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MEMPHIS, Tenn. – All-American cornerback T.J. Tampa got off one of eight Iowa State team buses Sunday afternoon. Does that mean he’s playing in the Dec. 29 Liberty Bowl against Memphis?
Not so fast.
“He is here,” head coach Matt Campbell said while standing in the lobby of the Peabody Hotel. “He will practice. He’s been practicing every step of the way.”
If he’s not playing, the veteran coach isn’t ready yet to confirm it. If he’s playing, Campbell isn’t going there, either.
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Coaches relish keeping opponents in the dark on player situations like this. The more uncertainty, the better.
Memories of Breece Hall? Iowa State’s now-a-Jet tailback accompanied the team to the 2021 Cheez-It Bowl in Orlando, but he’d already said he wasn’t returning for his senior season.
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Obviously he didn’t play in the game but was on the sidelines giving as much encouragement to Jirehl Brock as he could.
The assumption is that Senior Bowl-bound Tampa won’t play in Friday’s 2:30 p.m. game, considering most NFL mock drafts peg him as a second-rounder.
“For Breece a couple years ago – simple decision,” Campbell said two weeks ago. “T.J. probably is really close to that. What’s the player want to do? What’s the family want to do? We’re going to support what’s best for our player.
“It’s a whole person and a whole entity decision. We’ve got great kids that really want to play, and sometimes you’ve got to be the one that says, ‘Hey listen, this probably isn’t in your best interest.’”
Iowa State is an 8 ½-point favorite to win its third of what will be the sixth bowl game under Campbell. It’s just the second time the Cyclones will be a…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/peterson-liberty-bowl-guessing-game-224116433.html
Author : The Des Moines Register
Publish date : 2023-12-24 22:41:16
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