Iowa State Cyclones running back Abu Sama III (24) was pushed out by Texas Tech Red Raiders’ defensive back C.J. Baskerville (9) near the goal line during the fourth quarter in the week-10 NCAA football at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
AMES — Abu Sama showcased his power and speed. Each quick cut affirmed his trust in his blockers, as the sophomore Iowa State tailback sliced and diced through Texas Tech’s defensive front.
In short — even though the No. 17 Cyclones suffered their first loss of the season last Saturday — Sama looked like himself in the second half, bounding for 82 yards on nine carries after losing four yards before the break.
And that bodes well for ISU (7-1, 4-1) in Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. Big 12 matchup (FS1) with Kansas (2-6, 1-4) at Arrowhead Stadium, and beyond.
“I think that part’s really exciting because I think we all know what his ability is, and what he brings to our football team,” said Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell, whose team seeks to end a two-game skid against the Jayhawks. “I think you see a guy that kind of gained some great confidence needed moving forward.”
Sama burst onto the scene as a true freshman last season with a 110-yard, two-touchdown performance in a win at BYU and a 276-yard, three-touchdown flourish in a snow-strewn triumph at Kansas State. Since then, he’s rushed for as few as four yards and as many as 101 yards while sharing time with fellow sophomore Carson Hansen and senior transfer Jaylon Jackson in the backfield.
Sama’s role could expand now, though, as Hansen — who’s rushed for seven touchdowns this season — continues to be limited by a lingering ankle injury, and Jackson’s been bottled up after breakout performances against Baylor and Houston.
“(Sama’s) always had a positive mindset, no matter what the outcome of the games have been for him,” star senior receiver Jaylin Noel said. “He’s done a great job keeping a smile on his face every day, coming to the facility, attacking the work he needs to get done.”
Hansen leads ISU in rushing with 444 yards, Sama is second with 377 yards on the ground, and Jackson’s contributed 341 yards. All three average between 4.6 and 5.5 yards per carry, helping the Cyclones to finally find some consistency in their running game. ISU’s rushed for 230-plus yards in four of its past six games and Kansas’ defense ranks 11th in the Big 12 against the run, allowing 158.4 yards per game.
So Sama and company could exploit the Jayhawks’ vulnerability and help revive a Cyclones’ offense that’s often sputtered and/or stalled inside the opponent’s 35-yard line in recent games.
“I feel like eventually it’s gonna be all of us; you’re gonna see me, you’re gonna see the other running backs in every game popping off at the same time,” Sama said. “Just going at it, blow for blow. That’s what we’re trying to work on, (like) with the whole team. I feel like if we can get everything together, then I feel like we can’t be stopped.”
Sama serves as ISU’s top big-play option, and even as he’s struggled at times this season, he’s broken off runs of 10-plus yards in seven of eight games. The 5-11, 210-pound Southeast Polk product didn’t even start playing the position until his senior year of high school and was initially recruited as a defensive back. So he’s still learning the intricacies of being a tailback, even as his on-the-job training occasionally produces jaw-dropping results.
“He’s such a young player at his position, and he’s got such an unbelievable spirit about who he is and what kind of teammate he is,” Campbell said. “He and Carson are roommates. Those two guys go everywhere together.”
Including the end zone — a patch of turf they hope to reach often on Saturday against the Jayhawks.
“We know what we want as a team, where we want to be at, and that’s what we’re working toward every day,” Sama said.
