GAME BREAKDOWN
KEY MATCHUP: Iowa State’s special teams haven’t been great this season, and this week would be a bad one for an off day here. TCU’s Kavontae Turpin may be the best kick returner in football … he’s averaging more than 20 yards per punt return this season, with one touchdown. Keeping the TCU return game in check will be essential, especially for a team that struggled to turn red zone opportunities into touchdowns last week. On the other hand, Iowa State has a return force of its own in Kene Nwangwu, who had a 47-yard kickoff return against Akron that led to a touchdown.
DRAFT SLANT
–RB David Montgomery finished with 107 yards and a rushing touchdown against Akron, but those numbers won’t impress NFL scouts. What will is the ability he showed at breaking tackles and getting yards after the initial hit. It’s his ability to stay low, keep moving forward and move the chains that give him a chance to be a difference-maker in the pros.
ROSTER REPORT:
–TE Chase Allen missed the victory over Akron thanks to a groin injury suffered the previous week against Oklahoma. His status for TCU will be determined later in the week.
–QB Kyle Kempt will miss his third consecutive game with a knee injury, and is at least a couple of weeks away from being back on the field. It’s a tough setback for the sixth-year senior.
–QB Brock Purdy got a couple of snaps in the victory over Akron. He would be the next in line to take most of the snaps if anything happens to Zeb Noland.
–RB David Montgomery didn’t get his usual workload against Akron, but don’t read too much into it. The coaching staff used the MAC opponent as a chance to give the banged-up running back some rest. “He just got dinged up a little bit and we’re trying to be smart with him, especially giving the younger guys some opportunities to carry the football,” coach Matt Campbell said.
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