NCAAF Game Preview - Northern Iowa at Iowa State
Sat Aug 31, 2019 12:00 PM EDT

GATec
14
Clem
52
F
Duke
3
Bama
42
F
UGA
30
Vand
6
F
Hou
31
Okla
49
F
FlAtl
21
OSU
45
F
GaSo
3
LSU
55
F
MidTN
21
Mich
40
F
ND
35
Lou
17
F
LT
14
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45
F
Oreg
21
Aub
27
F
TxSt
7
TxAM
41
F
EWa
14
Wash
47
F
Utah
30
BYU
12
F
Idaho
7
PSU
79
F
FlaAM
0
UCF
62
F
Tuls
7
MSU
28
F
Wisc
49
SoFL
0
F
MiaOH
14
Iowa
38
F
NoIa
26
IASt
29
F(2OT)
Syr
24
Lib
0
F
NMS
7
WaSt
58
F
SoAl
21
Neb
35
F
NW
7
Stan
17
F
Alb
21
C Mi
38
F
UCLA
14
Cin
24
F
RMor
10
Buff
38
F
Wagn
21
UConn
24
F
Mor
3
BGSU
46
F
C Ark
35
W Ky
28
F
GWebb
28
UNCC
49
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JacSt
14
SouLA
35
F
AlaSt
19
UAB
24
F
FLInt
14
Tul
42
F
SDSU
21
MIN
28
F
NoCol
18
SJSU
35
F
Kent
7
AzSt
30
F
Rice
7
Army
14
F
UMass
21
Rut
48
F
UtSt
35
Wake
38
F
Purd
31
NEV
34
F
ColSt
31
Colo
52
F
OkSt
52
OreSt
36
F
Miss
10
Mem
15
F
MissSt
38
ULLaf
28
F
InSt
17
Kans
24
F
Akr
3
Ill
42
F
ECU
6
NCSt
34
F
How
0
MD
79
F
Toled
24
KY
38
F
Ind
34
Ball
24
F
Boise
36
FlaSt
31
F
JMU
13
WVU
20
F
URI
20
Ohio
41
F
Buck
12
Temp
56
F
HolyC
7
Navy
45
F
Colg
7
AF
48
F
GASt
38
Tenn
30
F
SCar
20
UNC
24
F
E Mi
30
CoCar
23
F
ETenn
7
App
42
F
MonSt
10
TxTch
45
F
PorSt
13
Ark
20
F
VaTec
28
BC
35
F
SamHu
31
NM
39
F
(N/A)
7
UTSA
35
F
Camp
14
Troy
43
F
UCDav
13
Cal
27
F
VMI
17
Marsh
56
F
IllSt
10
NIU
24
F
Monm
13
WestMI
48
F
AlcSt
10
SMiss
38
F
Nich
14
K St
49
F
SFA
17
Bayl
56
F
SMU
37
ArkSt
30
F
Norf
21
OD
24
F
MIZ
31
Wyo
37
F
Abil
31
NorTx
51
F
UVA
30
Pitt
14
F
Gram
9
ULMon
31
F
HBU
34
UTEP
36
F
ArkPB
7
TCU
39
F
Web
0
SDSU
6
F
SoUt
23
UNLV
56
F
Fres
23
USC
31
F
Northern Iowa at (21) Iowa State
N. Iowa-Iowa St. Preview
Fri Aug 30, 2019 3:11 AM

AMES, Iowa (AP) Iowa State fans have never been more excited for a season to get started.

The Cyclones were ranked in the preseason poll for the first time in 41 years behind a punishing defense, a young quarterback who seems destined for stardom and a coach who always seems to push the right buttons.

And yet, the enthusiasm of Iowa State's supporters might give way to a tiny bit of pause when they see Northern Iowa - the Cyclones' longtime FCS nemesis - scheduled for Saturday's opener. The Panthers have beaten the 21st-ranked Cyclones three times since 2007, and they spoiled coach Matt Campbell's debut at Iowa State with a 25-20 win three years ago.

But this might be the best Cyclones team the Panthers have ever seen as they make their seventh trip this decade to Ames. Iowa State was picked third in the Big 12 preseason poll, by far its best showing since the league went to 10 teams in 2012.

"They're a handful," UNI coach Mark Farley said. "This isn't a fluke by any means why they're picked that high ... they're very, very good."

SCOUTING THE PANTHERS

Northern Iowa returns 16 starters from last year's team, which made the FCS playoffs, and it was picked 20th in the national preseason coaches' poll. But quarterback Eli Dunne has moved on after starting for three seasons, and the Panthers will go with redshirt Will McElvain as his replacement. McElvain was the first player in the history of Iowa's highest prep classification to throw for over 2,000 yards and run for at least 1,000 in the same season, and he originally committed to Iowa State as a preferred walk-on before the Panthers offered him a full ride.

"I love his leadership, I really love his demeanor. It doesn't surprise me he's put himself in the position to lead this football team," Campbell said.

BACK AT IT

Iowa State listed five different backs on its depth chart this week as it looks to replace departed star David Montgomery. Veteran Kene Nwangwu might be iffy because of a hamstring injury, but expect at least four backs - including promising freshmen Breece Hall and Jirehl Brock - to get touches on Saturday.

"Until that happens, and it's proven, I think we're still at a little bit of a loss to say, `Yeah we've definitely got guys that can do that,"' Campbell said.

ABOUT THAT QUARTERBACK

Brock Purdy enters his sophomore season with a career completion percentage of 66.4, the second-best in school history. His passing efficiency rating broke the NCAA record for a true freshman, and he went 7-2 as a starter last year. Purdy did have two picks without a touchdown in Iowa State's 28-26 loss to Washington State in the Alamo Bowl, but he also threw for 315 yards.

TIDBITS

Iowa State has four of the 11 players on the Big 12's preseason first-team defense: linemen Ray Lima and JaQuan Bailey, linebacker Marcel Spears Jr. and safety Greg Eisworth. ... The Cyclones have eight starters in all back from a defense that surrendered just 22.9 points a game. "Their front seven is excellent," Farley said. ... Northern Iowa led the FCS in turnover margin in 2018. ...The Cyclones have five starters back at offensive line, and four of them are seniors.

HE SAID IT

"To be able to build it through the offensive line and quarterback is where you would love to be as a program. We're finally at that point as our foundation." - Campbell.

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More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25

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