The Cyclones are coming off a heartbreaking 28-21 homecoming loss to Kansas where a late-game push was not enough for a comeback.

The slow start the Cyclones had as a whole put them in too much of a deficit to overcome. The defense held strong through a good chunk of playtime, but mistakes were bound to happen.

With one big mistake given up late in the game, Iowa State’s hope at a sixth win and a bowl-game bid came to an end. With three games left, the pressure is on for Iowa State.

Becht makes up for rough start

Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht has been consistently good throughout the Big 12 season. Besides a few slip-ups here and there, he has been a big reason for the Cyclones’ success.

However, the start against Kansas was less than ideal. Becht was connecting on passes throughout the day, as he finished with 77% completion percentage. However, he was not finding big plays consistently as drives ended before they even started.

Becht was faced with more long third downs than usual, which was a big reason he could not move the ball as well. 

Becht’s biggest mistake came early in the game. Becht misread a hitch route and tossed the ball just too far for his receiver to catch, resulting in a pick-six; his third of the season.

Although the Cyclones were behind at half, Becht started picking things up in the second half. The offense was moving down the field with ease and nearly erased an 18-point deficit. Becht even used his legs to find the end zone.

Becht’s efforts late in the game were not enough for the Cyclones to come back and win. If his early mishaps were erased, the Cyclones might have ended the night with a win, but that was not the case.

Sanders at the top

Eli Sanders has proven himself as the lead back for Iowa State. He leads the team in yards and nearly averages five yards per carry.

Sanders’ talents were on display Saturday, as he ran to the front of the pack again. It seemed that every time Sanders touched the ball, he was bound to fall forward for a healthy pickup.

He averaged over four yards per carry while finishing with 57 yards. Sanders also helped the Cyclones build momentum as he was the first to find the end zone.

Sanders did not just rush the ball in for a touchdown either; he ran in the two-point conversion as well. Sanders’ efforts helped keep the Cyclones in the game later on.

The only issue with his performance was the lack of carries. Sanders only touched the ball 14 times, despite his high yards per carry. 

The Cyclones were down by a good amount throughout the game and did need to rely on the passing game, but it still felt as though Sanders was underused.

Rare trick play excites

The play that set the tone of the second half was not a big passing play from Becht. It was a Jaylin Noel throw to Jayden Higgins that eventually led to a touchdown.

The trick play had Becht toss the ball to Noel, who let it fly down the right side of the field 42 yards to Higgins. That play put the Cyclones in scoring position, which they capitalized on shortly after.

The play helped the Cyclones keep the tone of the second half and cut the lead to three points. 

However, one big play was not enough for the Cyclones to come out on top. Besides the trick play, the rest of the game spotlighted lackluster playcalling.

The Cyclones were constantly faced with long third-down plays after throwing away first and second downs. Kansas was keyed into what Iowa State was running on early downs, which kept Iowa State drives short.

The Cyclones started to get creative later, which is why they nearly came back. However, the lack of creativity early on was a big factor in Kansas’ ability to hold on to its lead.

Receiver carousel

With a pair of receivers getting a majority of the looks throughout the season, Saturday was a weird case where no star player went off in the passing game. 

Noel and Higgins were not at the top of the room, as Dimitri Stanley had his best game of the season. Stanley finished the game with five catches for 59 yards.

With Noel and Higgins having breakout games nearly every week, it was a change of pace to see someone else at the top, although both Noel and Higgins were close behind Stanley. Noel finished with 54 yards while Higgins finished with 56.

No receiver on the team had more than five catches despite the group hauling in 21 total. Eight players ended the night with catches.

The most interesting thing about the passing game was that many players had big catches despite the lack of breakout receivers. Three receivers had catches for over 30 yards. Stanley hauled in a 32-yard catch, Higgins caught Noel’s 42-yard pass and Daniel Jackson’s one catch of the day went for 35 yards.

Big catches were coming to receivers throughout the day, but without the same consistency as other games, it was not enough to overcome Kansas.

Time is running out 

Saturday’s loss was one that the Cyclones will want back. The Cyclones still need one win to qualify for a bowl game, and Kansas was one of the last good chances left.

The Cyclones were favored in the matchup, and a night win in front of a home crowd on homecoming would have fueled Iowa State’s bowl-game berth. Now the Cyclones sit in a tricky spot with just three games left for a win.

The last two games of the season might be the toughest yet, besides the road trip to Oklahoma. The Cyclones host Texas, the No. 1 team in the Big 12, and hit the road to take on Kansas State to finish the season.

Although there is a chance the Cyclones can win those games, there is also a good chance the Cyclones cannot pull off the upsets.

Besides the two games against top-Big 12 opponents, the Cyclones face BYU on the road. That will be Iowa State’s most-needed win. With the toughness of the last two games, the Cyclones need to get one against BYU to guarantee a bowl-game appearance.

With three games left, time is almost out for the Cyclones to finish their season on a high note.