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Brock Purdy on the big stage: Former Cyclone on the doorstep of Super Bowl LVII

Sunday's NFC title game not only pits the conference's top two teams against each other, but brings two Big 12 gunslingers face-to-face once again.

SAN FRANCISCO — Brock Purdy is set to face Jalen Hurts in a matchup of high-powered offenses on national television.

And no, it's not 2019.

Sunday's NFC Championship Game pits the 2-seed San Francisco 49ers against the 1-seed Philadelphia Eagles (2 p.m. on FOX). And for each starting quarterback, it's a landmark game for the two former Big 12 gunslingers.

The Eagles beat the New York Giants 38-7 in the Divisional Round, while the 49ers beat the Seahawks 41-23 in the Wild Card Round and the Dallas Cowboys 19-12 in the Divisional Round.

A trip to Super Bowl LVII is on the line.

A Big 12 Rematch

In November 2019, Purdy and the Iowa State Cyclones paid a visit to Hurts and the No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners. Both QBs stacked the box score as ISU fell on a failed two-point conversion, 42-41.

No. 9 Oklahoma 42, Iowa State 41 (Nov. 9, 2019)

  • Hurts: 273 yards passing and three touchdowns, plus 68 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
  • Purdy: 282 yards passing and five touchdowns, and 55 yards rushing with one touchdown on the ground.

Hurts went on to be picked in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Eagles. 

And Purdy? You know the story: 262nd pick overall in the 2022 draft, the last player chosen.

Credit: AP
Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy (15) and Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) during an NCAA college football game in Norman, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

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Among the NFL's best

Since relieving the injured Jimmy Garoppolo (who was starting in place of the injured Trey Lance), Purdy has led the 49ers to seven straight wins including two playoff wins, topping the likes of Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys

In eight games played (seven starts), Purdy has thrown for 1,854 yards, 16 touchdowns and only three interceptions. He's also added two rushing touchdowns.

On Wednesday, he was named a finalist for AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Hurts, now an NFL MVP finalist, passed for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns in the regular season against only six picks. He ran for 760 yards and 13 touchdowns.

After missing two of the final three regular season games due to injury, he threw for 154 yards and two touchdowns plus 34 yards rushing and a score on the ground against the Giants in the playoffs.

The Cy-Hawk Connection

One of Purdy's favorite weapons in San Francisco's offense is former Hawkeye George Kittle. As it turns out, Hawkeyes and Cyclones can get a long.

The two have put together quite the highlight reel: the All-Pro tight end has caught 31 passes from Purdy for 447 and seven touchdowns this season.

"He's only won like I think like seven in a row now, good job Brock ... playing at a high level, getting our best players the football," Kittle said after the 49ers beat the Cowboys. "He's awesome and confident in the huddle, just doing a great job. And the best part is he shows up every single day, he's humble and all he wants to do is get better."

And for the 49ers, it will take more of the Iowa-to-Iowa state connection to advance to the Super Bowl.

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From Dec. 9: What can we expect from Brock Purdy?

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