AMES – The Cyclones are looking to end their season on a high note when they face Kansas State on the road Thursday. Heading into the match, Iowa State is 4-9-3 on the year, while the Wildcats sit at 7-6-4 for the season.
This season has not been kind to an Iowa State team that has played seven top-25-ranked teams. Couple that rigorous schedule with in-game mistakes doesn’t make for a recipe for success. But this is not to say the Cyclones have rolled over, not even in the slightest; it’s their heart and determination that define this season.
“[A win] would prove that we have a culture of people that want to fight collectively and together no matter what,” Iowa State head coach Matt Fannon said. “It would prove that we’re still going in the right direction.”
Winning in Manhattan has been second nature for Iowa State, evidenced by its sterling 4-1 away record versus Kansas State. The preparation for getting that fifth road win has involved physical training, and most importantly, understanding their opponent.
“We’ve got a couple of ideas that we’re training very specifically based on Kansas State,” Fannon said.
The biggest idea involves Iowa State manipulating a tendency that the Wildcats’ formation often demonstrates.
“Their front four doesn’t get back much, so there’s some gaps in there that we think we can exploit,” Fannon said. “Especially with the ability to get our fullbacks into higher areas and get on the ball.”
Kansas State plays very similarly to Cincinnati; directivity and intensity are the two words that describe the style employed by both. The Wildcats like to use their front four going downhill.
They also like to press defensively off the ball and set traps in certain spaces the ball travels to, in order to steal away possession. All this could be to the Cyclones’ advantage, as they played Cincinnati on Sunday, meaning this play style is fresh in their minds.
“We’ve seen it, we’ve played against it, we’ll recognize that’s what they [Kansas State] want,” Fannon said. “As long as we fight the same way we have … then I think it’ll be a good game.”
That fight is what’s most important when Iowa State takes the field Thursday. All the game planning and training in the world mean nothing if the team doesn’t display the will to win.
“I think we’ve worked so incredibly hard, and sport is such that sometimes things go your way, sometimes they don’t…,” Fannon said. “It’s continuing that, having a better character, showing exactly who we are, no matter what.”
Iowa State will end its season against Kansas State at 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The game will be live-streamed on ESPN+.
