PlayStation Fiesta Bowl Preview: No. 25 Oregon Ducks vs. No. 10 Iowa State Cyclones
Written by Charlie Beuttel
Twitter: @charlie_cds3
The Fiesta Bowl has been an annual tradition in Arizona every year since 1971. In 2014, it became a part of the College Football Playoff rotation hosting a semifinal in 2016 and 2019, and will host again in 2022 and 2025. The Fiesta Bowl has provided some great moments in sports history including Boise State’s upset of Oklahoma in 2007 and No. 2 Ohio State’s 31-24 double-overtime win over No. 1 Miami in 2003. This year’s match-up will be another exciting game as Pac-12 champion Oregon will face off against Iowa State, the runner-up to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship Game.
Oregon started 2020 with three straight wins over Stanford, Washington State, and UCLA then fell to Oregon State and California in a limited regular season. The Ducks then upset No. 13 USC (31-24) to win the Pac-12 Conference Championship Game.
Iowa State had a phenomenal season under Matt Campbell finishing 8-3 overall, 8-1 in conference play. The Cyclones’ only defeats came at the hands of Louisiana (31-14) in their season opener on Sept. 12, at No. 6 Oklahoma State (24-21) on Oct. 24, and against Oklahoma (27-21) in the conference championship game on Dec. 19. Their most notable wins came against Oklahoma (37-30) on Oct. 3 and at No. 17 Texas (23-20) on Nov. 27.
No. 25 Oregon Ducks vs No. 10 Iowa State Cyclones
Date: Saturday, Jan. 2, 2021
Time: 4:00 p.m. ET
Location: State Farm Stadium – Glendale, Arizona
TV: ESPN
Spread: Iowa State -4
Oregon Ducks Overview
Offense
The Ducks have a balanced attack scoring 33.67 points a game while gaining on average 180.2 rushing yards and 249.50 passing yards. Sophomore quarterback Tyler Shough is the general of this offense throwing for 1,480 yards and 13 touchdowns while also adding 263 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Junior running back Travis Dye leads the Ducks with 391 rushing yards and a touchdown on 56 carries while also having 221 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Devon Williams has a team-high 264 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Jaylon Redd leads the Ducks with 22 receptions for 252 yards and a touchdown.
Oregon QB Tyler Shough
Defense
Oregon gives up 27.33 points, 159.8 rushing yards and 249.67 passing yards per matchup. Junior linebacker Isaac Slade-Matautia leads the team with 38 total tackles including three for a loss, and one sack, and five pass breakups. Sophomore safety Verone McKinley III is a playmaker in the secondary and has 33 total tackles, two pass breakups, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Sophomore defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux is a force on the defensive line as he has racked up 32 total tackles including 7.5 for a loss, three sacks, and three pass breakups. Another defensive playmaker is freshman linebacker Noah Sewell who has 37 total tackles including five for a loss and two sacks.
Iowa State Overview
Offense
The Cyclones balanced attack throws for 249.09 yards and rushes for 192 yards while scoring 32.82 points per contest. The leader of this offense is junior quarterback Brock Prudy. Prudy has thrown for 2,594 yards and 18 touchdowns while adding another 343 yards and four more scores on the ground.
Sophomore running back Breece Hall leads Iowa State with 1,436 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns on 245 carries. Two playmakers in the passing game are junior wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson, who has caught 60 passes for 726 yards and four touchdowns, and junior tight end Charlie Kolar, who has 39 receptions for 538 yards and six touchdowns.
Defense
Opponents are scoring an average of 21.82 points per game against Iowa States gaining 104.6 rushing and 238.36 passing yards per game. Junior linebacker Mike Rose leads the team with 90 total tackles including 10 for a loss, 1.5 sacks, four interceptions, and two pass breakups. Senior defensive end Jaquan Bailey is a monster in the trenches as he has 38 total tackles including thirteen for a loss, seven sacks, three pass breakups, two fumble recoveries, and one forced fumble. Senior defensive back Lawrence White IV patrols the secondary while racking up 56 total tackles, one interception, and one fumble recovery.
Analysis
Iowa State has a chip on its shoulder after falling in the conference championship game and is looking to cap off their successful season with a bowl win. Oregon needs to come down from the high of winning the Pac-12 and can’t look past the Cyclones.
Iowa State has the offensive firepower to win this game but will need their defense to step up and slow down the Ducks. Oregon can win if their defense can come up with big plays and slow down Purdy and force him to commit turnovers.
Final Score Prediction: Iowa State 31, Oregon 28
Photo credit: Crimson and Cream Machine; Iowa State QB Brock Purdy
Photo credit: FishDuck; Oregon QB Tyler Shough