No singular unit in college football will be in worse condition in Week 11 than Iowa State's defense, which will face TCU with less than half its starters in the lineup. The Cyclones suffered their latest loss as safety Jamison Patton is now confirmed to miss the upcoming matchup.
Patton was ruled out with a lower-body injury on Thursday, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported. He was listed as doubtful on the official injury report throughout the week after exiting the game during the team's Week 10 loss to Arizona State.
Patton, who does not have a timeline for his return, becomes the sixth key Cyclone defender confirmed to miss Week 11. He joins linebacker Will McLaughlin, cornerback Jontez Williams and safeties Jeremiah Cooper and Kijohnn Cunnings-Coleman, who are all out for the year. Safety Ta'Shawn James is also out for the foreseeable future.
Iowa State is also in danger of potentially missing star defensive tackle Domonique Orange, defensive end Tamatoa McDonough and tight end Benjamin Brahmer. All three are listed as questionable, with Orange recently returning from an ankle injury in Week 9.
The injuries have torn Iowa State's season apart at the seams as it approaches its final three regular season games. After getting off to a 5-0 start that shot them up to No. 14 in the AP poll, the Cyclones enter their matchup with TCU on a four-game skid.
Iowa State's defense suffering through injuries
Iowa State's current losing streak includes three consecutive losses as the betting favorite. The Cyclones are coming off a horrific loss to Arizona State, which started sixth-year veteran Jeff Sims at quarterback for an injured Sam Leavitt.
After going 11-3 in 2024, Iowa State entered the 2025 college football season as one of the favorites to win the Big 12. They returned Third Team All-Big 12 quarterback Rocco Becht, but many believed in them due to their elite defense on paper.
With six returning starters, including All-Big 12 defensive backs Cooper and Williams, the Cyclones appeared to have the best defense in the conference. They supported that claim over the first month of the season, during which they allowed just 14.2 points per game, before everything fell apart.
Iowa State's losing streak killed its dark-horse College Football Playoff contender profile in the blink of an eye. The Cyclones need just one more win to become bowl eligible, but the second half of their 2025 season has been nothing short of an utter disappointment.
