PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Brock Purdy wasn’t fazed by then-No. 6 West Virginia, throwing for 254 yards and three touchdowns. The true freshman spent his week off watching video of his previous performances and of Texas Tech, so he should be ready to shine again this weekend against the Red Raiders.
–WR Hakeem Butler led the team with 107 receiving yards in the victory over West Virginia. He’s caught at least one pass in 21 consecutive games.
–DE JaQuan Bailey is Iowa State’s main disrupter on the defensive line. He had a pair of sacks against West Virginia, giving him 4.5 this season and 15 in his Cyclone career.
–OL Collin Olson is one of the most unlikely success stories in college football. The junior not only isn’t on scholarship, he was a defensive lineman until the season began. Now the starting left guard, Olson is one of the key factors in what has become a solid offensive line.
SERIES HISTORY: Texas Tech leads Iowa State 11-5. However, the Cyclones have won the last two matchups with the Red Raiders, and the average margin of victory has been 37 points during that stretch.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “It was really good for him to take a step back and evaluate what he did well and what you need to do better. And Brock would tell you, there’s still a lot of those areas that need to happen.” — Coach Matt Campbell, on freshman quarterback Brock Purdy during the bye week.