ames: Iowa State Football plays its first Saturday night game when Kansas State travels to Jack Trice Stadium for a big 12 matchup.
The Cyclones enter the game with a 3-2 record, following back-to-back one-touchdown losses to Baylor and Kansas. The Wildcats, on the other hand, hit the road with a 4-1 record, having lost just one game to Tulane in mid-September.
And this could have been an interesting matchup. Iowa State and Kansas State had the worst and second worst, respectively, offenses in the conference before Saturday’s matchup. But on the other hand, the Cyclones possessed the best defense of the Big 12 and Kansas State is right behind at No. 2 place.
Saturday’s game leaned more on the defensive side, but neither team’s offense nor defense really shone. There were big moments, and Iowa State briefly took the lead late in the game. but it wasn’t enough to overcome the kansas state offensive and the cyclones’ own mistakes.
Won Kansas State, 10-9.
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7:14/q4: kansas state is back on top
chris tennant kicks a 30-yard field goal and the wildcats regain the lead. Kansas State took over with five minutes left on the clock, but the Wildcats also received an unsportsmanlike penalty after the kick that could give Iowa State better field position.
10:55/q4 — colby reeder injured
one of iowa state’s most consistent defensemen this season, colby reeder, was helped off the field after kansas state’s final play.
12:28/q4: another goalless advance
A five-in-a-run loss to Deon Silas followed by a false start call against Iowa State and the Cyclones kick the ball. Kansas State takes control at the 43-yard line, and it looked like the Wildcats won’t have Vaugh, who limped to the sideline on the last drive but came back for a play on this drive.
end of third quarter: iowa state 9, kansas state 7
Kansas State will start the fourth quarter at the 44-yard line after Martinez completed an eight-yard pass to Vaughn.
0:53/q3: iowa state attempts a 43-yard field goal
Gilbert’s 43-yard field goal is a good one and Iowa State takes its first lead of the game. the cyclones traveled 55 yards and had 5:27 left on the clock. Before the field goal, Brock was on the field and coaches were tending to him, but he jogged off the field with a visible limp.
6:15/q3: kansas state field goal attempt not good
The Wildcats miss a 33-yard field goal attempt, but Kansas State still holds a 7-6 lead midway through the third quarter. the wildcats advanced 63 yards and had 5:52 left on the clock on that drive.
12:07/q3 — slow start of the second half
Not much update to provide here. Both teams had offensive momentum, neither team converted that into points. the ball is back in the hands of the state of kansas.
part time: kansas state 7, iowa state 6
The Cyclones offense can’t come back from a sack on dekkers and head to the locker room with no more points on the board.
1:38/q2 — will mcdonald do will mcdonald things
Iowa State players knew they would have to close out Deuce Vaughn and Martinez in the race, but McDonald’s has done its part to make sure Martinez can’t get through either. he had a great catch on third down in the first quarter and just picked up another sack for a 12-yard loss.
4:12/q2 — ball back to kansas
iowa state had a great defensive play that not only prevented a kansas state touchdown, but turned the ball back on the cyclones offense. But Iowa State’s offense couldn’t put a point on the board with the next drive, even on a 24-yard run by Dekkers.
6:25/q2 — well that was interesting
martinez threw a deep pass to malik knowles, who took it all the way… to the one. that’s where anthony johnson jr. He punched the ball out and forced a fumble, which was recovered by Colby Reeder. iowa state takes over at the 25-yard line.
14:47/q2 — gilbert approaches the state of iowa
gilbert makes a 44-yard field goal and moves the state of iowa within the state of kansas. the cyclones traveled 69 yards and shaved nearly eight minutes off the clock on that last trip.
end of first quarter: kansas state 7, iowa state 3
The Cyclones’ offense picked up some momentum, but Iowa State couldn’t turn any of it into a touchdown. Meanwhile, the Cyclones’ defense adjusted to Kansas State’s offense, keeping them scoreless for the rest of the first frame.
9:22/q1 — jace gilbert puts the state of iowa on the board
After struggling last week against Kansas, Gilbert made a 35-yard field goal for the Cyclones’ first points of the night. Kansas State has a 7-3 lead midway through the first quarter.
12:23/q1 — the state of kansas strikes first
adrian martinez broke free of a sack and completed an 81-yard pass to phillip brooks for the opening touchdown of the night. the wildcats take an early 7-0 lead on their first drive of the game.
14:45/q1 — brock with the opening move
iowa state received first and brock started the action with a 5-yard run to start the game.
17:50 — jirehl brock, cartevious norton warming up
good news for cyclone fans, riders jirehl brock and cartevious norton are out in full gear and participating in warm-ups.
brock walked out of last week’s game against kansas during the opening series, while norton has been in and out, mostly out, all season.
dimitri stanley making a name for himself
xavier hutchinson is the biggest name in the iowa state reception room, and for good reason. Hutchinson posted a breakout season in 2021 and continued that success into the start of this season, despite frequently finding himself in double or triple coverage.
But just because Hutchinson is the most well-known receiver, that doesn’t mean other players aren’t stepping up as well. A prime example of that is Dimitri Stanley, who scored Iowa State’s only touchdown against Kansas.
Stanley’s production seems to increase every week, and it’s no surprise that Colorado’s transfer is making an impact early on. Travis Hines has you covered with more on what makes Stanley successful and how the Cyclones could use him.
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how will kansas state quarterback adrian martinez handle the iowa defense?
Kansas State has two of the top three running backs in the Big 12: running back Deuce Vaughn and quarterback Adrian Martinez. Martinez, in particular, will pose a threat on the ground, as he finds more success as a running back than as a passer. he has only three touchdown passes in 2022, compared to the nine he has carried himself.
but martinez was also inconsistent during his time in nebraska. Sure, he has zero interceptions and just three fumbles while he’s at Kansas State. but has martinez faced a defense as dominant as the cyclones?
randy peterson talks about it and more before the game on saturday.
regardless of how martinez performs against the iowa state defense, it will be crucial that the cyclones find ways to finish him and vaughn. this could come down to a defensive game, especially with felix anudike-uzomah, who has the fifth most sacks in the entire country, looking to stop hunter dekkers.
last saturday was not good for special teams
To say that the cyclones special teams unit, led by a real freshman punter and kicker, fought against kansas might be an understatement.
jace gilbert, who entered last weekend going perfect 5-for-5 from the field, missed two shots from the upright position in addition to sending the potential tying shot wide left with 30 seconds left in the game. . and that was just the beginning.
as travis hines put it: “the punt coverage unit was charged a 15-yard penalty for kick catch interference. the punt return group suffered a stray fumble. the kickoff return team allowed a 37-yard return. the point team later saw a loud snap send his usually nondescript appearance into chaos.”
While the mistakes in last week’s loss can be attributed to special teams, the problems run a little deeper than that. Hines takes a look at how youth impacted special teams’ performance against Kansas.
alyssa hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the des moines record. contact alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on twitter @alyssahertel.