Oct 12, 2024; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Iowa State Cyclones running back Carson Hansen (26) runs for a touchdown against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the fourth quarter at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images
No. 9 Iowa State returns to Jack Trice Stadium as a top 10 team to take on UCF. Here’s everything you need to know for Saturday’s game.
Game Day Information
No. 9 Iowa State (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) vs. UCF (3-3, 1-2 Big 12)
Location: Ames, Iowa
Stadium: Jack Trice Stadium (61,500)
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m.
TV: Fox Sports 1 (Trent Rush, Spencer Tillman)
Radio: Varsity Network (John Walters, Eric Heft, Ryan Harklau)
Line: Iowa State -13.5 (via Action Network updated Friday)
Over/Under: 49.5
Series Results
This will be the first meeting between Iowa State and UCF in the programs’ histories.
However, both teams’ fan bases had some fun on Twitter when the Knights first joined the league, dubbing this game the new ‘Civil Conflict’ rivalry, which was originally named for UCF’s series against UConn.
Players to watch
Carson Hansen, running back (Iowa State)
The sophomore running back exploded in Iowa State’s win over west Virginia last week, going for 96 yards and three scores. There’s no telling which running back breaks loose for the Cyclones on any given week, but Hansen is going for his third-straight, 90-yard performance.
The wideouts – Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel (Iowa State)
Higgins and Noel are the only wide receiver duo in the country that each has over 500 yards on the season through six games. To put that into perspective, Iowa State has had just six 1,000-yard receivers in program history. Without a true third wideout establishing themselves so far, it’s possible that both of them hit that milestone – look for either to have a big catch or two again Saturday.
Rylan Barnes, linebacker (Iowa State)
The walk-on linebacker from Britt, Iowa nearly led the Cyclones in tackles against the Mountaineers. With the amount of injuries Iowa State has faced at the linebacker spot, players like Barnes have stepped up where they’ve been needed, and he might be having the best year out of all of them.
Jacurri Brown, quarterback (UCF)
The former Miami transfer came into UCF’s game against Cincinnati during the third drive and never exited. The Knights went away from former starter K.J. Jefferson this week and freshman E.J. Colson started against Cincy. Iowa State will have a matchup with a fifth-straight dual threat player at the position, assuming it’s Brown. He rushed 16 times in the Cincy game and was 13-20 for 207 yards through the air.
R.J. Harvey, running back (UCF)
Harvey came into the season as one of the most hyped-up players in the Big 12 at the running back spot and has proven himself. Harvey ranks No. 11 in the country in yards per game, averaging 116.5 this season. He’ll be the best running back Iowa State has faced since Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson, who ran it for 187 yards against the Cyclone defense.
Mac McWilliams, defensive back (UCF)
The Knights’ senior defensive back that has remained steadfast on the field, collecting eight tackles and a forced fumble in the last pair of games. UCF has had a number of players leave for the portal, and will look for others to step up in leadership roles as the year goes on.
Keys to the game
Slow down the run
It’s no secret that UCF can run the football behind R.J. Harvey and any of its dual threat quarterbacks. The Knights are the No. 4 rushing offense in the country, averaging 268 yards per game thus far. It could turn into a low-possession game, so Iowa State must make the most of its opportunities and continue to play complimentary football against the best all-around rushing attack its faced all year.
Make them quit
The rushing game has been the one constant for the Knights this season, who started out 3-0, but have since gone on a three-game losing skid amidst a number of mid-season transfers set to leave the program. If the Cyclones can get out to a hot start early for a change, it could make this group quit – that’s the goal for Matt Campbell & co., who are separated from a 7-0 mark at the bye week by 60 minutes at ‘The Jack.’
In the Big 12
| Big 12 Standings | ||
| Team | OVR | Big 12 |
| No. 9 Iowa State | 6-0 | 3-0 |
| No. 13 BYU | 6-0 | 3-0 |
| Texas Tech | 5-1 | 3-0 |
| No. 17 Kansas State | 5-1 | 2-1 |
| Arizona State | 5-1 | 2-1 |
| Cincinnati | 4-2 | 2-1 |
| Colorado | 4-2 | 2-1 |
| West Virginia | 3-3 | 2-1 |
| Arizona | 3-3 | 1-2 |
| UCF | 3-3 | 1-2 |
| Utah | 4-2 | 1-2 |
| TCU | 3-3 | 1-2 |
| Houston | 2-4 | 1-2 |
| Oklahoma State | 3-3 | 0-3 |
| Baylor | 2-4 | 0-3 |
| Kansas | 1-5 | 0-3 |
Friday, October 18
9:15 p.m. | Oklahoma State (0-3) @ No. 13 BYU (3-0), ESPN
Saturday, October 19
11:00 a.m. | Arizona State (2-1) @ Cincinnati (2-1), ESPN+
2:30 p.m. | Houston (1-2) @ Kansas (0-3), ESPN+
3:00 p.m. | Colorado (2-1) @ Arizona (1-2), FOX
3:00 p.m. | Baylor (0-3) @ Texas Tech (3-0), ESPN2
6:30 p.m. | UCF (1-2) @ No. 9 Iowa State (3-0), Fox Sports 1
6:30 p.m. | No. 17 Kansas State (2-1) @ West Virginia (2-1), FOX
9:30 p.m. | TCU (1-2) @ Utah (1-2), ESPN
