ORLANDO, FL – Saturday will be a great day for college football, as the two semi-final games of the College Football Playoff will take place later in the afternoon. Before those happen though, there is a great game set to happen down in Orlando, as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish(10-2, ranked 15) take on the Iowa State Cyclones(7-5). The contest will kickoff at noon at Camping World Stadium, and will be shown on the national stage on ABC.
The Irish enter the game as three and a half point favorites and are led by an offense that averages 37.1 points per game, good for thirteenth in the country. Senior quarterback Ian Book has thrown 33 touchdowns this season and just six interceptions, and he’s racked up 2,787 passing yards as well. Book is the clear leader of this offense, as he has accounted for over 500 yards and four touchdowns on the ground as well. He will need to be on his best on Saturday to show NFL scouts that he can play at the next level despite his size( 6 ft tall). Book will be helped out by his leading receiver and draft prospect Chase Claypool. Claypool has 12 receiving touchdowns, tied for ninth in the country, along with 891 yards. His size (6’4, 229 lbs) is obviously a huge factor in his success, but he is also a smooth route runner and has soft hands, making him Book’s favorite target by far. In fact, the next leading pass catcher in terms of yardage for the Irish isn’t even a wide receiver, it is tight end Cole Kmet, who has 482 yards on the year. This offense is not one-dimensional, however. Running back Tony Jones Jr is an explosive back, averaging over 5 yards per carry and totaling over 700 for the season. Add in Book’s mobility, and this offense should have a field day against an Iowa State defense that allows over 25 points per game, ranking them outside the top 40 in defense.
However, while their defense may not be elite, the Cyclone offensive attack should be able to hold its own in Orlando. Led by sophomore quarterback Brock Purdy, the Iowa State offense has averaged 458.7 yards per game this season and has scored 51 touchdowns. Purdy has thrown for 27 of those touchdowns, along with 3,760 yards, good for sixth in the nation. A lot of eyes will be on Purdy in this game, as he has been touted as one of the best young quarterbacks in college football. His teammate with him in the backfield, Breece Hall, has established himself as possibly the best freshman running back in the country. Hall has over 800 yards on the ground despite not even starting until October. His explosiveness is evident, and the two will be a deadly pairing for the next few years. As for weapons outside of Hall, slot receiver Deshaunte Jones leads the Cyclones in receptions, and is second all-time in Iowa State history for single-season catches. Expect to see a lot of him in this one, as well as tight end Charlie Kolar, who is the offense’s best red-zone threat, scoring seven touchdowns on the year.
This game will be much closer than casual fans may think at first glance. Despite being 7-5, Iowa State lost to Baylor, Oklahoma and Iowa by a combined four points and beat Texas. This team is very capable of winning big games, and Brock Purdy has proven he is not scared of the spotlight. If the offensive line of the Cyclones can keep him upright, which is a big if against the Irish defensive line, then Iowa State has a great chance of pulling off the upset. Either way, this game will come down to the wire and will serve as a great undercard match up to the main events that will follow.
Written by Michael Hull
