Opponent Preview - Iowa State

What To Expect

Nate Scheelhaase and the Iowa state cyclones run a somewhat similar offense to your Oklahoma Sooners. Lot of zone run, some vertical shots, I would say the biggest differences are more reliance on curls and spot routes over the crossing routes we prefer, and they also have a larger boot/sprint out element to their run game in run fakes than we do.

They love to run stretch/outside zone out of 11 and 12 personnel, using the extra blockers to either wrap around and lead the play, or they’ll run it on the weak side and using awkward angles to get defenders caught in traffic.

Most of their vertical shots will comes from a trip looks but they also use their same run action to set up their PA vertical actions. #13, Jaylin Noel is their big time receiving threat. Keep an eye on him is priority #1 for the Sooner secondary.

Conclusion

Given a younger ambitious OC, a team that was decimated with suspensions in a down year, expect ISU to throw the kitchen sink at us. They have nothing to lose and an already aggressive play calling squad will surely come out firing under the lights in Norman. Expect more of the Tulsa defensive scheme in the secondary, lots of DL twists in the pass rush, and a lot of Dasan McCullough locked on a tight end in coverage. The name of the game tomorrow defensively is simply to eliminate the big play and make them snap the ball again. ISU can’t out athlete us and the only way they keep this game close is by big plays, limit those at all possible and Sooner’s faithful should expect another stout defensive performance.

Offensively tomorrow expect a lot of perimeter run game as well as attack the seams vertically, which is right down Lebby and Companies alley. The base coverage is a cover 3 mixed with man, as well as the occasional cover 2 trap. We will try to flood the Cyclone secondary with more receivers than they can cover and use athletes on the edge of the box to beat the one on one with the ISU linebacker corp.