AMES – The Iowa State Cyclones defeated the Kansas State Cougars Saturday night, 29-21, and secured the program’s first-ever 10-win season and a trip to the Big 12 Championship game.
The game was played on MidAmerican Energy Field at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, with an attendance of 56,228.
Iowa State opened the game by taking the ball from Kansas State on a botched pitch and recovery deep in Cougar territory. Iowa State’s forced fumble and recovery on the opening drive was the first time doing so since the Texas Tech (Nov. 19, 2022) game. The Cyclones have forced 21 turnovers this season, the most since forcing 21 in 2013.
That was turned into a touchdown when Jayden Higgins caught a 15 yard pass from Rocho Becht. Iowa State has now scored a touchdown on its opening drive in four of its last five games against Kansas State (also 2023, 2021 & 2020).
Kansas State soon tied the game at 7-7. But a filed put Iowa State in the lead for good in this one. The Cyclones led 24-14 at the half and 24-21 after three quarters. Iowa State has won 14-straight games when leading at the end of the third quarter.
Matt Campbell is now 63-50 at Iowa State and 98-65 overall as a head coach. Campbell’s 63 wins are the most in program history, as he passed Dan McCarney earlier this year.
The Cyclones are 7-0 in night games this season, including a 4-0 record at Jack Trice Stadium.
Iowa State improved to 10-2 on the year, the first 10-win season in the 133-year history of the program. It is also the first in Matt Campbell’s career. The Cyclones have locked up a top-four finish in the Big 12 standings for the seventh time in the last eight seasons. Iowa State’s seven conference wins are the second-most in program history (8 in 2020).
ISU has beat Kansas State in back-to-back games for the first time since 2020-21 and just the third time since 1990.
The Cyclones finished 6-1 at home, tying the school record from 2018 and 2002.
Iowa State’s 17 wins the last two seasons is the best two-year stretch in program history.
ISU has scored 20-plus points in 14-straight games, the second-longest streak among Power Conference Teams (Miami, 16).
Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins have both reached 1,000 yards receiving this season, becoming the first pair in school history to do so in the same year. They are the first Big 12 duo to do so since Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb (1,158) and Hollywood Brown (1,318) in 2018.
Higgins and Noel each had a touchdown reception in the game, marking the sixth time the duo has both caught a touchdown pass in the same game. It is the most by an Iowa State pair in the Big 12 era (since 1996).
Kansas State allowed a sack for the first time in four games tonight and the fifth game of the season. Their seven games without allowing a sack are tied for the most in the nation.
Since 2008, Iowa State and Kansas State have played in 13 one-possession games, tied for the most such games of any FBS matchup in that time.
Iowa State is now 16-for-20 (80%) on fourth downs this season, which ranks second in the FBS (Minnesota – 88.9%).
The Cyclones are 6-0 this season when converting two or more fourth down attempts.
Iowa State’s six games this season with multiple fourth-down conversions is tied for the most in a season since joining the Big 12 in 1996 (also had 6 in 2017).
The Cyclones are 7-0 this season when scoring 14-plus points in the first half and have won 13-straight games when scoring at least 24 points in the first half.
ISU has won nine straight games when rushing for 150+ rushing yards.
Iowa State has scored 29-plus points in four straight conference games for the first time since a four-game streak in 2005 (10/22 to 11/12).
Iowa State went 13-for-36 on passing attempts today, becoming the first FBS team to win a conference game with so few completions while having that many attempts since East
Carolina vs TCU on November 23, 2002 (11/36).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
Rocco Becht
*Started his 25th
-straight game at Quarterback for the Cyclones.
*Extended his school record streak of throwing a touchdown pass to 16-straight games. It is the longest streak in the Big 12 since Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield had a streak of 40.
*The first Iowa State player to have both a passing and rushing touchdown in three consecutive games since Austen Arnaud had a five-game streak in 2009. His six games this
season with both is tied for the third-most in school history in a season (7 – Austen Arnaud, 2009 and Seneca Wallace, 2002)
*Went over 3,000 yards passing on the season, joining Brock Purdy as the only quarterbacks in school history with multiple seasons over 3,000 yards passing.
*Was responsible for three touchdowns, moving up to a tie for fourth on the career list with 53.
*Passed Austen Arnaud (41, 2007-10) for fourth on the career touchdown passes list with 43.
*Moved into fifth on the career completions list with 466.
*Became the first player in school history to throw for 20 or more touchdown passes in a season twice, as he moved into a tie for third on the single-season list with 20 this year.
*Moved into second on the single-season touchdowns responsible list with 27 after throwing for two and rushing for one tonight.
*Moved into fourth on the single-season total offense list with 3,293 yards.
Abu Sama III
*Had a 31-yard run in the first half. It was Sama’s ninth career run of 30+ yards, with five of those coming against Kansas State.
Jayden Higgins
*Has caught a pass in 25-straight games, the seventh-longest streak in school history.
*Has a touchdown reception in six of seven home games this season, tied for the second-most home games with a touchdown reception in FBS this year.
*Moved into 10th in school history with his 133rd career reception today.
*Is now tied for sixth in school history with 15 career touchdown reception.
*Became the 10th player in program history with over 2,000 yards receiving in a career, moving into ninth on the list in the process.
*Is the fourth player in program history to record 80 receptions in a season and the third in the last four years.
*Moved into a tie for second in school history with his ninth touchdown reception of the season.
*Is now fourth in school history with 1,068 yards receiving this season.
Jaylin Noel
*Became the eighth player in school history to reach 1,000 yards receiving in a season and now sits seventh with 1,013.
*Has caught a pass in 44-straight games, the second-longest streak in school history and fourth-longest active streak in the country.
*Moved into fifth in school history with his 16th career touchdown reception.
*Moved into eighth in school history with his 67th reception this season, passing his career-best 66 of last season.
Jarrod Hufford
*Started his 45th
-straight game at Iowa State, the most games and longest streak of any active Cyclone.
Tyler Miller
*Started his 25th
-straight game as a Cyclone.
Joey Petersen
*Recovered a fumble in the second quarter, his first of the season and second of his career.
Darrien Porter
*Played in his 63rd game at Iowa State, tying the school record set by former teammates Gerry Vaughn and Jake Hummel.
Jacob Ellis
*Recorded his first career sack, resulting in a safety.
Jeremiah Cooper
*Started his 30th game at Iowa State and 15th
-straight game.
Ta’Shawn James
*Forced a fumble in the second quarter, the first of his career.
Myles Purchase
*Recovered a fumble on the first play from scrimmage of the game, the first fumble recovery of his career.
Kyle Konrardy
*His 19 field goals this season is tied for the fourth-most in a season in school history and the second-most by a freshman in a season.
*Has scored 96 points kicking this year, tied for the third-most in program history.
NEXT: The Cyclones and will face the Arizona State Sun Devils at 11 AM CT on Saturday, Dec. 7 on ABC at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, in the 2024 Dr Pepper Big 12 Football Championship. The Cyclones will return to the Big 12 championship game for the first time since 2020. The game will feature three-time Grammy award-winning hitmaker NE-YO as its halftime performer as the Big 12 Conference continues to balance innovation with tradition. NE-YO will be joined by both schools’ marching bands during the performance.