3 keys for Iowa State football against Southeast Missouri State

Here are three keys to victory for Iowa State against Southeast Missouri State in Saturday’s 1 p.m. season opener at Jack Trice Stadium.

1. Protect Hunter Dekkers

Iowa State’s new starting quarterback Hunter Dekkers can make every type of throw while adding juice to the running game, but he can’t do anything if his jersey’s marred by grass stains.

The Cyclones could be without starting right tackle Jake Remsburg, so it’s imperative his backup, Grant Treiber, performs well to aid an offensive line that’s grooming three new starters.

Having Trevor Downing back at center with experienced Darrell Simmons Jr. alongside will help a lot, but if there’s any lack of continuity, new starting tailback Jirehl Brock could struggle to find running room in what ideally would be a handoff-heavy game against an outmanned Southeast Missouri State defense.

2. Start fast

The Cyclones have scored more than 29 points in just one season opener since head coach Matt Campbell took over in 2016. They’ve also lost three season openers in that span — although one of those setbacks came at Iowa after the would-be 2018 home opener against South Dakota State was canceled because of hours-long lightning strikes.

Suffice it to say, though, ISU has looked like a shell of what it would become in Week 1 on most recent occasions, which makes the urgent need to seize control early all the more crucial.

3. Own the line of scrimmage

This obvious key for any game ties into the item atop this list.

The Cyclones must dominate up front on both sides of the ball and likely will because of both talent and depth. Still, that’s an unknown.

Athletic 6-foot-9, 316-pound left tackle Tyler Miller has impressed coaches and teammates alike throughout the spring, summer and fall camp. But can the former Greene County prep shine in his first regular-season start?

Similar questions crop up on defense, where all-time sacks leader Will McDonald and talented nose guard Isaiah Lee should excel, as usual. But how will less experienced players such as J.R. Singleton and Blake Peterson make an impact? Will the quality depth that’s been a feature of ISU’s D-lines in recent years continue to be a strength? If so, Las Vegas oddsmakers — who peg the Cyclones as 34-point favorites — could, as usual, be right.

What’s at state

Well, everything. If ISU struggles as usual in a season opener yet prevails, that’s concerning but hardly predictive of how the overall season may go.

If the Cyclones win in a blowout, that would bolster hopes entering Cy-Hawk week with a trip to Iowa City looming. If ISU somehow loses, well, that would clearly be disastrous.

Redhawks head coach Tom Matukewicz has built a solid program, but it’s not on the same level as Northern Iowa, which beat the Cyclones in Campbell’s first game in Ames and has been a hard out ever since. This is a game ISU should win easily and anything short of that would dampen the ongoing enthusiasm Campbell’s created by crafting a modern program-record string of five consecutive winning seasons.

Iowa State vs. Southeast Missouri State prediction

Vegas is right — sort of. The Cyclones’ depth will win out. Dekkers and Brock will be solid in their respective debuts as Week 1 starters, but it’s hard to cover a five touchdown spread, especially for ISU in a season opener.

Iowa State 38, Southeast Missouri State 13

Comments: robgray18@icloud.com