6 things to know ahead of Saturday's Iowa State v UT matchup

Coming off their best defensive game of the season last weekend against Kansas State, the 6-3 Longhorns will take a trip up north to Ames to take on Iowa State.

The Cyclones are coming off a devastating 1-point loss on the road to No. 10 Oklahoma, so they will certainly be out for vengeance this week when Texas comes to town.

It will be chilly, but with their season on the line, expect the Texas Longhorns to leave it all out on the field in this weekend's matchup against Iowa State.

As we inch closer to the end of the regular season, here are a few things to look for as we approach Saturday's Big 12 matchup.

1) Ingram catching fire

While there were concerns all season about the Texas Longhorns' backfield due to injuries, this unit has proved to be one of the strongest on the team. This group is led by 220-pound sophomore Keaontay Ingram. The stud running back was named the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Player of the Week after his performance last weekend and has rushed for 311 yards on only 46 carries, which is good for 6.7 yards per carry over his last three games. If Ingram keeps it up, this should take some pressure off Sam Ehlinger.

2) Ehlinger's road struggles

While Ehlinger has shined under the lights at DKR, he has thrown five interceptions in just his last two road games. His worst performance came two weeks ago against TCU, where Ehlinger completed less than half of his passes and threw four interceptions. Iowa State put up 41 points on the road last week in Norman. If Texas wants to win this game, Ehlinger is going to need to prove that he can light up a defense on the road.

3) Bundle up

The expected high temperature on Saturday is 38 degrees, which is just a bit lower than what these Longhorns are used to down in Austin. While the weather in Texas this last week hasn't been exactly comfortable for Texans, either, the cold factor becomes a different animal when you're playing on the road in front of tens of thousands of people rooting against you. I assume leggings and hand warmers will be on the packing list of most players for this weekend, as the Longhorns will have to fight the cold in Ames to keep their season alive.

4) Iowa State fired up

I'm not sure if you watched the final drive of Iowa State's game last weekend vs. Oklahoma, but it was heartbreaking no matter what team you were rooting for. After driving down the field and scoring a touchdown to make it 42-41, Iowa State opted to go for two and the attempt didn't succeed. This was part in thanks to a controversial no-call on a potential pass interference that might have turned a conversion for Iowa State into a game-sealing interception for the Sooners. The stadium will be loud, and Iowa State will certainly be looking for some reprisal this weekend when the Horns come to town.

5) Jalen Green

Longhorns starting cornerback Jalen Green will be suited up Saturday, but he will not see the field until the second half. The sophomore defensive back was ejected last weekend for a targeting penalty against Kansas State and therefore is suspended for the first half of this weekend's game. Luckily for Texas, their defense is getting healthier, and Green will be back out on the field to hopefully help close out a win. Here is a statement from Green on his suspension:

6) Healthy Horns

A team that has been plagued by injuries this year will have a relatively full depth chart this weekend, as the Texas Longhorns expect to have a handful of important guys on the field this weekend in a do-or-die game against Iowa State. Below is an injury update for some of the more notable guys on the Horns' injury report:

RB -- Jordan Whittington (game-time decision)
DB -- DeMarvion Overshwon (probable)
LB -- Jeffrey McCulloch (probable)
WR -- Collin Johnson (questionable)

It will be cold, but the Longhorns need to win every game from here on out if they want a shot to play in the Big 12 Championship. They're currently ranked 19th in the College Football Playoff rankings, but if these guys can win their way into the conference final, anything can happen. But, as these Longhorns love to say, they must focus on going 1-0 this weekend.