AMES – The outcome of this game should have been clear after it took just two plays for the Cyclones to find the endzone. The scoring may have slowed down, but the game was never in doubt as the Cyclones cruised their way to a 21-3 victory over North Dakota. Here are a couple of takeaways from Saturday’s action.
Cyclones linebackers facing injuries
The Cyclones may have won this game, but their defense suffered a couple of key losses in their linebacker room.
Starting outside linebacker Will McLaughlin was ruled out of the game right before kickoff without any previous reports of an injury. McLaughlin was a big piece of the Cyclones defense in 2023. The junior played and started in all 13 games last season, recording 46 tackles and had a team-leading seven tackles for loss.
“We’ve had a laundry list of guys coming out of camp that have bumps and bruises and were dinged up. A lot of these guys are day-to-day. We had a linebacking core that was limited today,” Head coach Matt Campbell said.
To make matters worse, standout middle linebacker Caleb Bacon exited the game after an apparent leg injury midway through the first quarter. Bacon played in all 13 games last season while being second on the team in tackles with 60, and recorded 6.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.
Bacon received treatment on the sideline for an extended amount of time before heading back to the locker room with a heavy wrap around his knee. He did not return to the field.
“We don’t know a lot about [Bacon] right now. Certainly, wasn’t in the position to get back into the game. I think we’ll know a lot more tomorrow. Obviously, we’re hoping it’s nothing significant. I don’t know if it is or is not right now,” Campbell said.
The losses on defense were apparent in the Cyclones ability to stop the run. The Cyclones allowed 174 yards on 4.1 yards per carry. The Fighting Hawks rushing ability made it hard for the Cyclone defense to get off the field. They were constantly able to stay ahead of the chains and keep third downs manageable, going 11-20 on third downs.
The Fighting Hawks also had a considerable advantage in time of possession, holding the ball for 37:51 while the Cyclones held the ball for only 22:09. This included a North Dakota drive that went 23 plays for 88 yards, taking 12:24 off of the clock, but only resulted in a field goal.
All of that said, the defense did only allow three points as the defense was able to snub out North Dakota’s scoring chances nearly every time.
Cyclone offense showcases big play ability
While the Cyclone offense didn’t hold on to the ball for long, when they did have it they were consistently converting on big plays down the field.
The fireworks started on the first play of the game. Rocco Becht dropped back and found a double-covered Jaylin Noel down the field for a 54-yard gain.
“I was ready for it. I knew what the play was, we had it scripted all week. He gave me a shot and I just went and made a play on the ball,” Noel said.
“I knew I had Jaylin on the post and as long as that safety just gave me enough time to let it loose and put a ball out there for him I was gonna do it,” Becht said.
The offense did not take one play off. On the very next play Becht found Jayden Higgins for a 21 yard touchdown, just 38 seconds into the game.
“The reality of it was trying to find the best matchups in the football game. Credit Rocco, those are two really great throws, and obviously, you have two great players making plays on those balls,” Campbell said.
“That’s Coach [Taylor] Mouser for you. That’s what he brings to the table. He’s aggressive, he’s unique, we’re going to keep doing that all season long,” Becht said.
The passing game was firing on all cylinders, as the Cyclones averaged 13.2 yards per passing attempt. Becht went 20-26 for 267 yards and two touchdowns and even added on a one yard rushing touchdown off of a rare QB sneak.
“He was a leader and he was poised. His poise out there kept the whole offense poised, making sure we made timely plays. Some drives didn’t end the way we wanted to but he was still on the sideline making sure guys were good and ready to go,” Noel said.
He’s just making sure everyones together, and a quarterback like that is someone who the offense can get behind and follow in his footsteps,” Noel said.
Jaylin Noel brought in eight grabs for 135 yards and a touchdown, while Jayden Higgins had five catches for 75 yards and a touchdown of his own.
Mouser, Iowa State’s new offensive coordinator, couldn’t have asked for a much better performance from his offense than the one he got today. That may seem crazy when the offense only scored 21 points, but they were hardly on the field. They capitalized when they had their chances before calling off the attack in the fourth quarter.
“I think he did a great job. Honestly, I thought there was a great balance to what we wanted to do. I thought we drove the ball with great consistency; we were five of ten on third down. I really thought he had a great game,” Campbell said.
The Cyclone offense will have to stay consistent as they prepare to face a much tougher defense in Iowa next week.
