The Red Raiders will face one team with a winning record in 2023 before taking on Iowa State in Ames.
Texas Tech running back Taj Brooks (28) runs with the ball during a game against Baylor University in 2022. Brooks will lead the Red Raiders to Ames in Week 8. (Associated Press/Justin Rex)
Editor’s note: This is Part 8 of a 12-part series looking at each of Iowa State’s 2024 regular-season opponents.
AMES — Star running back Taj Brooks and Texas Tech will likely arrive in Ames on Nov. 2 as a ranked team.
why?
The Red Raiders’ 2024 schedule includes just one team (Arizona) that had a winning record before sliding into Jack Trice Stadium in Week 8. Limiting Brooks’ production will be important for the Cyclones as they are on the brink of achieving bowl eligibility for the seventh time in the past eight seasons under coach Matt Campbell.
Brooks rushed for 1,538 yards and 10 touchdowns last season and continues to be the driving force behind the offense. Injury-prone quarterback Beren Morton also returns and Tech added some talented offensive weapons through the transfer portal in Josh Kelly (Washington State) and Caleb Douglas (Florida State).
The Red Raiders have deep skill position talent and are adding a promising freshman line-up to the receiver corps, Micah Hudson. Hudson turned down a number of schools, including Alabama, Louisiana State and Georgia, to stay local and should be a strong performer from day one.
So while Tech should have plenty of ability to score, it may be tough to stop opponents from doing the same. The Red Raiders return linebacker Ben Roberts and defensive back CJ Baskerville, last season’s top two tacklers, but they lack experienced depth up front on defense.
Iowa State vs. Texas Tech: Three things to look out for
1. How to stop Brooks
The 5-foot-10, 230-pound senior with a stocky build and agility did not play against the Cyclones last season but averaged 5.0 yards per carry in a 14-10 win at Ames in 2022. Brooks rushed for more than 95 yards in Tech’s final 11 games last season and scored at least one touchdown in eight of those games.
2. Will ISU get creative offensively?
The Cyclones lost the ball twice on downs at the Red Raiders’ 2-yard line in their 2022 loss, then stuck around and tried to run the ball against a stacked box multiple times. For ISU to beat Tech this time around, they’ll need to be less predictable on offense and let quarterback Rocco Becht do his job.
3. Can the Cyclones defense force turnovers?
The Red Raiders’ offensive line was middling in pass protection last season and was tied for 50th nationally in sacks allowed with 24. Tech quarterbacks also recorded 18 interceptions last season, while Morton was only intercepted eight times — three of those interceptions came in a 50-point loss to Texas late in the season — and is susceptible to buckling under pressure, and ISU’s nimble secondary, led by preseason All-Big 12 selection Jeremiah Cooper, could take advantage of the situation.
Iowa State vs. Texas Tech: Predictions for 2024
Texas Tech, along with Iowa State, is one of several veteran Big 12 schools hoping to establish themselves as one of the league’s flagship programs.
The Red Raiders will come to Ames riding a wave of momentum and may even be undefeated when they face the Cyclones, but this game will likely be decided by one point and the team that can run the ball effectively will come out victorious.
Comment: robgray18@icloud.com
