Baylor head coach Dave Aranda has watched enough film of No. 16 Iowa State to know what to expect on Saturday night in Ames, Iowa.
But just because the Bears know what to expect doesn’t guarantee they can overcome it.
“They ball control offensively and just eat up clock,” Aranda said this week. “And then on the other side of it, defensively, it’s kind of the same thing in reverse. They’re going to rush three, they’re going to drop everybody back, and they’re going to make it so that you have to have the discipline to put a 10-play drive together. …
“That philosophy has treated them well. They kind of choke you out, slowly.”
Baylor (2-3, 0-2 Big 12) will try to escape the chokehold in what promises to be a raucous environment at Iowa State (4-0, 1-0). The Cyclones are promoting a “white out” under the lights as they look to improve to 5-0 for the first time since 1980.
Iowa State is coming off a 20-0 win over Houston a week ago. The Cyclones have outscored opponents 113-29 this season.
The Cyclones’ dominance has captured attention across college football, particularly the defense, which has allowed only 7.3 points per game to rank fourth in the nation.
Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell acknowledged that his team is playing in a much brighter spotlight now than it was at the beginning of the season. He responded candidly when a reporter asked how he thought his players would handle the extra attention.
“You don’t know how they’re going to handle it,” Campbell said. “They’re 18- to 22-year-olds.
“I think the great thing about what we’re trying to do is consistently become the best of us that we can be because that’s what it’s going to take. Unfortunately, our sport is extremely humbling. As soon as you think you figured it out, you’re going to get humbled really fast. It’s just too competitive. There’s just too many good teams, too many good situations.
“You’ve got to be hungry. You’ve got to be a team that is willing to sacrifice everything it takes. That’s not just Saturday. That’s like, ‘Man, can I keep taking care of my body? Can I keep practicing great on Tuesday? Can I keep practicing great on Wednesday? Can I keep practicing great on Thursday?’ And that’s hard. …
“The challenge of having elite success at this level is: Are you mentally tough enough to show up every day and be your best?”
Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht has 896 passing yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. Abu Sama III is the team’s top rusher with 225 yards and a score on 40 carries.
On defense, J.R. Singleton leads the Cyclones with three sacks.
Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson has passed for 787 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. He also has rushed for 116 yards and three scores.
Josh Cameron is Robertson’s top target in the passing game. He has 16 catches for 267 yards and three touchdowns.
On defense, safety Corey Gordon Jr. leads the team with a pair of interceptions.
Baylor is eager for a victory after losing back-to-back games by single digits. The Bears lost 38-31 in overtime against Colorado on Sept. 21 and 34-28 in regulation against then-No. 22 BYU on Saturday.
Aranda said his players were determined to stop the skid.
“(There is) frustration,” he said. “Urgency. I think if I had to choose another (phrase), I would say, ‘All in.'”
–Field Level Media