Iowa State’s Rocco Becht (3) congratulates teammate Jayden Higgins (9) after his touchdown during the Cy-Hawk game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. © Julia Hansen/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK
AMES — What do current Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht and former Ducks play caller Bo Nix have in common?
Well, obviously all three are (or were) standout college players, but their stat-based kinship runs deeper than that.
Gabriel, Becht and Nix are the only three FBS quarterbacks to record six or more completions of 50-plus yards since Nov. 11, 2023, and Becht’s accomplished that rare feat in six consecutive games dating back to last season.
Next up: Saturday’s 1 p.m. nonconference finale against Arkansas State at Jack Trice Stadium — and Becht aims to accumulate more explosive plays as the No. 20 Cyclones seek to start the season 3-0 for just the second team since head coach Matt Campbell took over the program in 2016.
“It’s just an all-team thing,” Becht said. “The line has to do its job. The receivers have to go out there and run the right route and catch the ball, and ultimately I have to get the ball to them.”
Sounds simple, but it’s not. Gabriel owns nine completions of 50 or more yards since last Nov. 11. Becht’s tossed seven such long passes in that span and Nix did it six times before moving on to the NFL. And all of those elements Becht touched on — strong pass protection, crisp route running, and patience in the pocket — converge because of the trust built between Becht and ISU’s offense.
“I think one thing about Rocco is he has such a great understanding of the game of football and, at times, (he’s) directing protections and helping that group out,” said Campbell, whose team is a 22-point favorite against the Red Wolves (2-1). “I think Jarrod Hufford’s ‘veteran-ness’ at center — his ability to be an anchor in there, I think those two have been a really good one-two combination in terms of our protection game, and really kind of setting us up for success.”
The Cyclones’ top receivers, Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins, take it from there. Those seniors have each caught one touchdown pass in each of the past four games — becoming one of just five receiving duos to do that since 2019. Noel leads ISU with six 50-yard plays since the start of last season and Higgins owns three receptions of 50-plus yards in that span.
So their star power is well-established, but the Cyclones still need to find their best third and fourth options in the passing game while simultaneously seeking consistency in the running game.
Two transfer receivers — Eli Green and Isaiah Alston — could emerge as potent options downfield along with redshirt freshman Beni Ngoyi and tight end Ben Brahmer, who has been banged up early in the season. Becht’s confident that depth will be developed to complement the Abu Sama-led running game and make ISU’s offense even more explosive.
“(As) transfers, it’s hard for them to get in a flow those first two games, especially at a higher (level) program than they were at,” Becht said of Green and Alston. “I go back to last year (when) Jayden had a first couple of games (to adjust), so just letting those guys get in the rhythm, get in the flow of things and understanding the offense a little bit more — that’s why this bye week was so beneficial.”
The Cyclones are coming off their first of two bye weeks and will face an Arkansas State defense that’s allowing just 176.7 passing yards per game while snaring four interceptions to three touchdowns allowed.
“They’re a team that’s fast,” Becht said. “They fly around to the ball. So just being able to stay on my reads, trust my progression and my process, I think I’ll be fine.”
One of the reasons the Red Wolves have been solid against the pass is their inability to stop the run. Arkansas State’s giving up an average of 233 rushing yards per game, which is tied for 128th nationally. So it’s possible ISU can shore up its running game on Saturday as well — while still ensuring that Becht and his receivers can continue piling up big gains when the opportunities arise.
“It’s a group effort,” Becht said. “And when everybody’s on the same page, we can produce good football.”
