Iowa State Cyclones running back Carson Hansen (26) battle for a few yards as getting a tackle Arkansas State Red Wolves safety Websley Etienne (12) during the first quarter in the week-4 NCAA football at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Iowa State made quick work of Arkansas State on Saturday, running the Red Wolves out of Ames in a 52-7 win. Here are some of my top takeaways.
Aggressive playcalling
Iowa State opened up its playbook a bit against Arkansas State, contrary to what fans at Jack Trice Stadium saw during the season opener.
On the opening series, facing 4th and inches on its own 34, the Cyclones lined up under center and let quarterback Rocco Becht sneak his way across the line.
The offense ran three under-center, quarterback sneaks in the first quarter, before faking a sneak in the second quarter that saw tight end Ben Brahmer streaking down the middle of the field.
“We had that in the gameplan all week,” Brahmer said. “We kind of set it up with a few sneaks before that, and it was a good throw by (Rocco)… I knew it was coming at some point, so that was pretty exciting.”
It fooled the Arkansas State defense, and Brahmer saved Becht with a one-handed, diving catch up the field.
On top of it, there were a number of different looks as far as offensive sets went, and Darien Porter got his hands on a punt.
The special teams unit in Ames
The special teams unit is something that really hasn’t been talked about much so far this season, save for the Konrardy kick – and that should be considered a positive.
However, the group looked stout against Arkansas State.
Jaylin Noel was able to return three punts for sizeable yardage, and ended the game averaging 20 yards per return. His longest return stretched 34 yards.
There were a pair of kicks that didn’t look great in the fourth quarter well after the game had been decided, but between Porter’s blocked punt and a solid-looking punt return it has been a big win for the Cyclones with that unit this season.
Plus, Kyle Konrardy was perfect on the day going 7-7 on extra points and a field goal.
The defense swallowed up Arkansas State quarterback Jaylen Raynor
Iowa State’s defense never let Jaylen Raynor get comfortable.
The young unit swarmed the backfield, sacking Raynor and backup Timmy McClain four times throughout the game.
“That was just preparation – being able to prepare for someone that is able to run and throw,” Malik Verdon, who picked up his first interception of the year, said. “We just had to make sure we respected what he was.”
Raynor wasn’t going anywhere, and Arkansas State never salvaged any of the momentum available.
The dual-threat quarterback finished 5-16 with 68 yards and two interceptions before he was replaced by backup Timmy McClain.
“I wouldn’t say our best is out, but our best is to come,” Verdon said of the defense. “Being able to play with the offense and defense both clicking at the same time was nice. We’ve got to be able to continue that.”
Carson Hansen makes the most of some extra run time
The sophomore running back had his most productive game as a Cyclone Saturday, collecting two touchdowns and 58 yards on nine rushes.
“In that backfield, there’s a lot of guys that ran the football well today,” coach Matt Campbell said. “There’s a lot of competition consistently back there and I think we’re really fortunate those guys push each other so much.”
Abu Sama finished with 30 yards while Jaylon Jackson rushed for 53 – it was the first time Iowa State had scored five rushing touchdowns since its 66-10 win over Texas Tech in 2016.
“Carson has just been – he was really injured for the most part of last football season,” Campbell said. “For him to finally be healthy, we’re really proud of him. It’s exciting to watch him move forward and I think he’ll be a key piece to our football team if we want to play at the level that we have the ability to play at.”
Connor Moberly in as QB2
For the second time this season, true freshman Connor Moberly entered the game as Iowa State’s backup quarterback.
Moberly entered the game on Iowa State’s second drive of the third quarter, and looked the part in his first true plays at the position – he solely handed the ball off when he was on the field against North Dakota.
“I thought it was positive,” Campbell said. “Obviously you have to take care of the football and we didn’t do that as well as we needed to, but I thought he was able to handle the offense and get great experience. That’s part of playing quarterback – getting that experience. And it was great to get him in a situation where he could maneuver the team.”
The former SE Polk star was 5-7 with 49 yards through the air, and rushed for 36 yards on four attempts during the game.
It’s safe to say now that Moberly is the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart.
“We’re fortunate,” Campbell said. “We have some really good quarterbacks here. We’ve got JJ (Kohl), we’ve got ‘Mobes,’ and we’ve got a lot of young guys that are really talented. It’s a constant challenge and a constant, ‘got to come to practice,’ and earn the right to play Saturday. Connor’s certainly doing that right now.”
