AMES – Iowa State (1-4, 0-2 Big 12) travels to Waco to face No. 12 Baylor (5-0, 2-0) Saturday night on ESPNU. It is the second-straight ranked opponent and undefeated team the Cyclones will face.
Iowa State leads the all-time series vs. Baylor at 6-5 and the Bears have the edge in games played in Waco at 3-2. The Cyclones won the last meeting between the two schools in Ames last year, 35-21. Jarvis West had three touchdown catches in the victory.
Head coach Paul Rhoads is in his fifth season as the Cyclone leader with a career record of 25-31. He’s led the Cyclones to three bowl games (2009 Insight Bowl, 2011 Pinstripe Bowl, 2012 Liberty Bowl) in his first four seasons. Rhoads has recorded a win over a ranked team in each of the last three seasons, the only coach in school history to achieve the feat.
Iowa State lost yet another close game last Saturday, falling 42-35 to No. 20 Texas Tech in Lubbock.
In its four losses, ISU has not lost by double digits and its average margin of defeat is just 5.5 ppg (UNI-8, Iowa-6, Texas-1, Texas Tech-7). Those opponents have a combined 18-6 mark this year.
