I love whiteout games. To be frank, theme games in general are always a blast.
Seeing 61,500 people come together to wear the same color to support their team will always be cool to me. Iowa State never disappoints in that aspect. There was a reason this was the 16th sellout game with this current seating configuration.
Whether it be a gold-out for a men’s basketball game, a pink-out for a volleyball game or a whiteout under the lights at Jack Trice Stadium, they showcase exactly what is special about college athletics.
Saturday was no different. For the first time in 30 years, the Cyclones added a script helmet to their look, and it made the aesthetic even greater.
It definitely sparked a conversation on social media, that’s for sure.
I would love to see those return again, but maybe change up the color scheme to the old look of a yellow base with red accents or something new again.
Anyway, that was one of the coolest games I have gone to at Jack Trice Stadium. The crowd was loud, the theme was amazing and to cap it off, Iowa State did its job and won.
The whole day, week even, built up the whiteout so well, and it did not disappoint. Credit to the fans for bearing through the way-too-hot day by tailgating in the parking lots and still having the energy to yell during the game. You guys are legit.
The game itself was another good one. In all five of Iowa State’s games, the Cyclones have kept the first half uncomfortably close and then found life in the second half.
Head coach Matt Campbell has this thing figured out. Don’t show your cards, keep it close, wear out the other team and then attack. It works, and now-No. 11 Iowa State is 5-0.
There were a few key components of the on-field product that stuck out to me: senior running back Jaylon Jackson’s break-out game, the blocked punt and the fact that the Cyclones outscored Baylor 40-7 in the final two-thirds of the game.
Like I said in my gameday article, Jackson was on fire. 107 yards on 15 carries for two touchdowns is the main story of any regular game, but I fear it might be overshadowed by the fact that the game was a whiteout.
I’ll be the one to give Jackson his flowers. He has found his stride on this team, and it is deserved.
Though the Cyclones have been what we at the Sports Desk have been calling a ‘running back room by committee,’ there might be one who is starting to emerge.
Yes, sophomore Carson Hansen has been great, and fellow sophomore Abu Sama III has showcased his big-play abilities, but Jackson just might be the best of the bunch.
That should be expected given that he is in his fifth season in his college football career and has the experience that Hansen and Sama do not. However, his touchdown runs were some of the best runs I’ve seen by an Iowa State back this season.
Jackson’s ability to be patient and wait for plays to develop is something that comes with his experience, and he is definitely the guy who can help Hansen and Sama become even better in the next couple of seasons.
To this point, Jackson and Sama each have 48 carries and Hansen has 41. Jackson has 295 rushing yards to Sama’s 242, and that includes Sama’s 77-yard touchdown run against Houston.
I’m not shying away from the fact that Jackson did have a 51-yard run against the Bears, but Sama seems to be more reliant on those big plays.
Now, maybe I’m just saying all this because Jackson was the best back in the Baylor game. I’ll probably change my tune if Hansen or Sama has a breakout game that isn’t reliant on one long touchdown run.
And no, I didn’t forget Hansen’s breakout game against Arkansas State.
At the end of the day, the running back room by committee seems to work, and if it keeps everyone fresh, I’m all for it.
Now, about that blocked punt. That was hands down the biggest play of the game for the Cyclones. The crowd knew it too. It was the loudest the stadium was all night, and it was loud more often than not.
Seeing a guy like Caden Matson return that touchdown was special too. The redshirt sophomore played in two games last season and had no recorded stats prior to Saturday.
A punt return touchdown is a top-tier way to make your presence known.
That play was also crucial in the fact that it gave Iowa State its first lead of the game. The Cyclones held that lead into halftime, and after the Bears scored a touchdown to start the second half, it was all Iowa State from there.
The Cyclones will have another night game on the road this week against West Virginia, and then another at home the following week against UCF. I’m starting to wonder if Iowa State will play another day game at all this season.
