Three Thoughts on Iowa State’s 36-26 Loss to Memphis
College football bowl season continued on Friday afternoon with another Big 12 team in action.
The Iowa State Cyclones traveled to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium to take on the Memphis Tigers in the 2023 Liberty Bowl. This game was a rematch of the 2017 Liberty Bowl between these two teams, which the Cyclones won 21-20.
Iowa State wrapped up the regular season with a 7-5 record, and a 6-3 Big 12 record, which was tied for third place. Meantime, Memphis went 9-3 overall and 6-2 in the AAC, which was also tied for third place.
With both teams looking to end their seasons on a high note, it was Memphis getting the job done 36-26 thanks to a high-flying air raid attack that sent the Cyclones back home packing. With that said, here are three thoughts on the game.
NO SAMA IN SIGHT
Iowa State running back Abu Sama III entered Friday’s game against Memphis with loads of optimism after putting up 276 yards and three scores against Kansas State in the final game of the Big 12 season. Sama averaged a whopping 17.3 YPC in the contest which led Cyclones fans to believe Sama was primed for a big day against the Tigers in the Liberty Bowl. This was not the case. Sama was stuffed by the Tigers’ defensive line for four straight quarters and finished his day off with a total of four yards on 12 carries. Sama checked into the ball game averaging 8.5 yards per carry in 2023, but was held in check by Memphis averaging just 0.3 YPC on the day. His five negative rushes on the day kept the Cyclones facing long third downs conversions as the team showed a consistent inability to find easy yards on first and second down.
BIG PLAYS BURN CYCLONES
While Jon Heacock’s defense was the second-best scoring defense in the Big 12 Conference this season holding opposing teams to an average of just 21.3 points per game, Iowa State got carved up by Memphis in the Liberty Bowl. Memphis scored touchdowns of 70 yards, 51 yards, and 48 yards, with the 70-yarder coming on the third play of regulation. Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan had the Cyclone secondary’s number all day as he accounted for a total of 391 yards and five scores. His four passing touchdowns broke the Memphis passing touchdowns record for a bowl game. The Tigers also finished their day off with a 100-yard rusher in Blake Watson, and three receivers over the 65-yard mark with Roc Taylor, DeMeer Blankumsee, and Joseph Scates. Iowa State has a long offseason ahead to address some holes in the defense, but if the trend of giving up more than 500 yards of total offense to opponents continues, Cyclones fans will be in for a long 2024 season.
MORAL VICTORIES
While some fans may not like to focus on moral victories, Iowa State, for better or worse, deserves a pat on the back. Matt Campbel’s squad drastically outperformed their season’s expectations after losing numerous key players in a gambling investigation over the summer. Rocco Becht stepped up and proved that the Cyclones have their quarterback of the future, while Abu Sama provided a lot to build on as a freshman. Becht delivered some of his best throws of the season against Memphis and totaled an outstanding 446 yards (Iowa State bowl game record) and three touchdowns on 22 completions. While the sky might feel like it’s falling for some members of the Cyclone faithful at this moment in time, this team has one of the brightest futures of any team in the new Big 12. Despite the unfortunate end to the 2023 season, Iowa State will likely be a top-five team in the 2024 Big 12 Preseason Media Poll and will have a serious shot at competing for a conference championship.
