Iowa State Cyclones running back Carson Hansen (26) celebrates with his team after a touchdown against Arkansas State during the third 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
AMES — Gaping holes opened up. Carson Hansen dodged and darted through them. Iowa State’s powerful tailback then bulldozed any resistance Arkansas State attempted to muster, surging for two touchdowns in the No. 20 Cyclones’ dominant 52-7 win Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium.
“It’s something you dream about as a kid, going out there and getting your fist touchdown,” said Hansen — one of four ISU players to rush for a touchdown against the Red Wolves (2-2). “I credit all of it to the O-line because they blocked great this week and they practice their (tail) off week in and week out.”
Three Cyclones (3-0) scored five rushing touchdowns — their most in a game since surging into the end zone six times in a 66-10 win over Patrick Mahomes-led Texas Tech on Nov. 19, 2006 at home.
“If we’re able to control the run game, that will get those (defensive backs) and linebackers’ eyes messed up and focused on the wrong thing,” said tight end Ben Brahmer, who caught three passes for 73 yards. “And then we can slip any of our targets out there. We’ve got so many guys who can go make a play like you saw today.”
Several promising true freshmen played valuable snaps, including wide receiver Dominic Overby, quarterback Connor Moberly, and tailback Dylan Lee — who scored the Cyclones’ fourth rushing touchdown of the game early in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Rocco Becht also turned a sneak into a one-yard touchdown and true freshman Aiden Flora scored on an eight-yard run with 24 seconds left.
“There (are) a lot of guys who ran the ball real well today,” said ISU head coach Matt Campbell, who tied Dan McCarney for the most wins in program history with 56. “There’s a lot of competition consistently back there and we’re really fortunate those guys push each other. And Carson, he was really injured for (a lot) of the last football season and for him to be healthy — I think you’re really starting to see a really healthy football player and a really confident football player.”
The Cyclones scored on eight of their 12 possessions and emerged from nonconference play unscathed for just the second time in Campbell’s nine-season tenure.
Becht completed 11 of 18 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns — one to Jayden Higgins and one to tight end Tyler Moore, and was intercepted once. Higgins hauled in a 16-yard dart from Becht late in the first half to extend his program record-tying string of consecutive games with a touchdown to five.
ISU’s defense forced three turnovers as safeties Jeremiah Cooper and Malik Verdon both snared interceptions and former Iowa City High standout John Klosterman recovered a fumble.
Verdon looked like he had a chance to convert a pick-six, but was forced out at the Arkansas State 16-yard line after scampering 38 yards.
“Man, I was really close,” Verdon said. “But I’m gonna get it back next time. I just got a little tired, so I had to step out of bounds and let the offense score real quick.”
ISU eclipsed the 50-point mark for the first time since a 59-7 win three years ago at Kansas. The Cyclones rushed for 237 yards overall — a gaudy number that breeds both optimism and confidence heading into next weekend’s Big 12 opener at Houston.
“We’ve got a lot to prove,” Campbell said. “(We’ve) got a lot of work to do and obviously when you get into conference play, you want to be creating some momentum for yourself. I feel like we were able to do some of that at times today.”
