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The Iowa State Cyclones and the Baylor Bears are set to square off in a Big 12 matchup at noon ET Sept. 24 at Jack Trice Stadium. After both teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one of them is set up to suffer a discouraging change of fortune.
When you finish with 230 more yards than your opponent like the Cyclones did last week, a favorable outcome is almost sure to follow. They took their contest against the Ohio Bobcats by a conclusive 43-10 score. With Iowa State ahead 30-3 at the half, the game was all but over already. Iowa State QB Hunter Dekkers was slinging it as he passed for three TDs and 268 yards on 36 attempts in addition to punching in one rushing touchdown. Dekkers' performance made up for a slower matchup against the Iowa Hawkeyes two weeks ago.
The Cyclones' defense was a presence as well, as it collected two interceptions and two fumbles. DB Anthony Johnson Jr. picked up that interception and then proceeded to rub salt in the wound by taking it back the other way for a touchdown.
Meanwhile, you're bound to get a positive result if you outscore your opponent every quarter, and that's exactly how it played out for Baylor last week. They took their contest at home with ease, bagging a 42-7 win over the Texas State Bobcats. The game was all but wrapped up at the end of the third, by which point Baylor had established a 28-7 advantage. RB Richard Reese had a stellar game for Baylor as he rushed for three TDs and 157 yards on 19 carries. One of the most memorable plays of the matchup was Reese's 52-yard touchdown rush in the fourth quarter.
This next contest is expected to be close, with Iowa State going off at just a 2.5-point favorite. They covered a 19.5-point spread last week, so bettors might be thinking that will translate to further success against a lower spread.
The wins brought the Cyclones up to 3-0 and the Bears to 2-1. Two numbers to keep in mind before kickoff: Iowa State enters the contest with only one rushing touchdown allowed, good for 11th best in the nation. But Baylor ranks third in the nation when it comes to rushing touchdowns, with 14 on the season. We'll see if Iowa State's defense can keep Baylor's running backs out of the end zone.
