Iowa State’s football head coach Matt Campbell talks to players during the warm-up before Iowa State and Kansas Football at Jack Trice Stadium Saturday, Oct. 2, 2021, in Ames, Iowa. © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Iowa State star tailback Breece Hall called his freshman year roommate a “different cat.”
But in a good way.
That “cat” — hulking 6-5, 310-pound redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Jarrod Hufford —made his first career start in Saturday’s 33-20 win at Kansas State, and by all accounts performed well.
“I think him just waiting his turn to play and finally getting that chance, I feel like hat really motivated him,” said Hall, who extended his ISU record streak of games with consecutive rushing touchdowns to 18. “I feel like that really motivated him.”
The Cyclones’ offensive line didn’t allow a single sack Saturday and Hufford was part of the reason why.
“Really proud of those guys,” ISU head coach Matt Campbell said. “Jarrod Hufford’s played really well for us. We moved him to left tackle. Jarrod’s been playing exceptional football for us so I think that really helped anchor and solidify our offensive front.”
Maybe that’s because “he’s a different cat,” even though he’s like most of the other guys up front in one key way.
“I trusted him,” Hall said. “I knew he was going to be able to do his job and get the job done. That’s what he did today. … He’s not scared of anybody. He thinks anybody in front of him, he’s gonna manhandle him. He’s a dog, so I think that’s what makes him different.”
CAMPBELL’S NUMBER ONE
ISU’s head coach broke the school record for career wins in conference competition Saturday. Campbell is now 28-20 against league foes since he took over the program in 2016. Dan McCarney went 27-68 versus the Big 12 from 1995-2006. Campbell also became he first head coach in program history to have beaten every Big 12 foe on the road at least once.
BALANCING ACT
The Cyclones totaled 210 yards rushing and 208 yards passing against the Wildcats while outgaining an opponent for the ninth straight game dating back to last season.
QUOTABLE
“Just the elite level that you know we want here. And I think it’s really awesome for the team. … We talked about unity and I think that that helps tremendously when guys are, you know, rotating in because anybody can pretty much do and know everybody’s job, and I think that’s really cool.” — ISU kicker Andrew Mevis on the multitude of Cyclone players who have contributed in recent games
