A week after the Iowa State defense stalled late in a 44-41 overtime loss to Iowa, today their was no stalling at Akron. The Cyclones defeated Akron 41-14 in their first road test. 

“Our kids will play really hard,” coach Matt Campbell said. “It’s about playing smart, it’s about playing to detail, it’s about coming to work every day.”

The Cyclones’ defense was locked in from the first Akron play and forced a punt on each of the Zips’ first three drives. Coming into the season the talk around Ames was the weakness of the defensive front seven, but all game that group proved they’re no weakness. 

Rather, they might be the strength of a defense that saw their cornerbacks get exposed not only against Akron, but against Northern Iowa and Iowa. Woodson threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns, the only scores Akron had for the day. 

Of Woodson’s 240 yards, a large chunk of those were to Zip receivers that were able to exploit the cornerbacks of Iowa State who were without Kamari Cotton-Moya. The redshirt senior left the Iowa game with an elbow injury and had a cast on for the Akron game. 

Campbell said he was day-to-day, but being that Akron is 1-1 and the Cyclones eying a bye week next week before Texas, Campbell decided to play it safe and not allow Cotton-Moya to even suit up.

In Cotton-Moya’s absence, freshman Keontae Jones burned his redshirt en route to having a single tackle in the game.

Along with the rest of the Iowa State defense, redshirt senior linebacker Joel Lanning had himself a day. The former quarterback had a career day and led the Cyclones in tackles, with eight. Lanning’s career day also featured a big sack to force a fourth down in the first quarter and an interception late in the third quarter that resulted in a touchdown by the offense. 

“One of the great bright spots,” Campbell said in regards to Lanning’s play. “To be honest with you, you talk about Joel Lanning, you know we’ve talked about it — just his growth.”

Both the sack and interception were the first of his career — his first defensive interception of his career to be more specific. Defensively, Iowa State held Akron to only 38 rushing yards the entire game. 

“Our leaders have to stand up and there’s a guy that is leading our football program every single day,” Campbell added about Lanning.

Offensively, redshirt junior Jacob Park and company continued to roll, recording their third straight 40-plus point performance. 

Iowa State’s offense possesses a two-headed monster at running back with redshirt junior Mike Warren and sophomore David Montgomery; but today, Park turned them into a three-headed monster. 

Park ran for three rushes for 38 yards, highlighted by a touchdown run that required a hurdle at the footsteps of the end zone. Although Park surprised when he tucked the ball and ran, Montgomery and Warren were no surprise en route to a combined 165 yards and two touchdowns. 

“How we came out in the second half, I think is was what’s indicative of what we can be,” Campbell said.  

On the passing side of the offense, Park spread the ball around to seven receivers. Redshirt senior Trever Ryen led the group with six catches for eighty yards. Behind him was senior Allen Lazard and Montgomery with 47 and 46 receiving yards, respective. 

Park finished his field day going 24-33 and 317 yards in the air for two touchdowns. Redshirt senior Marchie Murdock hauled in a 43-yard touchdown pass from Park on an improvised play. 

“This team must get better,” Campbell said. 

The Cyclones head into a bye week sitting at 2-1 and take on Texas Sept. 28 in Ames.