Cyclones coach sounds the alarm heading into Hurricane Baylor

By foxsports
Published

Iowa State coach Paul Rhoads just watched TCU's No. 3-ranked offense in the nation score 45 points and rack up 621 yards on his defense. And that was at Jack Trice Stadium. 

Now Rhoads will take his team down to Waco to face the No. 2 Baylor Bears, by far away the nation's leader in total offense, 719.7 yards per game, and scoring, 63.8 points per game.

During his time on the Big 12 media teleconference this week, Rhoads didn't exactly sound confident that his group will be able to slow down a Bears juggernaut that is currently averaging more points per game than two Big 12 basketball teams did last season.

Rhoads called Baylor's big-play offense "dang near impossible" to contain.

"You’re talking about a team averaging 64 points and more than 700 yards per game," Rhoads said. "That’s absurd...that’s what it is, unbelievable numbers.”

Here's how absurd it really is. Texas Tech is second in the nation in total offense, but lags behind Baylor by nearly 100 yards. TCU averages 50.1 points per game, but would still have to score two more touchdowns a game to match the damage Baylor produces week after week.

For those who point to the Bears' light non-conference schedule against SMU, Lamar and Rice, their numbers are pretty decent in three Big 12 games, too: 672.3 yards and 63.7 points per game.

Iowa State's defense ranks seventh in the Big 12, allowing more than 460 yards game.