All Sooners

Iowa State Cyclones: By the Numbers

The No. 14 Sooners open their home portion of Big 12 play with the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday night.

Ryan Chapman

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NORMAN — Following a couple of road games, Oklahoma will open the home portion of its Big 12 slate on Saturday night.

The No. 14-ranked Sooners (4-0 overall, 1-0 Big 12) will welcome in Iowa State (2-2, 1-0), a team who has played OU close over its last three trips to Norman.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables is well aware of that, and has hammered home the Cyclones’ recent success in Norman in hopes of warding off any potential looking ahead to next week’s meeting with the No. 3-ranked Texas Longhorns.

The contest will represent one last chance for OU’s running game to get in sync battling Jon Heacock’s well-coached defense, while the Sooners’ defense will look to limit a sputtering Iowa State offense led by redshirt freshman quarterback Rocco Becht.

Here's a look at Saturday's game by the numbers:

1

FB - Rocco Becht, Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa State has only given up one sack this year, though redshirt freshman quarterback Rocco Becht has faced plenty of pressure this year.  :: Nirmalendu Majumdar / Ames Tribune-USA TODAY NETWORK

For as much as Iowa State’s offense has struggled in 2023, the Cyclones have done a nice job protecting Becht in the passing game.

Opposing defenses have only logged one total sack this year, which is tied fo the best mark in college football.

As a result, Becht has had a bit of time to try and move the Cyclone offense down the field.

The redshirt freshman is coming off undoubtedly his best game as well. Becht completed 27-of-38 passes for 348 yarns and three touchdowns in last week’s 34-27 win over Oklahoma State.

Becht’s previous career-high in passing came in Iowa State’s loss to Ohio where he threw for 233 yards and one score, but also gave away two interceptions to the Bobcat defense.

Oklahoma has generated plenty of pressure this season, but the Sooners are tied for 86th nationally, averaging just 1.75 sacks per game.

83.2

FB - Iowa State Cyclones
The Cyclones have struggled to run the football with any consistency so far in 2023.  :: Nirmalendu Majumdar / Ames Tribune-USA TODAY NETWORK

While Iowa State’s offensive line hasn’t allowed many sacks, the group will still heap pressure on Becht due to the inability to run the football.

The Cyclones average just 83.2 rushing yards per game, which ranks 123rd in the country.

Sophomore running back Cartevious Norton leads the team with 126 rushing yards this season, but he’s averaging just 2.9 yards per carry.

Oklahoma, on the other hand, has excelled at stopping the run.

Last week, the Sooners limited Cincinnati’s rushing attack, which was the eighth-best unit in college football entering the contest, as the Bearcats finished the game with 141 yards on the ground.

OU is allowing just 94.0 rushing yards per game through four weeks, which ranks No. 26 overall.

The revamped defensive line has helped the Sooners penetrate in the running game, as Venables’ defense is tied for 11th nationally with 8.2 tackles for loss per game.

292.5

FB - Jon Heacock, Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock once again has his side of the football playing at a high level in 2023.  :: Nirmalendu Majumdar / Ames Tribune-USA TODAY NETWORK

While Iowa State coach Matt Campbell has had to deal with a plethora of off-field issues stemming from a gambling probe this offseason, his program has continued to lead with defense.

Despite losing star Will McDonald IV to the NFL this offseason, the Cyclone defense still ranks in the top 20 in total defense.

Heacock’s unit is giving up 292.5 total yards per game, led by a strong passing defense.

Iowa State is allowing just 177.2 passing yards per game, while the rushing defense is still a top-50 unit so far this year.

Last week, the Cyclones showed they are susceptible to big plays, however.

Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon broke off a 71-yard run in the first quarter, and quarterback Alan Bowman completed five passes of 20 yards or more, including a 60-yard touchdown throw to Jaden Nixon.

Oklahoma pass catchers Andrel Anthony, Jalil Farooq and Nic Anderson have all had success downfield this year, though OU’s running game hasn’t proven to be consistently explosive yet in 2023. 

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Ryan Chapman
RYAN CHAPMAN

Ryan is deputy editor at AllSooners and covers a number of sports in and around Norman and Oklahoma City. Working both as a journalist and a sports talk radio host, Ryan has covered the Oklahoma Sooners, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the United States Men’s National Soccer Team, the Oklahoma City Energy and more. Since 2019, Ryan has simultaneously pursued a career as both a writer and a sports talk radio host, working for the Flagship for Oklahoma sports, 107.7 The Franchise, as well as AllSooners.com. Ryan serves as a contributor to The Franchise’s website, TheFranchiseOK.com, which was recognized as having the “Best Website” in 2022 by the Oklahoma Association of Broadcasters. Ryan holds an associate’s degree in Journalism from Oklahoma City Community College in Oklahoma City, OK. 

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