Iowa State's real problem is the other side of the ball. West Virginia came back from 14 down and twice took the lead in a fourth quarter where the 2 teams combined for 31 points. The Cyclones only survived because linebacker Sullivan Schlimgen forced a fumble and Seth Johnson recovered it with 40 seconds left. That came with DL C. Crawford and CB J. Singletary both out, and neither has a return date. A defense that just gave up 42 now gets a full week to prepare for a BYU offense that struggled to move the ball at TCU.
Southeast Missouri State38-10
The injury lists cost both teams something. Iowa State lost WR C. Pabst for the season with a knee injury, and J. Bailey has been out since the opener. That leaves a thin receiver room and helps explain why the offense goes through Flora's legs. BYU is still without RB S. Moa and safety R. Damuni, who is out for an extended stretch. OG A. Gentry and LB S. Esera both missed the TCU game, so check the midweek report for whether either is back.
An early forecast for Provo calls for clear skies, mid-70s and almost no wind, so the weather won't be an excuse for either side. The game comes down to 2 questions. Can BYU's offense look like the one that scored 63 on Utah Tech and 41 at Colorado State, not the one that managed 17 in Fort Worth? And can Iowa State's thinned defense get off the field without needing a fumble in the last minute? If Flora runs like he did on homecoming, the Cyclones can hang around for a while.
BYU has the ranking, the home crowd and a defense that just held a Big 12 road opponent to 10. Iowa State has the most explosive player on the field and some real defensive problems. It's a good Friday night game, but Iowa State has to prove it can hold up on defense before anyone treats it as a toss-up.