AMES – New Big 12 foe Central Florida came to play Saturday night in Ames and gave Iowa State a tough game, but the Cyclones found a way to improve to 7-0 on the season after a thrilling finish.
The game was played at MidAmerican Energy Field at Jack Trice Stadium in front of 61,500 fans, the 17th sellout in the current configuration and second this season.
Matt Campbell is now 60-48 at Iowa State and 95-63 overall as a head coach. Campbell’s 60 wins at Iowa State are the most in program history, passing Dan McCarney’s record of 56 earlier this season. Campbell has coached Iowa State as a ranked team a school record 30 times with a 19-11 record.
Iowa State’s 7-0 start matches the best in the 133 year history of the program (1938).
ISU has won eight-straight regular season games dating back to last season.
The Cyclones are 4-0 in Big 12, the first time Iowa State has been 4-0 in conference play in program history.
Iowa State’s 40 Big 12 wins since 2017 are the most by current league members.
ISU is 12-3 in its last 15 games dating back to last season.
The Cyclones have won 13-consectutive games when scoring 30 or more points, including a 3-0 record this year.
Iowa State has had four different players (Carson Hansen tonight) with a 50-yard play this season, including three different running backs.
The Cyclones have intercepted a pass in all seven games this season, the first time doing so in seven-straight games since 2021-22 (Nov. 13, 2021-Sept. 17, 2022).
This is the first time since 2009 that Iowa State has intercepted a pass in the first seven games of the season.
UCF’s 354 rushing yards are the most Iowa State has allowed since giving up 469 to Baylor in 2016 and the most they have allowed in a victory since at least 1996.
The victory was Iowa State’s first when trailing by 14 or more points since beating Baylor 38-31 in 2020 (Trailed 24-10 in 3rd Quarter).
The game was the first all-time meeting between the Cyclones and Knights and marked the first time a school from Florida has played in Ames.
UCF’s 35 points are the most Iowa State has allowed in a victory since beating Kansas State 42-38 in 2018.
Iowa State held UCF to 62 yards passing, the fewest amount ISU has allowed since Kansas State had 47 in 2019.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Rocco Becht
*Started his 20th consecutive game.
*Has thrown a touchdown pass in 11 consecutive games, tying Brock Purdy (2020-21) for the second-longest streak in school history.
*His 12 passes of 50 yards or more in the last two years are the second-most in college football behind Dillon Gabriel’s 15.
*His 14 wins as a starting quarterback are tied for the fifth-most in program history.
*Became the fourth player in school history to reach double digit victories as a starting quarterback against league opponents.
*Is responsible for 41 touchdowns in his career, tying Seneca Wallace (2001-02) for eighth in program history.
*Passed Alex Espinoza (1984-86) for sixth in program history with 34 career touchdown passes.
*Passed David Archer (1982-83) for eighth in program history with 363 career completions.
*Rushed a career-high 20 times for 97 yards, the second double-digit carry game of his career.
Carson Hansen
*Scored Iowa State’s first two touchdowns of the game, giving him a streak of scoring five-straight touchdowns for Iowa State going back to last week.
*Has scored multiple rushing touchdowns in back-to-back games, the first Cyclone to do so since Breece Hall in November 2021.
Jaylin Noel
*Has caught a pass in 39-straight games, the second-longest streak in school history.
*His 39-straight games with a reception is the fourth longest active streak in the country.
*Joined Xavier Hutchinson (2020-22) and Allen Lazard (2014-17) as the only players in program history with over 200 career receptions, as he now has 202.
*Moved into sixth in program history with 3,606 career all-purpose yards.
*His 36-yard punt return in the first quarter was his longest of the season.
*Tied a career-high with eight receptions for the fifth time, while his 153 yards receiving were the second-most in his career.
Jayden Higgins
*Caught his sixth touchdown pass of the season and the 25th of his career. He now has back-to-back seasons with six touchdown receptions at Iowa State.
Trevor Buhr
*Made his first career start, getting the nod at left guard.
Jarrod Hufford
*Started his 40th consecutive game at Iowa State, the most by any active player.
Tyler Miller
*Started his 20th consecutive game at Iowa State.
Rylan Barnes
*Finished with eight tackles, one shy of his career high, while also adding a career-high three tackles for loss.
Darien Porter
*Played in his 58th game as a Cyclone, moving into sixth on the all-time list.
Jontez Williams
*Became the fifth Cyclone in program history to have an interception in four-straight games, as his interception sealed the victory on UCF’s final drive.
*First Cyclone with an interception in four-straight games since Ronnie Osborne in 1982.
Jeremiah Cooper
*Started his 25th game as a Cyclone.
Beau Freyler
*His second quarter interception was his second of the season and sixth of his career.
Malik Verdon
*Tallied a team-high 11 tackles, his second-straight week with double-digit tackles and the third game this season as such.
Kyle Konrardy
*Connected on a 30-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, improving to 9-of-12 on field goals this season.
Iowa State next faces Texas Tech on November 2 in Ames.
