The Cyclones are coming off a much-needed win to open up Big 12 play after taking down Oklahoma State 34-27.

Iowa State’s offense was on display all day against the Cowboys. With the defense letting up an uncharacteristic amount of big plays, it was the Iowa State offense that played savior.

There were a lot of positives from the win over Oklahoma State, but there were also a few negatives. Let’s take a deep dive into what went down in Ames on Saturday.

Rocco Becht showcases his ceiling

Becht was the star of the show Saturday, lighting up the Cowboy defense by throwing for 348 yards and three touchdowns.

Becht was also as efficient as always, throwing no interceptions and having over a 70% completion percentage. He also had his highest quarterback rating of the season with an 85.9.

No matter where Becht was throwing or who was catching the ball, Becht was perfect all day. It was a true demonstration of what Becht can do if he is given the chance.

Becht was not given the reins on offense in the two losses, as the struggling run game was mainly on display. The few shots Becht had down the field in the first three games of the season looked promising.

It was clear entering Saturday’s matchup with Oklahoma State that something needed to be switched up on offense. Most likely, the Cyclones needed to put more faith in Becht’s arm.

Although the Cyclones were shaky to start the game, going to the ground more than most would have liked, they turned it on quickly. Becht led a drive down the field finding Jaylin Noel twice for big plays, one of which Noel was wide open outside the end zone.

Becht also kept the ball safe, which ended up possibly being a game changer, as turnovers are what decided the one-possession game. Nearly all of Becht’s balls were on target or not in fear of getting picked.

Going forward, if Becht shows out in a similar way, the Cyclones could pick up many more wins in Big 12 play. Becht showed that he has the potential to be a top quarterback in the Big 12, now he just has to do it consistently.

A healthy Daniel Jackson is a scary thing

Move over Jayden Higgins, Becht found his new up-and-coming weapon Saturday against the Cowboys.

Jackson came out of nowhere the last two games to cement himself as a viable offensive weapon going forward. Against Oklahoma State, Jackson had six catches for 90 yards and two touchdowns.

If it were not for Noel’s 146 yards, Jackson would have been the clear-cut best receiver on the day. The trio of Noel, Jackson and Higgins has been on display at times through the first four games of the season and bodes well for Becht’s chances in the future to light up more teams.

The most impressive part of Jackson’s games has been his big play capabilities. He is a magnet for big plays.

Jackson did a great job filling the spot of an absent Noel against Ohio, breaking out for 65 yards on three catches. That included a nearly 40-yard catch to move the ball deep down the field.

Jackson is averaging 18 yards per catch in each of the last two games, further adding to his big play potential. If he continues finding himself open against the coming Big 12 teams, he will have many more chances to make plays.

Eli Sanders saved a struggling run game

Sanders was coming off two weeks of injury that kept him sidelined through both losses of the season.

With the running back room struggling to get past three yards per carry, all Sanders could do was watch. Back at nearly full health against Oklahoma State, Sanders was ready to get back to action.

Cartevious Norton got injured early in the game. Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell said it looked like it was just a stinger to his right arm, but it kept Norton out for the final three quarters of play.

Although Abu Sama had some decent runs in past games, it was clear that he was not ready to take over the lead back role. The Cyclones experimented with different combinations of players, even giving Carson Hansen some more reps. The one thing that seemed to work was giving Sanders the ball.

The passing game was the clear star of the show, but Sanders did his best to complement it. He finished with 58 yards on 15 carries, which neared the four yards-per-carry mark.

Sanders even broke out a 15-yard run late in the game to set up another score. Combined with his rushing touchdown he had, Sanders’ runs gave life to an Iowa State run game that barely had a pulse in the last three games.

Uncharacteristic defense nearly leads to heartbreaking loss

The Iowa State defense embodied the motto “bend don’t break,” against the Cowboys.

Although the Cyclones pushed that to the limit, bending nearly too much, they never broke as the team still pulled out a win. The defenders that gave up big plays even made up for it later with big stops of their own.

The first big play of the game went to Oklahoma State, as Ollie Gordon broke off a 71-yard run to set up a touchdown. Although Ben Nikkel missed a tackle on Gordon on the start of the run, he chased Gordon down 70 yards to make a big-time tackle to keep Gordon out of the end zone.

Caleb Bacon had some huge plays throughout the day, but got burned for a touchdown. Even Beau Freyler dropped an interception, but got another chance at one later to give the Cyclones a much-needed turnover.

Throughout the day, the Cyclones were making up for big plays with outstanding defensive efforts. Along with that, many of the veterans on defense came up big when it mattered most.

J.R. Singleton was electric throughout the day as he got his first-career sack, and a massive one at that. The sack resulted in a loss of 17 yards, setting up a punt.

T.J. Tampa also came up big when it mattered most. Although he missed a few tackles, including an open-field tackle. He made up for that with an interception on Oklahoma State’s final drive of the game to ice the game and give the Cyclones the win.

Although it was not the cleanest showing from the defense, they clutched up when it mattered and helped pull out a win to reward the offense’s efforts.