PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Brock Purdy has a quarterback rating of 176.7 heading into the regular-season finale. That places him fourth in the country among QBs with at least 150 pass attempts, trailing only Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray, and Georgia’s Jake Fromm.
–RB David Montgomery enters the week averaging 94.7 yards per game, and his 13 career 100-yard games already place him in a fourth-place tie in school history. He’s battled injuries at various times this year, however, so if the Cyclones take a big lead early he might not see much action in the second half.
–QB Re-al Mitchell may not get into the game at all — the coaching staff has talked about playing him before, only to hold him out. But if there’s ever been a time to get the true freshman onto the field, it will come Saturday, and Cyclones fans will be excited to see how his athleticism and arm play at this level.
–LB Willie Harvey had two sacks against Kansas State, giving him 12 for his career. He also forced a fumble and got credit for a quarterback hurry. Imagine what he can do against an undersized Drake team?
SERIES HISTORY: Iowa State leads the series with Drake 48-17-4. However, Drake has had bragging rights for more than 30 years — the Bulldogs won the last meeting between the teams, 20-17, in 1985.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “This rule that came into place was a phenomenal rule. There are guys that have really kind of saved us and been huge additions.” — Coach Matt Campbell, in the Des Moines Register, on the new redshirt rule that allows freshmen to play in up to four games without losing a year of eligibility.
