Iowa State football is down another key player as it prepares for TCU

AMES — Another week, another critical injury.

Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell said Tuesday his already depleted defense lost another prime performer. Linebacker Will McLaughlin will miss the rest of the season because of an injury suffered in the Cyclones’ 24-19 loss last Saturday to Arizona State.

McLaughlin had two sacks in the previous week’s loss to BYU and forced a fumble against the Sun Devils before getting hurt. Campbell also said safety Ta’Shawn James “will be out for a while,” so the bad news keeps on coming in the midst of a four-game losing streak ISU (5-4, 2-4) hopes to snap at 2:30 p.m. Saturday (Fox) at TCU (6-2, 3-2).

“This is two years in a row where it’s been really challenging,” Campbell said of his team’s injury troubles. “And that’s part of football. That’s part of the sport we play, especially here.”

There is one uplifting balm to the ongoing health issues, however, and that’s the status of star tight end Ben Brahmer, who was hospitalized, treated and released after collapsing on the field Saturday. The 6-foot-7, 255-pound junior absorbed a hard hit before he fell to the turf and was tended to before being carted off the field.

“We got really lucky and that’s probably the best way to describe it,” Campbell said while choosing not to go into details about Brahmer’s precise issue. “Really, the response from it, to have been back here and back home on Saturday night, those were major wins.”

Saturday’s matchup with the Horned Frogs provides the Cyclones with another opportunity to notch a significant victory on the football field — something they haven’t enjoyed since dominating Arizona, 39-14, on Sept. 27 at home.

TCU fields playmakers in all three phases of the game, but efficient and confident quarterback Josh Hoover stands tallest among that diverse group. He’s thrown 16 touchdowns to just one interception in home games this season and is the best throwing quarterback ISU’s faced since the 38-30 loss at Cincinnati a month ago.

“You’re gonna play a group that is, again, very skilled,” said Campbell, whose team has won four of the past five meetings with the Horned Frogs. “I think Josh is a young man (who’s) been in this offense now two and a half years — (and) really made his first major go of it here two years ago, and has really taken the reins since. I think what you see is a veteran quarterback (who’s) got great command of the offense and he’s got great talent around him.”

Hoover leads the Big 12’s second-most prolific passing offense (301.5 yards per game), but on the other side of the ball, TCU’s strength rests in its ability to stop the run. The Horned Frogs are the second-stingiest unit in the conference in that regard, yielding just 119.4 yards per game.

“They have a lot of great, talented D-linemen, and guys (who) play around the box,” said ISU senior center Jim Bonifas, who has helped his rushing offense average a solid 164.9 yards per game. “We just have to keep progressing, and keep playing our game.”

Even as the injuries pile up at an alarming rate for the second straight season.

“We’re in some tough spots as we’ve been through, really the past five or six weeks in terms of having the team that you had early in the season, to having a different team,” Campbell said. “Each week, you’ve got to figure out a new plan to give your team the chance to have success.”

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