With the return of the Jayhawks at Jack Trice, payback was on the agenda, as the Cyclones had lost their last three games against their newfound feathered rivals. Iowa State’s simple offense and strict defense collaborate on Senior Day to take a 38-14 victory. 

Simple offense 

As Iowa State began its final home game of the season, the goal at hand was securing one final home victory for senior day. The pairing of new helmets and senior recognition combined to set off a perfect farewell to Jack Trice Stadium in the final home game. 

“It was pretty special, it was pretty cool, we didn’t know what we were wearing until last night,” redshirt junior quarterback Rocco Becht said. “It was pretty awesome to be out there, wear that Cynado, it really looks good, and hopefully we can wear it more.” 

With a rushing and passing touchdown paired with a 55 yard field goal in the first half, the Cyclones cruised past the Jayhawks.

Becht concluded the first quarter with a 100% completion rate on his nine passes to secure 79 passing yards. 

Within this run, Becht connected with sophomore wide receiver Brett Eskildsen to open the scoring with a nine yard passing touchdown.

Heading into the second quarter, a pair consisting of a rushing touchdown and a field goal secured the opening half lead.

With two flags back to back, Iowa State avoided an interception and turned that into a touchdown. A four yard rushing touchdown by junior running back Carson Hansen sealed the final first-half touchdown. 

As a simple yet smart offense continued to drive Iowa State past Kansas. With an uptake in offense, so did the dance competition. Between a dab by a Jayhawk and Eskildsen hitting the gritty notes, the energy of Jack Trice was electric. 

“I’ve had that one prepared for a little bit now,” Eskildsen said. “ I just like to have fun with it.” 

The second half opened with a touchdown to get the Jayhawks on the board. Despite the attempt at a comeback, Kansas only found itself scoring two total touchdowns. 

A 21 yard pass from Kansas backup quarterback redshirt sophomore Cole Ballard connected with redshirt senior tight end Boden Groen to serve as the Jayhawks’ biggest offensive breakthrough.  

Iowa State combatted Kansas by two touchdowns with two passing and one rushing. With his second touchdown of the day, Eskildsen led all Cyclones with two total touchdowns. This marked Eskildsen’s first multi-touchdown game in his career.

Underclassmen debut dynamic defense 

With a first-half score of 17-0 in favor of Iowa State, the defensive precision of the Cyclones granted the team a confident first half.

Although Kansas led with 40 tackles compared to Iowa State’s 23 at the end of the half, the Jayhawks’ defense couldn’t press the Cyclones enough to deny an offensive stint.

Throughout the game, the dominance of the underclassmen allowed for a sweet senior sendoff. Among 16 defensive players, nine underclassmen found themselves playing vital roles in this victory. 

“No matter who steps in, you don’t have to be a superhero. We just need to have a superhero team,” Head Coach Matt Campbell said. “To be able to see so many guys really over the last two years just step in and play great football…just says a lot about the development of our football program.” 

Leading the underclassmen was redshirt freshman defensive back Carson Van Dinter, who tallied four solo tackles and assisted two for six total tackles. With this performance, Van Dinter earned his career best in solo and overall tackles.

A similar noteworthy performance emerged from this newcomer success, sophomore defensive back Marcus Neal Jr. With one solo touchdown and four assists, Neal took the fourth-place spot among all defenders, but his standing ovation moment came from a game-determining interception. 

“It was really big personally cause I want to go out there and make plays for my team,” Neal said. “Going out there and doing that means a lot to me.” 

Senior spotlight 

As another Cyclone took the field at Jack Trice for the final time this season, a moment of recognition is needed to respect the senior class. With 16 seniors honored, their dedication to this program has been nothing short of incredible.

“Doing it for those guys [senior class], this is our last time playing at the Jack, and we wanted to make the most out of it, you know, for our team,” Neal Jr. said.

As the team’s collaboration came together to celebrate a class full of success, that legacy will forever be cemented in the history of Iowa State football. 

A senior worth mentioning is James Neal III, who has started in over 30 games for the Cyclones throughout his career. Between community ties to on-field performance, Neal stands tall in his final performance at Jack Trice.

“It was great, man. I try to do everything I can to help the team, and I feel like I was able to do that today,” Neal said.