All’s well that ends well if you’re Iowa State on Saturday in its 37-34 victory over TCU.

The Cyclones walked into Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday and took care of business in typical Iowa State dramatic fashion and now sit in a tie for first place in the Big 12. As previously stated, all’s well that ends well. Right?

Any win is a win in a conference like the Big 12 this year, where chaos seems to be inescapable no matter what team is on the schedule. Which is why Iowa State’s first win feels good to have, but if you look deeper, glaring issues still exist on the team, and if it weren’t for a few dominant showings, the Cyclones could very well be staring at an 0-2 start.

Breece Hall carries the load

With just over 10 minutes left in the half, Iowa State’s offense looked to be in the same rut it was in against the Ragin’ Cajuns in week one. 

Managing 43 yards of total offense coming into its third drive, the most efficient play the offense could create was three straight punting situations as the second quarter was starting.

Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy started his day right where he left off against Louisiana, overthrowing receivers and throwing into double coverage, lucky enough his passes didn’t turn into interceptions. It seemed Iowa State was going to be desperate for any sort of consistent offensive threat yet again.

Right on cue, running back Breece Hall provided the spark for Iowa State’s offense.

“I felt like after that we got really comfortable and we started calling a lot of stuff and it was working so after the run gave us a little spark,” Hall said.

On an inside zone, Hall cut through a gapping hole created by his o-line and baited one of TCU’s linebackers to bite and come inside to try and stop the run. Hall took advantage and cut to the outside and raced down the sideline for a 75-yard score to give the Cyclones a 7-0 lead.

Hall would be the workhorse for Iowa State against TCU, amassing 154 rushing yards and three touchdowns. His 75-yard score matched the longest run of his career and his three touchdowns also tied his career high.

Without Hall’s contributions, the outcome could have appeared a lot differently for an offense that has continued to see Purdy struggle to connect with his receivers on a consistent basis and with protection being weak, forcing plays to die before they can even get started.

“I thought he was outstanding today,” Head Coach Matt Campbell said.

Purdy’s stat line on the surface — 18-23 for 211 yards and a touchdown pass — doesn’t tell the whole story for how the junior played for the majority of Saturday’s game.

Yes, that play might be an extreme, but outside of the craziness within the play by Purdy, the absence of clear decision making and being able to think on the fly has cost Purdy through his first two games.

Purdy’s inability to connect with his targets consistently has left the offense scrambling for answers, but Hall’s performance was able to mask another subpar performance from the offense’s most important piece.

JaQuan Bailey and the D-line feast

It wasn’t just the offense that started on the same note from week one, because JaQuan Bailey and his teammates on the defensive line had their way with TCU’s front from the get-go.

Latrell Bankston picked up what would end up being the first of many sacks for the defense on Saturday, most of which came from redshirt senior defensive end JaQuan Bailey. The defense made it hard for TCU quarterbacks Matthew Downing and Max Duggan all game long, bringing them down for a tune of six sacks on the day.

Bailey had one of his most dominant games as a Cyclone, totaling 3.5 sacks, including a strip sack and subsequent fumble recovery. His sack totals were also accompanied by his four tackles for loss, tying a program record for most tackles for loss in a single game. This was all in the first half alone.

When the game was all said and done, the Iowa State record book was sprinkled with Bailey’s name.

Bailey now sits as Iowa State’s all-time leader in sacks (22) and tackles for loss (36.5). His 3.5 sacks tied a program record for most in a single game, tying Jason Berryman’s 3.5 sacks in the 2005 Houston Bowl against TCU.

Campbell said he thought Bailey already began the year with exceptional play against Louisiana and said it was too early to say after the game if it was Bailey’s best game yet. However, he was ready to give him praise for how he has conducted himself from the very beginning of the season.

“I couldn’t be prouder of him, what he stands for, what he’s doing and showing just how talented he truly is,” Campbell said.

Scoring off turnovers

Campbell said in the weeks following Iowa State’s season opening loss there were plays left on the field Iowa State could have made to possibly turn the tide of the game.

Luck turned in the Cyclones’ favor Saturday in a big way and the Cyclones took advantage of it every single time.

Right after Bailey’s strip sack with just over a minute left in the first half, Iowa State struck while the iron was hot and Purdy found Darren Wilson for a 17-yard score to put Iowa State up 16-7 right before it would be able to get the ball back to start the second half.

As the game went on, Max Duggan’s entrance into the game for the Horned Frogs made pressure a lot harder to manufacture, with Duggan being a more athletic and scrambling quarterback than Downing.

As the Horned Frogs and Cyclones traded blows down the stretch, Mike Rose and his grip strength would prove to be the deciding blow for the Cyclones to take advantage of.

Rose’s interception didn’t go to waste, as Hall punched in his third and final score of the day on the ensuing drive for the Cyclones.