DUBLIN, IRELAND – The luck of the Irish was on the side of the Iowa State Cyclones Saturday, as they beat the Kansas State Wildcats, 24-21, in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic inside Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.
Kicker Kyle Konrady it a 34-yard field goal to give ISU the lead in the fourth quarter. Is now 16-of-17 on field goals of 40 yards or less in his career.
The 2025 Aer Lingus College Football Classic was the first game Iowa State has played outside the United States.
This was just the second meeting in series history with both teams being ranked, as No. 12 Kansas State won 58-7 against No. 22 Iowa State in 2002 in Manhattan.
Today’s game marks the first time since 1997 that Iowa State has opened the season with a conference game.
August 23 is the earliest kickoff in school history.
Iowa State is 94-36-4 all-time in season openers, including a 7-3 record under Matt Campbell. The Cyclones have won five-straight season openers.
The Cyclones own a 55-50-4 lead in the all-time series with Kansas State. ISU has won the last three games, while Campbell is 6-4 against the Wildcats.
Campbell is now 65-51 at Iowa State and 100-66 overall as a head coach.
Campbell passed Gary Patterson (TCU) for seventh in Big 12 history with his 46th Big 12 victory.
Iowa State has 44 Big 12 victories since 2017, the most among any active member (TCU has 40).
Iowa State has allowed just 468 points in the second half since the start of the 2021 season. That’s just 8.8 per game.
Since 2023, Iowa State is 19-4 when forcing a turnover and 14-1 when forcing multiple turnovers.
The Cyclones are 40-19 when scoring first under Campbell.
Iowa State has won eight-straight games, going back to 2023, when leading after the first quarter.
The Cyclones are 27-2 when leading by sevenplus points after the first quarter since 2017.
This was the first meeting between Iowa State and Kansas State since 2009 that both teams had multiple turnovers.
Iowa State is 54-9 under Campbell when leading after three quarters, including 15-straight victories.
The Cyclones are 14-of-16 on fourth downs in the last six games.
Iowa State has won 15 of the last 16 games they have held an advantage in time of possession.
ISU forced a fumble on the opening Kansas State possession for the second-straight year.
(TOP IMAGE via Cyclone Athletics)