The Cyclones set the tone for Saturday’s 15-13 upset win over the Hawkeyes with a victory in the very first big moment of the game.

No, that moment wasn’t Alvin Bowen’s big sack or Bret Culbertson knocking down a field goal – rather, it was the coin toss.

For all of the important moments that saturated the game, it’s hard to believe that something as trivial as winning a coin toss could potentially have influenced the game. That was, however, the case on Saturday, as it ultimately helped put Iowa State in a favorable position to grab the momentum and an early lead.

With a stiff 10 mph wind funneling through Jack Trice Stadium straight out of the south, defensive coordinator Wayne Bolt said the coaching staff decided to defer after winning the toss and take the wind. The decision put the Cyclone defense on the field to start the game and forced the Hawkeyes to head into the wind for the first quarter.

Culbertson will be remembered for his game-winning kick, but it was his wind-aided opening kickoff sailing deep into the Hawkeyes’ end zone for a touchback that helped the Cyclones gain early control in the endless battle for field position.

Iowa started from their own 20-yard line but was stuffed on three straight plays and forced to punt. Iowa State took over at the Hawkeye’s 43, marched down the field and took a 3-0 lead on the first of five Culbertson field goals.

All three kickoffs in the first quarter went for touchbacks, leaving Iowa with an average starting position of their own 20, compared to Iowa State’s average of their own 42. The Cyclones used that field position to jump to an early 9-0 lead on their first three possessions.

“I think they were huge,” said coach Gene Chizik of Culbertson’s kickoffs. “That’s a field position advantage that is unbelievable, now that everyone is kicking off 5 yards deeper. It was huge, and I think Bret did a great job, and we’ll evaluate it week by week, but we’re really impressed with what he did Saturday.”

The touchbacks were big because the Cyclones are currently giving up a Big 12 worst of 38.4 yards per return, which has caused the defense to consistently be working on a shorter field.

“As coach Chizik said to me, it’s hidden yardage in special teams,” Bowen said. “That yardage right there – starting from the 20, I mean – that’s great. I don’t remember the exact numbers, as far as percentages of offenses scoring when they start from the 20 or below the 20, but it’s not that high.”

Iowa came into the game as heavy 17-point favorites, but the early offensive output thanks to the good field position helped the Cyclones to grab the momentum of the game.

“College football is basically about momentum; most sports are based on momentum, but especially college football,” Bowen said. “Getting that 12-point lead was a momentum booster, but, also, it showed us that with all that people were saying, we could really smile like we weren’t doing before.”

Bowen and his teammates were smiling because they went into halftime up 12-0 on a team nobody thought the Cyclones could beat, but they still had to fend off an Iowa comeback aided by good field position of their own. Iowa took advantage of a Meyer fumble and scored 10 of its 13 points with the wind in the third quarter. Conversely, Iowa State scored 12 of its 15 points when they had the wind.

In the second half, Iowa’s average starting position was the 42-yard line, compared to Iowa State’s 25.

Despite Iowa’s comeback, it was the initial 12-point spurt in the first half that gave the Cyclones the confidence they needed to drive the length of the field and set up the game-winning kick later in the game.

“Just confidence; it gives you confidence,” said wide receiver Todd Blythe about getting the early lead. “It just tells you that ‘hey, we can move the ball and we can score on these guys,’ and it just gets everyone in that rhythm and gets everyone rolling.”