After a week off, Iowa State football is back and more specifically, back at Jack Trice Stadium. 

The Cyclones have yet to win a Big 12 game this season and currently have a 3-4 losing record along with a four-game losing streak. While looking for a win, qualifying for a bowl game is also on the line. 

The team will need six total wins to make a bowl game meaning that the Cyclones will need to win three out of the five games remaining including the game against Oklahoma. 

In head coach Matt Campbell’s, Tuesday press conference, he reiterated just how close his team is to a win and what small changes need to be made to get there. 

Offensive lineman Zach Ross said that while the obvious goal is to make it to a bowl game, the team is focused on one game at a time and more specifically, winning one game at a time. 

“Coming back to work day by day and listening to coach Campbell, put our heads down and work as hard as we can,” Ross said. 

Ross also mentioned how important having a week off was for the Cyclones. 

“We’ve definitely needed a week off. Everyone’s bodies are kind of banged up but I think the vibe around the locker room is still positive,” Ross said. 

As for quarterback Hunter Dekkers, he said having a bye week is huge both physically and mentally. 

“I feel like it was a really good time to just take a step back and reflect on the past couple games,” Dekkers said. 

Some of those banged up players include star running back Jirehl Brock and Catervious Norton. While Brock has played in all seven games for the Cyclones, he only ran for four yards against Texas; his lowest all season. 

Dekkers said that having healthy running backs is a big deal for the team and specifically the offense. 

When it comes to looking at film, Dekkers said it isn’t what the other teams are doing but rather what the Cyclones are doing to themselves. 

“It’s frustrating because obviously we’re not getting the outcome that we want and we know it’s because of ourselves,” Dekkers said. 

On a more positive note, Dekkers said it is encouraging to know that they are only losing by one possession games and that it is just little mistakes that have cost them the game. 

As for the Oklahoma Sooners themselves, they seem to be having a down year. The Sooners stand third to last in the Big 12 rankings; only two spots above Iowa State. 

Additionally, they will be going into the game against the Cyclones with a 4-3 record but a 1-3 conference record. 

Their conference win was against Kansas in a 52-42 score after being shut out at home by Texas the week prior. 

In the 2021-2022 season, Oklahoma finished third in the Big 12 with an 11-2 record where the losses came from the Big 12. 

“There’s good football teams every week and you gotta show up to play every single week,” Dekkers said about how he felt about the Sooners’ record.