Ames — And finally, the actual party begins.
Iowa State Football left a non-conference game with an undefeated (3-0) record for the first time since 2011 after demolishing Ohio State 43-10 at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday.
The Cyclones were sharp, accurate and efficient early on, taking a quick 17-0 lead less than 10 seconds into the second quarter. Then, as the game progressed, there were several issues, including blocked PATs, botched snaps, and failed tackles on defense. .
Still, the final results reflect the first two weeks of the season by ending with a win, with Cyclone having plenty left to clean up the weekend.
The Big 12 Party is coming in 7 days.
“I told our kids today that they feel like they’re ready for rock ‘n’ roll,” says Iowa head coach Matt Campbell Said. “From a physical point of view, from an attitude and effort point of view, I feel that what we say is the cornerstone of who we want to be. I really like where we are. Precision and detail (perspective) ), we’re still young, some young mistakes today, and we have to be humble enough to grow from those things.”
If there were any questions about how Iowa State would respond this week after last week’s thrilling 10-7 victory over nemesis Iowa in Iowa City, those concerns were quickly allayed.
hunter deckers On point from the opening kick, he led the Cyclones with an 11-play, 69-yard drive to start the game before capping it with his first rushing touchdown of the season.
He added the first of three touchdown passes late in the quarter. This is his 12-yard connection with his end tight. Deshawn Hanikaleading Iowa State 14-0 at the end of the first frame.
By the halftime horn, Deckers had completed 21 of 27 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns. He finished with a 28/36 bottom line for 268 yards and three touchdowns.
Yes, there were snaps lost deep in Ohio territory in the second quarter, but it makes me feel so much better about Deckers’ performance in his first three games as the starting quarterback for Iowa State. It never happened.
“I think there are high-end highs and lows that we have to figure out,” Campbell said of the starting quarterback. “We still have to work on ball safety, but there are some important plays he makes in the game of football.
Life for Dekkers Xavier Hutchinsonwas dominant again on Saturday, recording nine receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown.
He became the eighth Iowa wide receiver to surpass 2,000 career receiving yards. The Jacksonville native is also the seventh college football player since 2000 to record 28 or more receptions in his first three games of the team’s season.
This is a list that includes Michael Crabtree, Brandin Cooks, and Tavon Austin, an elite college-wide trio of receivers that need no introduction.
He’s played at the national level up until this point in the season, and we’re just getting started.
“They were trying to get the X together in the first half,” Campbell said. “You can still make some key third downs, some key plays, and great moments. That’s a credit to the X for being open.”
A win over the Bobcats on Saturday may also make you feel better on board about Iowa State’s other options.
Jaylin Noel Caught 3 passes for 29 yards. Deckers connected with Hanika twice in the game, including Hanika’s season and the aforementioned touchdown, the second of her Iowa State career.
I’m finally healthy Sean Shaw During the game’s third quarter, he made an impact by catching five passes for 54 yards and scoring his first touchdown of the season.
“I think what I’m probably most excited about is that some others have stepped up,” Campbell said. “I think what’s fun is that we’re starting to see a supporting her cast forming around Xavier. It’s exciting because we’re going to need all of those guys as well.”
This still appears to be one of Iowa’s best offensive lines under Campbell, and last week’s performance in Iowa City may have been the best by any Iowa offensive line during Campbell’s tenure. I argue.
That said, the group had some difficulties on their own path Saturday, including allowing back-to-back sacks in the third quarter.
Iowa State recorded 163 yards on 32 rushes, averaging 5.1 yards per carry against Ohio State, so finding rushing room wasn’t a problem. Girrell Block Gained 76 yards on just seven carries.
There are moments when this Iowa State offense looks even more dynamic and explosive than it has in the past few seasons where it has been ranked among the best offensive offenses in program history.
Still, with only three games left on the calendar, there is room for growth.
“I was probably pissed off at halftime because we were going 30-3. I know all the things that cost us when we needed them most. If we don’t put them away, we won three.” I would be happy with 0 losses.I don’t.I feel like there’s still a lot of evidence of who we can be and what we need to be if we’re to get there.”
The game was marketed as the first real challenge for the Iowa State defense, John Heacockunits were largely dominant, holding Ohio to a total of 233 yards of offense and 24 rushing yards on 22 attempts.
The unit also forced four turnovers (two interceptions and two fumble recoveries) and lost four sacks and seven tackles. I had Eight of them he played four times or less.
Consider the challenge successful. But the biggest challenge still awaits.
“The fun thing about the young teams is seeing how hard they work. I literally thought Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday practices were the three best practices. “From what we’ve seen since coming to , we’ve seen incredible growth in some areas,” Campbell said. “Then the situation is completely new or different people and man, look at the areas they emerge and we have to get better. A challenge will come before you.”
Iowa State has already done a lot in its first three games, raising the level of anticipation for its fan base. A group that may have wished they could have made it to the bowl games in preseason will now move on to the next stage with bigger dreams.
To create that hope, Iowa State had to pass some key tests. This includes getting over the hump against your biggest rival. Many of the biggest questions of the cyclone offseason seem to have answers.
It’s okay for Iowa State fans to feel pretty good this week ahead of next Saturday’s Big 12 opener against league champions Baylor at Ames. After passing the first set of tests, the program is making good progress. However, these are just the beginning.
Now the real party begins.
