AMES — Xavier Hutchinson sprawled out, extended his arms, and left his feet in a Superman-like fashion to complete a 39-yard catch against Northern Iowa on Sept. 4 in Iowa State’s season opener. It was the first and last time Matt Campbell truly saw the Cyclones go out and take the moment for themselves and make a big play.

But it wasn’t just ‘a’ play; it was one of ‘those’ plays — the ones that turn the momentum in Iowa State’s favor and bring excitement and confidence with them. It’s what the Cyclones are looking for more of, not just Saturday against a UNLV defense that is allowing 466.5 yards for opposing offenses and 6.3 yards per play, but going forward in a season with a lot left on the table.

But anyone can go out and make ‘the’ play, not just the offensive side of the ball.

“It’s not just on offense,” Matt Campbell said to reporters Tuesday. “Man, we gotta get the ball turned over. We gotta make the stop on third and 14. We gotta catch the ball on the punt. You gotta go make the play. Man, if there’s not a sense of urgency now and obviously there wasn’t Saturday, that’s why I say some of that comes on the head football coach. Why is that sense of urgency not there? Why have I not gotten that out of us. I don’t know.”

The lack of explosive and game-changing plays is not for lack of talent on either side of the ball, with the offense led by the nation’s leader in rushing from a season ago in Breece Hall, a four-year starter at quarterback Brock Purdy, the reigning Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year in Hutchinson and one of the most steady and productive tight ends in the country in Charlie Kolar.

The same can be said for the Iowa State defense, which Campbell described as being in “lock step” so far this season. Mike Rose, Will McDonald, Zach Petersen, Eyioma Uwazurike, Jake Hummel, Greg Eisworth, Isheem Young and more make up a defensive unit that has allowed a total of six points in the second half of the team’s first two games.

But ‘the’ plays Campbell mentioned are lacking the most on offense through two games this season.

Hall has rushed for 69 yards in each of his first two games at an average of 3.5 yards per carry. As a whole, Iowa State hasn’t hit a run a 20 or more yards yet. In fact, the Cyclones only have four plays of more than 20 yards at all. 

Hall finished with plenty of momentum-shifting plays in 2020, with the running back from Wichita, Kan., putting up five runs of 20-yards or more through his first two games. He would finish with 15 total.

The dynamic junior tailback said he’s not pleased with himself so far, considering he’s coming off a breakout season with 1,572 yards at 5.6 yards a pop on the ground to help the Cyclones to a 9-3 season.

Hall said Tuesday that he and the rest of the offense have to start making plays of their own instead of asking their defense to bail them out each drive.

“I wouldn’t say frustrating, just kind of disappointed,” Hall said when asked if the first two weeks have been frustrating for him and the offense. “We know the offense, we could play be playing better, we could be helping the defense out way more. They’ve been putting us in a lot of really good spots, getting us really good field position.”

Hall, five rushing touchdowns away from the most in program history, said the Cyclones have to focus on shoring up details on their side of things to be able to create the exciting action they expect from themselves.

But this lack of explosive playmaking hasn’t always been a strong suit of the Iowa State offense, even last season with the program rising up the national polls.

• Purdy averaged 11.3 yards per completion a season ago (outside the FBS top-50 last season) with four Big 12 quarterbacks in the top-50.

• Iowa State managed just 1.3 passes per game of 30+ yards in 2020 (71st in FBS).

“Do I think we have great guys? Yes.” Campbell said. “Do I think our sense of urgency’s there? Man, I haven’t seen us make ‘that’ play. And to be honest with you, in the first two football games, when has that happened? [Xavier Hutchinson’s] big play against UNI is probably the one time I saw us kind of have a sense of urgency and say, ‘Man, go make the play.’”

Tight end Jared Rus is one of many in the tight end room for the Cyclones this season — a position group that has become a focal point for Iowa State’s offensive creativity and the aforementioned game-changing plays.

Although the redshirt junior has entered the offense as a true weapon for the first time this season, he has catches in both games this season and knows the Cyclones have the pieces in place to become the threatening offense they’re capable of being.

It’s a matter of inches rather than miles to get the big-time plays.

“Everybody knows there has to be somebody that steps up, but it’s certainly not that we got worse from last year,” Rus said. “We’ve got the same players, we got the same skill-guys that know how to make plays.”

“We just gotta step up and do it and I think we’re all going to talk and we’re just going to be able to get it done.”