Farmageddon hasn’t even kicked off yet, and Iowa State already looks like it lost the coin toss with the football gods. The Cyclones are packing their bags for Dublin, but Matt Campbell’s got a carry-on full of problems—five, to be exact. And they all sit in the trenches.

The Big 12 dropped its first injury report of the year, and it hit Ames like a sledgehammer. Iowa State will be without (#68) Makai Sat, (#70) Trevor Buhr, (#73) Deylin Hasert, (#74) Derek Jensen, and (#78) Will Tompkins. Buhr and Hasert? They weren’t just names on the roster; they were supposed to be the anchors inside, the steady hands to keep Rocco Becht standing upright and the run game humming. Now? Campbell’s got some work to do.

Trevor Buhr, especially, stings. The sophomore closed 2024 strong, starting the last four games at left guard and finally looking like the lineman who could settle the interior next to Dylan Barrett and Brendan Black. Iowa State’s O-line was straight-up one of the best units in the country in 2024, keeping the pocket clean and making life easy for the offense. They punched opponents in the mouth—31.9 points per game, ground-and-pound, grind-you-down football.

The Cyclones football only gave up 16 sacks in 14 games—that’s barely over one a game, ranking around top 20 nationally—and if you stretch it back two years, the group has surrendered just 30 sacks in 27 games, putting them in the nation’s top 15 for protection. That identity is now duct-taped together against a Kansas State defense that’s already known for feasting on shaky lines.

Outside of those five banged-up offensive linemen, the Cyclones’ injury list only gets longer.

1. DB Ethan Stecker
2. WR Michael Parkes
3. LB John Klosterman
4. RB Ryver Peppers
5. DB LaMarcus Hicks II
6. RB Jayden Jackson
7. LB Samuel Samè
8. WR Sam Zelenovich

All eight are dinged up, spreading the pain across nearly every position group. That kind of attrition is tough for any program, but for Matt Campbell, it means juggling depth charts before the season even kicks off.

To make matters trickier, two impact players sit in the questionable category: WR Daniel Jackson and LB Beau Goodwin. The sophomore linebacker recorded 24 tackles, 3 TFLs, and 2 pass breakups last year. His availability could be pivotal, as Iowa State’s front-seven depth will be tested early against a physical Kansas State run game.

So yeah, Week 0 in Dublin just got way less about Guinness and sightseeing, and way more about survival. Farmageddon? More like Farm-apocalypse for Matt Campbell’s front five. Kansas State, meanwhile, faces its own setbacks.

K-State key injuries against the season-opener

Kansas State’s opener against Iowa State in Dublin already got a little tricky with some key names banged up. K-State will be without highly touted freshman tight end Linkon Cure, one of the crown jewels of Chris Klieman’s 2025 class. Fans were eager to see the four-star talent debut on a big international stage, but that debut will have to wait.

The Wildcats also lose defensive end Ryan Davis, who chipped in 7 tackles and 2.5 sacks last season, giving K-State a bit less juice in the pass rush rotation as they try to contain Iowa State’s backfield. Safety Gunner Maldonado looks good to go, but fellow safety Colby McCalister is still questionable, and linebacker Asa Newsom is doubtful while working back from that ACL tear.

The real gut punch, though, is losing Ohio State transfer George Fitzpatrick, who was lined up to be a starter at tackle. That one stings, especially with Iowa State’s defense loving to throw chaos at the line.

Both squads are taking some hits, but Chris Kleiman’s situation is a little cleaner than Matt Campbell’s mess. The Wildcats still return a more stable foundation across the board, which gives Kleiman a better shot at managing the attrition. Bottom line, both sides walk into Dublin banged up, but it feels like Campbell’s scrambling for answers while Kleiman’s just adjusting the game plan. Saturday can’t come any sooner.