Iowa State Cyclones running back Aiden Flora (35) celebrates with team mates after a touchdown against Arkansas State during the fourth 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
Saturday could not have gone better for Iowa State.
The home team dismantled the visiting Sun Belt school, a ton of young players got on the field for the first time and the cardinal and gold rolled to its third straight win. In total, 83 Cyclones got on the field – a staggeringly high number.
It’s all systems go, but nothing is guaranteed.
It’s the second time in three seasons Iowa State has started 3-0, but the last team to do so ended 4-8. Rankings don’t mean anything on the field, but there is only one Big 12 team higher in the top 25 than the No. 18 Cyclones.
The way the Cy-Hawk game turned out made the bye week spot as integral and advantageous as it could be. And the coaching staff utilized it perfectly.
Obviously, they got right back to work, but it allowed the group to reset and get players healthy with another ‘warmup game’ before Big 12 play starts. Pair that with facing what might be the worst team in the league in your opener, and Iowa State is really easing into the bigger games of the season.
Let’s talk about this group, some more.
This might be Iowa State’s deepest offensive line in the Matt Campbell era.
I’d like to see more against bigger opponents before declaring that, for sure. There’s a reason it says, ‘might.’ However, seeing Jalen Travis and Deylin Hasert back on the field was a great step to removing that ‘might’ by season’s end.
Travis looked great, albeit against the Red Wolves, and Hasert held his own when he was on the field. Both playing as much as they did should say their health is back to near 100 percent, at the very least.
If the versatility in each lineman learning every position holds true, coach Ryan Clanton’s group could do some big things.
The offensive line’s prowess Saturday especially showed in Iowa State’s rushing attack.
The Cyclones rushed for 237 yards against Arkansas State with seven players contributing on the ground game. Tight end Ben Brahmer said that it was the best the run game has looked all of this season and last.
“If we’re able to control the run game like I said, that will get those safety’s and linebacker’s eyes messed up,” Brahmer said. “They’ll focus on the wrong thing and then we can slip any of our targets out there. We have so many that can go make a play, like you saw today.”
Iowa State is 43-14 in the Campbell era when out-rushing its opponent. Take that for what its worth.
The defensive backs got their hands on the football again this week and that’s a great trend moving forward.
Call turnover battles lucky or not – either way, when Jeremiah Cooper and Malik Verdon are picking off footballs, things are going right.
Matt Campbell emphasizes that ‘margin,’ and it could become a difference between good and great for these guys.
I think we’ll learn a lot more about this group against Baylor – and I’m cautious of this Saturday night matchup with Houston… but Iowa State is in a driver’s seat. We’ll see who they’re racing in a few weeks.
Around the Big 12
On Saturday, I watched the tail end of the college football Saturday with a bunch of Hawk fans at Dingus – the greatest bar in the world (don’t let anyone tell you different).
The crowd was full of disgust. I heard words of the quarterback situation, how pompous Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck was, and one guy even came up to me to say Chris Hassel sucks. It was glorious.
Before I left, I caught the end of the Colorado-Baylor game and boy, did the Big 12 have a day.
I’ll start with Iowa State’s next opponent in Houston.
The Cougars put on another embarrassing performance being downed 34-0 by a Big 12 team that finished 3-9 last year in Cincinnati.
Quarterback Donovan Smith had an interception and a fumble in the first 10 minutes of the game. Cincinnati could run a semi truck through the gaps created against the Houston defensive line.
Houston just looked outmatched.
We’re either looking at Jekyll-and-Hyde team, or the bottom of the barrel in the Big 12 here.
Then we go to Kansas State, and I thought Houston would be hard to tackle. Even with a slim 6-0 first half lead, it felt like Kansas State was in control of this game.
That all changed when BYU recovered a D.J. Giddens fumble and took it in for the score (and lead) with 68 seconds remaining in the first half. Two plays later, Avery Johnson threw a pick straight to a BYU linebacker. A 6-0 lead turned into a 17-6 deficit in two minutes and it still got worse for K-State.
There was a pick on the first series of the second half, another BYU touchdown, and a 90+ yard punt return after Parker Kingston misjudged the ball and turned it into a home run return.
You are not going to see a better punt return for a TD than this one from BYU pic.twitter.com/yLLOyoJ5XH
— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) September 22, 2024
The Cats were already dead, but BYU Football’s Twitter account closed the coffin with a tweet that read “Live Mas.” If you know you know.
Live Más. pic.twitter.com/O5htfC4xwm
— BYU FOOTBALL (@BYUfootball) September 22, 2024
The Wildcats need to reset quickly before Oklahoma State comes to town this week.
Without Cam Rising, Utah put up against Oklahoma State.
Isaac Wilson played his best game yet, even if he threw two picks. I think that might have been the surprise of Saturday, at least for me.
The Utes hadn’t looked like a complete team without Rising, yet. It was night and day until Saturday – but rest assured they’ve got dawgs over there. And that showed.
Oklahoma State trailed 22-3 before a late rally, but there will be little room for error for the loser of this week’s game in Manhattan.
In other games, TCU took a really bad loss to SMU and coach Sonny Dykes got ejected against the program he used to coach. Texas Tech ended the Arizona State honeymoon phase.
And Colorado… I’ll let the videos tell the story because that place is just a damn roller coaster riding on the edge of the rails.
HE DROPPED IT 😱😬
Colorado was THIS CLOSE to scoring a late touchdown 🤏 pic.twitter.com/jlwPADMLN2
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 22, 2024
ARE YOU SERIOUS?!
COLORADO WITH A TOUCHDOWN IN THE FINAL SECONDS 🤯😱@CUBuffsFootball pic.twitter.com/8niJ6NPK8t
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 22, 2024
TRAVIS HUNTER FORCES THE FUMBLE FOR THE COLORADO WIN 😤🔥@CUBuffsFootball pic.twitter.com/9HIumwyqCl
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 22, 2024
Baylor had every chance to put that game away, and missed a kick with just over two minutes remaining that would have made it a two-score game.
Be thankful for Kyle Konrardy – for a third straight week.
