Iowa State Cyclones defensive line Domonique Orange (95) and linebacker Jack Sadowsky (33) attempt to tackle as North Dakota Fighting Hawks running back Isaiah Smith (29) runs for first down during the fourth quarter in the season-opening game at Jack Trice Stadium on Aug. 31, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK
AMES — Domonique Orange used to be good friends with the fast food window.
Greasy burgers? He ate plenty of them. Even greasier fries? Super-size ‘em. And the requisite sugar-laden sodas? He serenely slurped them down.
The Iowa State defensive tackle’s less-than-healthy eating habits didn’t diminish his power or speed as a freshman. But Orange’s stamina? They certainly didn’t help in that area, as playing just a handful of snaps left him huffing, puffing and shuffling to an extended stay on the sideline.
“Freshman year, I’d be able to play 15 to 20 snaps per game,” said the slimmed-down and powered-up Orange, who hopes to shine for the No. 18 Cyclones (3-0) in Saturday’s 6 p.m. Big 12 season opener (FS1) at Houston (1-3, 0-1). “Now I’m able to play however many they want me to, so it’s been great being able to do that.”
The 6-4 Orange tipped the scales at 350 pounds as a freshman. He began adhering to healthier habits as a sophomore, paring his weight down to 335. Now, as a junior, Orange — a.k.a. “Big Citrus” — weighs in at a relatively lithe 325 pounds, and he’s an interior anchor on an ISU defense that ranks ninth nationally in points allowed per game at 9.7.
“I think Dom is certainly trending,” Cyclone head coach Matt Campbell said. “(He’s) a guy that, in my opinion, has just grown so much off the field.”
Not in size, as noted above, but in spirit. Orange’s ability to bowl over multiple offensive linemen clears the way for others to surge into the backfield for sacks, or fill gaps to prevent big plays. ISU’s averaging 2.67 sacks through three games this season — one more than they did all of last season. Orange’s growing rep count is one reason for the considerable uptick, but rapid growth in an injury-plagued linebackers room has also helped.
“We had really young linebackers at the beginning of the year,” Orange said. “I feel like now they understand how to play the game of football. I’m just saying that college football is totally different from high school football, so they’re finally understanding (how to) kick it into gear.”
The Cyclones’ defensive front finally chipped in a stingy performance against the run in last week’s 52-7 win over Arkansas State, allowing just 64 yards on 35 carries. That stifling effort came on the heels of allowing an average of 174 yards on the ground in the first two games.
“D-line wise, he had a slow start,” said Orange, who has six tackles this season. “I mean, me personally, I feel like everyone had a slow start, so we (made) a couple changes on the D-line, and I feel like we’ve got it now. Now we understand what it takes to be a great defense.”
But now it’s time to prove that against a Big 12 offense — albeit a struggling one. Houston averages a meager 13 points per game, which ranks last in the league by a wide margin. The same holds true for the Cougars in terms of total offense, where they’re averaging 294.3 yards per game — 70 fewer yards than 15th-place Baylor. Neither of those statistical shortfalls, however, will make Orange and his fellow Cyclone defenders overlook Houston.
“They’re not a team to play with, honestly,” Orange said after noting that the Cougars narrowly lost at No. 21 Oklahoma earlier this season. “(But) we’re really confident going into (this) game. We’re ready.”
Orange is equally prepared to build even healthier habits as his third season in the program wears on. The fast food window may not be a stranger, but it’s no longer a frequent destination.
“A lot more greens and a lot less fast food,” said Orange, who credited ISU’s strength coaches and nutrition staff for his big change. “I think for anybody, transforming fat into muscle is difficult. It took me a little minute to understand that, hey, this isn’t gonna be easy. It’s gonna be ups and downs. It’s gonna be hard. So for me to be able to make that change, transform my body completely, it’s a great accomplishment for me.”
