Can Iowa State’s talented offense take down Texas?

The Iowa State Cyclones have a ton of firepower on offense. Will that be enough to take down the Texas Longhorns on Saturday night?

The Big 12 race is about as intense as any of the Power 5 conference races right now. Four teams are fighting for the top two spots in the Big 12, and two of those will be going head-to-head on Saturday night in the Iowa State Cyclones and Texas Longhorns.

For the Cyclones, this is the second season that this program has started to turn some heads nationally. Head coach Matt Campbell has created a winning culture in Ames, and he has had the help of a significant amount of talent on offense.

Iowa State will need that offense to be firing on all cylinders if they hope to pull off an upset against Tom Herman and the Longhorns.

The first half of Saturday’s game will be tough, with superstar running back David Montgomery suspended for the first two quarters due to an altercation against Baylor. The junior running back out of Cincinnati has had another promising season, rushing for 765 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards per carry. His absence in the first half against Texas will be a tough one to overcome for the Cyclones.

Fortunately, the Cyclones have surprisingly found a legitimate passing game with their offense as well. True freshman quarterback Brock Purdy has had an incredible breakout season, averaging an incredible 10.87 yards per pass attempt with 15 total touchdowns, two interceptions and 1,315 yards through the air.

Purdy’s arm talent has been evident despite being so young, but he’s also been fortunate to have one of the most impressive security blankets in the nation in Hakeem Butler. At 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, Butler has been making contested catches on deep balls with ease and regularity this season. In nine games, Butler has only caught 36 passes, but those receptions have gone for 816 yards (22.7 yards per catch) and eight touchdowns.

As rumors swirl around coach Campbell and a potential future in the NFL, the Cyclones are focused on trying to shock the Big 12 and win their first ever conference championship. It’s certainly an uphill battle, but the Cyclones still have a shot thanks to this incredible firepower on offense.

If the Cyclones can hang in the first half against Texas on Saturday until Montgomery returns, this offense should make things very interesting. A win against the Longhorns, and the Cyclones are one stop closer to greatness.