense. Throwing the ball will be a tough ask as mentioned earlier, so running the ball with Brooks will be their best bet. They cannot get one-dimensional, though, as that is what killed UCF eventually. Given that junior quarterback Behren Morton is out with a shoulder injury, this doesn't bode well.

Behren Morton — © Tim Heitman/USA TODAY SPORTS

In the end, Texas Tech will put up a fight as they have every game this season, but the Cyclones simply have too many cards stacked in their favor. Iowa State rolls 42-20.