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There are 138 teams currently playing FBS college football. Iowa State (1-1) is 130th in total offense, Bowling Green (0-2) is 132nd, and both are overdue to open things up a little bit.
Iowa State is just getting going under new head coach Jimmy Rogers. The attack wasn’t anything great in a 38-10 win over SE Missouri State, and then it had its annual low-scoring fest in a 16-13 loss to Iowa.
Bowling Green kept stalling in a rough 20-13 loss to Tarleton State, and never got going in last week’s loss to Nebraska.
Iowa State vs Bowling Green: Quick Hits
- Iowa State starts the Big 12 season against Utah next week and follows it up with West Virginia. It doesn’t leave Iowa until going to BYU on October 9th.
- Bowling Green hosts USF next week and starts the MAC season at Miami University to follow.
- Iowa State won both meetings, winning 38-10 to start the 1979 season, and 35-21 in 1977.
How To Watch Iowa State vs Bowling Green
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Game Time: 12:00 PM ET
TV: ESPNU
Location: Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA
– Week 3 Schedule, Picks
– CFN Expert Picks: Week 3
Why Bowling Green Will Win
Is anything working for Bowling Green? It’s not all gloom-and-doom, even if there hasn’t been much success so far. Quarterback Jay Kastantin isn’t hitting anything deep, but the short-to-midrange passing game is fine – he’s hitting 74% of his throws.
Iowa State’s offense isn’t working, and it’s not completing throws. Arkansas State transfer Jaylen Raynor is a good, veteran quarterback, and while he hasn’t thrown a pick yet for the Cyclones, he’s only hitting 51% of his throws.
Why Iowa State Will Win
The stats are a tad misleading. Again, every Cy-Hawk game between Iowa and Iowa State is low-scoring – at least over the last several years. Also, give Iowa State a bit of a pass because it really is starting from almost scratch. Give this thing a little bit of time, and the timing should be down.
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Iowa State vs Bowling Green Prediction, Betting Lines
Bowling Green should be better as the season goes on, but it’s just not working so far under head coach Eddie George. Iowa State won’t look like 2025 Indiana or anything, but at least there will be points this week.
Nebraska got up 35-0 on Bowling Green before halftime last week. The Cyclones won’t do that, but they’ll finally open things up a bit.
Iowa State 35, Bowling Green 10
Latest Consensus Line: Iowa State -23.5, o/u: 44.5
ATS Confidence (out of 5): 3
Must See Rating (out of 5): 2
Consensus line based on BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
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This story was originally published September 16, 2026 at 11:57 PM.