The Big 12 will square off with the AAC Conference as the Iowa State Cyclones play the Memphis Tigers in the Liberty Bowl from Memphis, Tennessee. The captivating showdown is slated to get underway on Saturday, December 30th at 12:30 p.m. EST. It also can be watched on ABC for your early afternoon college football entertainment. Oddsmakers have the Tigers -3.5 point favorite and the contest’s total is at 66.
The Iowa State Cyclones enter this contest after a surprising but successful 7-5 season. Although their record was only two games over .500, the Cyclones did upset Oklahoma and TCU along their journey. The 2017 Liberty Bowl should be a great match-up, pitting Iowa State’s rugged defense up against the high-powered Memphis Tiger offense.
The Memphis Tigers had a superb season by going 10-2 overall. In fact, their only two losses on the year were to the AAC Conference champion Central Florida. Other than that, the Tigers ran the table and will get a home game against the Iowa State Cyclones in the 2017 Liberty Bowl. This game will mark the first time these two schools have squared-off on the gridiron and Memphis’ first time in the Liberty Bowl.
Iowa State (7-5)
The Cyclones’ offense has not been great this year, but they have been a solid passing team. Fortunately, the Tigers have been especially bad in their pass defense. Backup quarterback Kyle Kempt took over by mid-season and he has been solid for the Cyclones. Through six games, he has completed 69 percent of his throws for 1,473 yards with 13 touchdowns and only three picks. His first career start was in the Oklahoma game and he beat them 38-31, throwing for 343 yards against them.
Even though Iowa State likes to throw the ball around, they still use their running game to keep the offense balanced. Tailback David Montgomery held his own in 2017, rushing for just under 1,100 yards on 234 carries. He also had a team-high 11 trips to the back of the end zone. No other Cyclone running back even carried the ball over 35 times for the offense.
Like a lot of teams in college football, Iowa State likes to distribute the ball to a plethora of wideouts. Four pass-catchers stand out, nabbing 180 balls for just under 2,300 yards and 21 touchdowns. Rangy wide receiver Allen Lazard will be a force in this match-up. The 6’5″, 222-pound receiver has caught 61 balls for just under 800 yards with nine scores to his credit. On the other side, teammate Hakeem butler has reeled in 36 passes for 586 yards and six more touchdowns.
The Iowa State defense has come up big for Cyclones’ fans in 2017. They are especially adept at keeping opposing teams off of the scoreboard. In 2017, the Cyclones have only allowed only 21 points a game (28th). The unit prides themselves on stopping the run, holding backs to only 134 yards a contest (30th). The secondary has struggled, finishing 82nd in the nation. That could be a big problem against the Tigers awesome passing attack.
(18) Memphis Tigers (10-2)
The Memphis Tigers really had a wild season overall as their games have averaged 47.7 points per game on the year. That is a dark contrast to the 30 points that Iowa State’s games have averaged. The Tigers come in off a wild AAC Title game, in which they lost by a score of 62-55 in overtime. Memphis rolled up 753 yards of total offense in the loss to the Central Florida Knights.
Quarterback Riley Ferguson has been amazing in 2017. It was more of the same in the championship against the Knights. In that game, Ferguson hit 30 of 42 passes for 471 yards with four touchdowns and an interception. He has had a very strong season, connecting on 63 percent of his passes for 3,971 yards. He also has been no stranger to the end zone, collecting 36 touchdowns with only a total of nine picks.
You would think that Memphis passes the ball all day but that just isn’t the case. The Tigers running game actually ranks 29th in the country, rushing for almost 210 yards a game. Two solid tailbacks lead the way for Memphis. Running backs Darrell Henderson and Patrick Taylor Jr. make up one of the nation’s best one-two punch out of the backfield. Together, the two workhorses have combined for almost 1,900 yards and 22 touchdowns. Henderson leads the team with 1,161 yards and Taylor Jr. leads the club with 13 trips to glory. These two performers will need to be at their best this weekend if they hope to keep the Cyclones’ opportunistic defense honest.
All year when I’ve written on the Memphis Tigers, one name has continually surfaced. That name would be Anthony Miller. The exceptional wide receiver has been Riley Ferguson’s favorite target from the word go. Through 12 games this year, Miller has caught a team-high 92 passes for 1,407 yards and 17 scores. It has been number three to number four throughout the year and I don’t expect that to change much in this title game.
On defense, the Tigers have shown some improvement as the season has progressed. Even so, they still struggle to stop the run and the pass. The front seven is ranked 100th in the nation, allowing teams to rack up 196 yards on the ground. The secondary is worse, surrendering 279 yards a contest (122nd). Overall, the unit is giving way to almost 33 points a game.
Prediction
When I first looked into this game, one thing became clear to me. Both of these clubs can throw the ball effectively and neither of them can stop schools that throw. Therefore, the over 66 is the first thing I’m going to suggest. Riley Ferguson and Anthony Miller should be just fine. Also, Allan Lazard will have plenty of opportunities to score on the country’s 122nd-ranked secondary. Take the over 66 and drive home safely.
The linesetters also have the Tigers as a 3.5 point favorite. I like the Cyclones to cover that as the dog. They have beaten some exceptional teams in 2017 and aren’t one bit afraid of the Memphis Tigers. Besides, Iowa State is 10-1 ATS in 2017. Give me the Cyclones and the hook here. @EriktheHun
Go to BetDSI Sportsbook to lay your money down on the 2017 Liberty Bowl.
Trends
The Cyclones are 19-7-1 ATS in their last 27 games overall.
The Under is 4-0-1 in the Cyclones last 5 Bowl games.
The Tigers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 bowl games.
The Over is 5-2 in the Tigers last 7 Bowl games.
