Texas vs. Iowa State Complete Game Preview

The Texas Longhorns will look to pick up a second home win against 2-4 Iowa State Saturday. But the Cyclones have a score to settle after last season's controversial loss they suffered to the Longhorns.

Did Johnathan Gray really fumble the ball, which would have caused Texas to lose the game? Nobody really knows, but Iowa State head coach Paul Rhoads seemed to believe so following the 2013 home loss.

"I've got pretty good eyesight. The view I had of that gigantic screen in the north end zone showed a player that was not down and our guy with the football," Rhoads said of the controversial non-fumble call.

Will the Longhorns be prepared to take down the enraged Cyclones Saturday?

When: Saturday, Oct. 18, 8 p.m. ET

Where: Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas

TV: Longhorn Network

Austin radio: KVET 98.1/1300

SiriusXM satellite radio: XM 202; Sirius 117; Internet 969; Spanish 550

Last meeting: Oct. 3, 2013, Ames, Iowa

Last meeting outcome: Texas 31, Iowa State 30

Opening spread: Texas (-11), via OddsShark.com

Texas Keys to Victory

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Eliminate Mental Errors

Texas had a chance to beat Oklahoma last week, but mental errors played a significant role in the loss.

The Longhorns had 11 costly penalties, including five false starts, which led to a loss of 85 yards and put the team in poor field position.

Penalties were not the only issue Texas faced against Oklahoma.

The Longhorns fumbled on the goal line for the third consecutive week. Unlike the first two times, Texas was able to recover the fumble but lost the chance of putting up another touchdown on the board.

Mental errors will hurt any team, especially a team that has not shown the ability to play consistently.

Don't Overlook Iowa State

There is no doubt Rhoads and his Cyclones will be looking for revenge from last season's loss. The coach was publicly reprimanded by the Big 12 conference for questioning the officiating of Gray's non-fumble.

Both Iowa State and Texas hold the same record, although Texas has faced more difficult opponents this season. One could argue the Longhorns have more talent on the roster than the Cyclones, but that doesn't mean this will be an easy win.

Texas has to be prepared for an angry Iowa State team Saturday.

Iowa State Keys to Victory

David Purdy/Getty Images

Start Fast

It is no secret Texas has struggled to put points on the board. And the Longhorns' struggles have turned into four opponents' success.

The Cyclones need to keep the non-fumble call fresh in their minds from start to finish and have to put up points early in the game.

Pressure Tyrone Swoopes

Quarterback Tyrone Swoopes played extremely well against Oklahoma. He finished the game with 334 passing yards and two touchdowns and 50 rushing yards and another score.

Swoopes' progress could continue if Iowa State doesn't step up and get him off of his rhythm. 

Following the Longhorns' loss to Baylor, Swoopes said he was nervous because he was hit a couple of times.

Those are the types of issues first-time starting quarterbacks will face in year one, so the Cyclones need to hit Swoopes early to mess up his nerves.

Texas Players to Watch

LM Otero/Associated Press

Tyrone Swoopes

Swoopes is coming off of a career performance against Oklahoma. The sophomore said he gained a lot of confidence following the loss to the Sooners and is looking to build on his performance.

"I just developed kind of keeping my poise in tough situations," Swoopes said. "Saturday we got down 31-13 and just kind of had to stay poised and just kept on playing. We almost put together something special and almost came back, just got to keep on building on top of that."

John Harris

Swoopes' performance showed positive steps, but wide receiver John Harris had a hand in that success. Harris caught five passes for 90 yards and two touchdowns.

The fifth-year senior has had an interesting career at Texas. After being sidelined with injury and overlooked for other players in his first four seasons, Harris received a second chance under the new coaching staff.

And he has continued to take advantage of the opportunity.

Iowa State Players to Watch

Justin Hayworth/Associated Press

Sam Richardson

Iowa State quarterback Sam Richardson is responsible for many of the points the Cyclones have put up on opponents.

The redshirt junior has thrown for 1,354 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he leads the Cyclones run game with 283 yards on the ground.

Richardson's arm is used heavily in the offensive game plan, which makes him an important piece of the Cyclones puzzle.

Jevohn Miller

Linebacker Jevohn Miller has made a name for himself in his final season. The senior leads the Cyclones with 61 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. 

He also ranks No. 3 in the Big 12 for total tackles.

Miller has a chance to up his numbers against an inconsistent Texas offense.

What They're Saying

LM Otero/Associated Press

Texas Head Coach Charlie Strong on Iowa State on Getting a Fast Start Saturday

"I think it's going to be critical Saturday for us to get off to a great start, and we need to get off early when we get a start. We need to stop them on defense and create some plays on offense and get our guys to go play well."

Iowa State Head Coach Paul Rhoads on Charlie Strong, via Cyclones.com

"Charlie's a sensational coach and a disciplinarian for the better. He's a guy that's not all about X's and O's. He's in the business of raising young men and I admire that."

Texas Linebacker Jordan Hicks on Iowa State's Offense

"They're definitely very dangerous. If you don't go in there with the right attitude, they'll expose you. The quarterback is fast. He's their leading rusher right now. They like to get him the ball. We've got to game-plan around him, and they've got a tight end that's good as well. We have a good game plan. We're going to have a good week of practice and go out there ready to go."

Rhoads on the Texas defense

"The defense might be as good as anyone in the country. You all saw Baylor. Baylor had seven points in the first half and only 14 points later in the game. Oklahoma's offense is very explosive and you saw what they did with them. Their defense is outstanding."

Prediction

LM Otero/Associated Press

The Longhorns have the upper hand on both sides of the ball. If Texas avoids the mental errors and penalties, it should not have any problem taking down Iowa State.

But this will not be an easy win.

As stated previously, it would be wise to assume the Cyclones will be an angry team seeking revenge after last season's devastating loss to the Longhorns.

Texas has to get the early momentum in order to avoid a close game.

Texas 28, Iowa State 10 

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.

Taylor Gaspar is Bleacher Report's featured columnist covering the Texas Longhorns. Follow Taylor on Twitter: @Taylor_Gaspar.