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<title>Iowa State takes a tight loss to defending champions LSU in season-opening meet</title>
<link>https://iowastatedaily.com/307518/sports/iowa-state-takes-a-tight-loss-to-defending-champions-lsu-in-season-opening-meet/</link>
<comments>https://iowastatedaily.com/307518/sports/iowa-state-takes-a-tight-loss-to-defending-champions-lsu-in-season-opening-meet/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Aleigha Bailey, Sports Reporter]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sat, 04 Jan 2025 04:29:51 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports / Gymnastics]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[cyclones]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Frederique Sgarbossa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[gymnastics]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[iowa state]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Josie Bergstrom-Te Slaa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Lauren Thomas]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[lsu]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[noelle adams]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Rachel Wilke]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[tigers]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://iowastatedaily.com/?p=307518</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Iowa State traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to face the LSU Tigers in their first meet of the season Friday night. The meet ended with a loss for the Cyclones with a final score of 197.300-194.100. This meeting marked the 14th meeting of Iowa State and LSU. The Tigers hold a 13-1 record against the...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Iowa State traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to face the LSU Tigers in their first meet of the season Friday night. The meet ended with a loss for the Cyclones with a final score of 197.300-194.100. 
This meeting marked the 14th meeting of Iowa State and LSU. The Tigers hold a 13-1 record against the Cyclones. 
Despite the close loss, the performance of Iowa State put itself in a position for a successful season.
Overall performance
LSU, which ranked second ahead of the season opener in the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA), and is coming off of a National Championship, was a competitive challenge for Iowa State, who opened up the season 32nd in the poll.
Iowa State started the night on uneven bars. Freshman Frederique Sgarbossa tied for fifth with two LSU gymnasts with a score of 9.800.
Following uneven bars, the Cyclones’ top performers on vault were sophomore Noelle Adams and senior Josie Bergstrom-Te Slaa, who tied for third and led the team with a score of 9.850.
The third event of the meet was the floor exercise. Senior Rachel Wilke landed in a three-way tie with two LSU gymnasts with a score of 9.875.
The night for Iowa State rounded out with the balance beam. Fifth-year senior Lauren Thomas was the leader for the Cyclones with a score of 9.800 and placed fifth.
Adams and Bergstrom-Te Slaa dominate all around
Before the start of the season, Adams and Bergstrom-Te Slaa were both named to the Big 12 Preseason Team.
These two both placed within the top five in all-around events. Between the duo, expectations are high regarding their performances.
Both gymnasts showed great talent on the balance beam to strengthen the team’s overall performance.
Adams placed fourth in a two-way tie with an LSU gymnast with a score of 29.475. Her best performance was a tie between vault and floor exercise with impressive scores of 9.850.
Ahead of this meet, Adams was placed on the Big 12 preseason team for vault and floor exercise. Adams also led the team in event wins last season.
Bergstrom-Te Slaa has been a consistent part of this team’s performance throughout her time as a Cyclone. 
From being placed on the Big-12 Preseason Team for vault, and receiving her best collegiate performance with a score of 9.925 on vault in her junior season, Bergstrom-Te Slaa will hold a key role on this team.
Throughout the opening meet, Bergstrom-Te Slaa’s best score was 9.850 on vault. Both Adams and Bergstrom-Te Slaa look to be key parts of the team throughout the season after starting the season off with some highly skilled performances.
The Cyclones look to bounce back from this tough loss in their next meet, where they host Brown and Iowa for the Iowa State Tri-Meet on Jan. 10 from Hilton Coliseum at 6:30 p.m.
]]></content:encoded>
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<title>No. 3 Iowa State takes on No. 25 Baylor in Big 12 home opener</title>
<link>https://iowastatedaily.com/307514/sports/no-3-iowa-state-takes-on-no-25-baylor-in-big-12-home-opener/</link>
<comments>https://iowastatedaily.com/307514/sports/no-3-iowa-state-takes-on-no-25-baylor-in-big-12-home-opener/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Cayden Storm, Sports Reporter]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sat, 04 Jan 2025 02:41:18 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports / Mens Basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[baylor]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[bears]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[big 12]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Curtis Jones]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[cyclones]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[iowa state]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[jamaal tinsley]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[marcus fizer]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[mens basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[paul shirley]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[t.j. otzelberger]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://iowastatedaily.com/?p=307514</guid>
<description><![CDATA[AMES — Saturday afternoon’s game against No. 25 Baylor is a big one, as the No. 3 Cyclones look to move to 2-0 in the Big 12 and secure their second top-25 win of the season. The Bears are off to an up-and-down start to their season. The preseason No. 8 team in the country...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[AMES — Saturday afternoon’s game against No. 25 Baylor is a big one, as the No. 3 Cyclones look to move to 2-0 in the Big 12 and secure their second top-25 win of the season. 
The Bears are off to an up-and-down start to their season. The preseason No. 8 team in the country has fallen to No. 25 after going 9-3 in their first 12 games, but their schedule has been difficult.
Baylor’s three losses have been at the hands of currently ranked No. 19 Gonzaga, No. 1 Tennessee and No. 11 UConn. 
Baylor’s most notable wins include a one-point victory over St. John’s and a five-point victory over No. 23 Arkansas. 
“A team with a lot of strengths, they’re playing really good basketball,” Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “The games where they hadn’t been successful has either been on the road against really good teams or against a great Tennessee team who’s playing as well as any.”
Despite the up-and-down start to this season, Baylor has been one of the strongest programs in the nation in recent years. 
Over the last five seasons, Baylor has finished no lower than fourth in the Big 12, finishing first in the standings twice and has won at least one NCAA tournament game each year, including winning the 2021 National Championship.
“Every year, the consistency, they have a really good team. They continue to have a culture, in a way, that they do things that’s impressive.” Otzelberger said. 
The Bears are led by senior forward Norchad Omier. The forward is averaging 16.1 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, along with 1.2 blocks and 1.6 steals. 
“Omier is a mismatch nightmare, a guy who plays extremely hard. Leads the league in double-doubles, really motored up.” Otzelberger said. 
The Bears’ second-highest scorer is freshman guard Robert Wright III. Just like Iowa State’s second-highest scorer, Curtis Jones, Wright also comes off the bench and averages 13.1 points and 5.4 assists per game. 
“Offensively, they’ve got terrific guard play across the board and even into the bench. Wright coming off the bench is playing tremendously,” Otzelberger said.
Iowa State is 4-5 against Baylor since Otzelberger became the head coach in 2021, but Iowa State went 2-1 last season including a win in the Big 12 tournament.
“We’ve got tremendous respect for them, the program, the way that they do things,” Otzelberger said. “We’re gonna have to have great practices and preparation to be our absolute best come Saturday.”
If Saturday’s game was not already big enough, it will also include the return of the 1999-2000 and 2000-01 Iowa State men’s basketball teams to Hilton Coliseum. 
The 1999-2000 team went 32-5, won the Big 12 and made a run to the Elite Eight before losing to the eventual National Champion, Michigan State.
The 2000-01 team went 25-6 en route to winning the Big 12 for the second season in a row, before losing in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Three players from those teams, Marcus Fizer, Jamaal Tinsley and Paul Shirley, went on to play in the NBA.
“Those guys, they did so much for our program. The successes they had were tremendous,” Otzelberger said. “So awesome that we’re able to have those guys back to be able to honor them and show them the respect that they deserve for everything that they’ve done for our program and putting us in the position that we’re in now.”
Iowa State and Baylor tip-off at 1 p.m. Saturday from Hilton Coliseum. The game will be broadcast live on CBS. 
]]></content:encoded>
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<title>New rotations prove fruitful in Iowa State’s win over Kansas</title>
<link>https://iowastatedaily.com/307507/sports/new-rotations-prove-fruitful-in-iowa-states-win-over-kansas/</link>
<comments>https://iowastatedaily.com/307507/sports/new-rotations-prove-fruitful-in-iowa-states-win-over-kansas/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kayde Sheaffer, Sports Reporter]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jan 2025 05:58:52 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports / Womens Basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Addy Brown]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[audi crooks]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[big 12]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[big 12 basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[bill fennelly]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[college basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[cyclones]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[emily ryan]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[iowa state]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[jayhawks]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[kansas]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[women's basketball]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://iowastatedaily.com/?p=307507</guid>
<description><![CDATA[AMES – Iowa State welcomed the new year with a wide variety of rotations and lineups to gain a 78-64 win against Kansas, marking the Cyclones’ first Big 12 conference win of the season following two consecutive losses. With a well-developed core of three players for Iowa State’s starting lineup throughout the season, consisting of...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[AMES – Iowa State welcomed the new year with a wide variety of rotations and lineups to gain a 78-64 win against Kansas, marking the Cyclones’ first Big 12 conference win of the season following two consecutive losses.
With a well-developed core of three players for Iowa State’s starting lineup throughout the season, consisting of sophomore center Audi Crooks, sophomore forward Addy Brown and senior guard Emily Ryan, the last two spots in the lineup have been a logical change throughout the season.
Filling the last two spots for Wednesday’s game against the Jayhawks were sophomore guard Arianna Jackson, who has become a dependable player in the starting lineup throughout the season, and junior guard/forward Sydney Harris. 
The recent transfer from TCU played her first game positioned in the starting lineup, playing a new high of 34 minutes this season. Harris secured eight points from her two 3-point shots and her two successful free throws. Along with her contributions offensively, Harris was a strong defensive player, as she secured five defensive rebounds during her time on the court.
Halfway through the first quarter, the Cyclones have a typical rotation of substituting Crooks with sophomore forward Alisa Williams. However, Crooks was replaced on the court by sophomore center/forward Lilly Taulelei, who has been a player who tends to join the court toward the end of the game. 
“Basically [Taulelei] has been the best of her and [Williams] in practice and it’s a tossup. I mean, they both know we need, in a normal night, we need 10 minutes, and that’s their role,” Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly said. “I thought both did a couple of positive things, it was just a practice decision.”
With the strong starting lineup and change in rotations early on, Iowa State had a strong first quarter to set the tone for the game. The Cyclones outscored Kansas 19-13, gaining a six-point lead in the first 10 minutes of play. The early lead was contributed by two players, Crooks who scored 16 points and Ryan who secured three points.
“Audi [Crooks] night in and night out consistently does her job. Just her being so reliable every single night is so important for our team,” Ryan said. “Consistency is something that’s just so impressive. Every single night she shows up.”
“Coach [Fennelly] kind of let me know during practice that it was going to be a game where the ball’s going to go in quite a bit because he thought that’s where our advantage would be,” Crooks said. “When he says things like that, I kind of take that with a lot of pride and just try to finish and [the] guards do an amazing job of getting the ball inside.”
Crooks ended the night with a team-high 33 points, making 13 out of her attempted 18 field goal shots and contributed heavily to the team’s 54% of points from in the paint. Crooks added two blocks and seven rebounds as well.
“Not only does [Crooks] performance impact her numbers on statsheets, but it also impacts everyone on the team,” Ryan said. “It’s just a big difference when she’s on the court and doing her job. She just impacts so much that doesn’t go on a stat sheet. It’s just really special that I get to play with her.”
Despite unequal scoring in the first quarter, the team’s ball possession changed frequently due to consistent rotation adjustments on the court. Sophomore guard Kelsey Joens and freshman guards Reagan Wilson and Aili Tanke made their appearance in the last minutes of the first quarter. 
Moving into the second quarter with Crooks being substituted out again, Williams joined the court for the first time and scored three points.
With the early lead build-up throughout the first half, the Cyclones were fed a 14-point lead in the last minutes of the game and were balancing foul trouble between their starting lineup players. This led to the Cyclone players, such as junior guard Lily Hansford, who had not yet played, to get her minutes in and prevent Kansas from gaining possession of the ball in the last minutes.
“I think we just decided to stop giving them the ball, to be honest with you,” Crooks said. “We were giving them a lot of really easy points, easy possessions, and second chances, those are things that have killed us in games prior and those are things that can’t happen.”
]]></content:encoded>
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">307507</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>Takeaways: Crooks dominates in the Cyclones’ first conference win</title>
<link>https://iowastatedaily.com/307509/sports/takeaways-crooks-dominates-in-the-cyclones-first-conference-win/</link>
<comments>https://iowastatedaily.com/307509/sports/takeaways-crooks-dominates-in-the-cyclones-first-conference-win/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Ford Griffith, Sports Reporter]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jan 2025 05:49:42 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports / Womens Basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Addy Brown]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[audi crooks]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[big 12]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[bill fennelly]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[college basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[cyclones]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[emily ryan]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[iowa state]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[iowa state basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[jayhawks]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[kansas]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[women's basketball]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://iowastatedaily.com/?p=307509</guid>
<description><![CDATA[AMES – Iowa State took down Kansas in dominant fashion 78-64 Wednesday afternoon at Hilton Coliseum, backed by 33 points from sophomore center Audi Crooks. The win improved the Cyclones to 10-5 and brings their conference record to 1-1. Kansas falls to 10-3 and stays winless in Big 12 play. In the first quarter alone,...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[AMES – Iowa State took down Kansas in dominant fashion 78-64 Wednesday afternoon at Hilton Coliseum, backed by 33 points from sophomore center Audi Crooks.
The win improved the Cyclones to 10-5 and brings their conference record to 1-1. Kansas falls to 10-3 and stays winless in Big 12 play.
In the first quarter alone, Crooks scored 16 of her 33 points on 8-of-10 shooting. The Cyclones led 19-13 at the end of the first, but the Jayhawks outscored the Cyclones 20-17 in the second. At the break, Iowa State led 36-33 behind 16 Crooks points and seven points and eight rebounds from sophomore forward Addy Brown. 
The second half showcased some strong play on both the offensive and defensive ends. Fifth-year senior guard Emily Ryan stepped up on the offensive end in the second half, scoring 13 of her 19 points in the second half. Iowa State shot 55% from the field, which helped maintain a large lead the entire second half.
Crooks stays on track
After a tough loss in their first conference matchup against Oklahoma State, in which Crooks scored an efficient 28 points, the Cyclones stayed true to who they were against the Jayhawks, continuously feeding Crooks, especially when they tried to guard her solo.
“They started off one-on-one and I just kind of went on a run from there,” Crooks said.
Despite not scoring in the second quarter, Crooks scored 33 points on 13-for-18 shooting and went 7-for-13 from the free throw line. 
“Coach [Bill Fennelly] kind of let me know during practice that it was gonna be a game where the ball was going to go inside quite a bit because he thought that’s where our advantage would be,” Crooks said. “When he says things like that, I take that with a lot of pride, I just try to finish.”
Crooks has now scored 30 or more points in three of her last five games. Additionally, Crooks is 14th in the nation, shooting slightly above 61% on 211 attempts, the highest of anyone in front of her.
“Her consistency is something that’s just so impressive every single night,” Ryan said. “Tonight, 33, it seemed effortless.”
Fennelly added that Crooks could have had 40 points if she had made some of her free throws due to how Kansas guards opposing players.
<figure id="attachment_307476" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-307476" style="width: 2001px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="wp-image-307476 size-full" src="http://iowastatedaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_6970.jpg" alt="" width="2001" height="1334" srcset="https://iowastatedaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_6970.jpg 2001w, https://iowastatedaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_6970-600x400.jpg 600w, https://iowastatedaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_6970-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://iowastatedaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_6970-768x512.jpg 768w, https://iowastatedaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_6970-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://iowastatedaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/IMG_6970-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 2001px) 100vw, 2001px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-307476" class="wp-caption-text">Audi Crooks (55) calls for the ball during the Iowa State vs. University of Kansas NCAA women’s basketball game at Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. (Luis Rodriguez)</figcaption></figure>
Ryan provides a third scoring option
Throughout non-conference play, the Cyclones have struggled to find consistent scoring outside of Crooks and Brown, but Ryan added some juice to spread out the Jayhawk defense.
Ryan scored 19 points, her most of the season, while adding six assists. Her scoring helped open up the inside for Crooks and made it easier for her to distribute the ball to others.
Ryan is also sixth in the country in assists per game, with 6.9, proving to be one of the top distributors in the country. If she can consistently score the ball at a slightly higher rate while still distributing the ball, the Cyclone offense could be deadly.
“We’ve been telling her, you don’t have to shoot 15 times but you’ve got to be someone that at least might have a chance to score,” Fennelly said. “If they’re going to take away the 3 point line and double Audi [Crooks], she went 7-of-8 and most of them were layups.”
A morale boosting win
After starting the season ranked No. 8 and falling out of the top 25 after a gauntlet of a non-conference schedule, it’s been hard to build confidence for the Cyclones. A game like this against a tough team helps in that category.
“I do think the break really helped. I really do,” Fennelly said. “It was a really hard December. Obviously, schedule-wise, travel-wise, there are teams in our league that have not played a road game and we’ve been all over the place.”
Before the win against Kansas, the Cyclones had lost three of four games, including a big loss against No. 4 UConn and a loss to in-state rival Iowa in front of a hostile crowd.
“It’s one of those things that you can either have that happen and kind of pout and feel sorry for yourself or it can make you hungrier and want to get back on the court and adjust and come back the way we wanted to,” Ryan said. “That’s the way this team approached it, we were hungry for a win.”
The Cyclones have a short break before they are back in action at 5:30 p.m. Sunday against Utah at home. The Utes have an 11-2 record and are 2-0 in Big 12 play.
]]></content:encoded>
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">307509</post-id> </item>
<item>
<title>PHOTOS: Sights of Iowa State’s 78-64 win over Kansas</title>
<link>https://iowastatedaily.com/307502/sports/photos-sights-of-iowa-states-78-64-win-over-kansas/</link>
<comments>https://iowastatedaily.com/307502/sports/photos-sights-of-iowa-states-78-64-win-over-kansas/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Luis Rodriguez, Photojournalist]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 02 Jan 2025 00:10:42 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Multimedia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Multimedia / Photos]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Multimedia / Photos / Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports / Womens Basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Addy Brown]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[audi crooks]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[big 12 conference play]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[emily ryan]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[hilton coliseum]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[iowa state women's basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[kelsey joens]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[reagan wilson]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[sydney harris]]></category>
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Reagan Wilson (22) and her teammates celebrate during the Iowa State vs. University of Kansas NCAA women's basketball game at Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. </div>
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<title>Twelmeyer: The perfect end to an unforgettable season</title>
<link>https://iowastatedaily.com/307458/sports/twelmeyer-the-perfect-end-to-an-unforgettable-season/</link>
<comments>https://iowastatedaily.com/307458/sports/twelmeyer-the-perfect-end-to-an-unforgettable-season/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Brett Twelmeyer, Sports Editor]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jan 2025 02:16:11 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports / Football]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[bowl season]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[college football]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[cyclones]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[iowa state]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[iowa state football]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[jayden higgins]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[jaylin noel]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[matt campbell]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[miami]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[pop-tarts bowl]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Rocco Becht]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://iowastatedaily.com/?p=307458</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The 2024 Iowa State football team will be remembered forever for being record-breakers, winners and Pop-Tarts Bowl champions. In a season where everything felt different in college football, the Cyclones were no exception. So many accomplishments happened throughout the 14 games Iowa State played: Head coach Matt Campbell set the university’s all-time coach’s wins record...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The 2024 Iowa State football team will be remembered forever for being record-breakers, winners and Pop-Tarts Bowl champions. In a season where everything felt different in college football, the Cyclones were no exception.
So many accomplishments happened throughout the 14 games Iowa State played: Head coach Matt Campbell set the university’s all-time coach’s wins record at 64, Iowa State broke the single-season win record of nine games by winning 11, senior wide receivers Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins each had over 1,000 receiving yards, the Cyclones beat Iowa at Kinnick Stadium, earned a bid to the Big 12 Championship and capped it all off with a bowl win over No. 13 Miami (FL).
Oh, and the bowl win was Campbell’s third at Iowa State, which is now the most all-time bowl wins by an Iowa State head coach.
A few weeks ago, Campbell extended his contract through 2032, and that is a good thing. What he has done in nine seasons is remarkable, considering the rough history Iowa State has had throughout its 133 seasons.
The 2024 season was a breath of fresh air, one that all Cyclone fans had waited forever for.
The Pop-Tarts Bowl itself was such a fun, wacky, weird game. It lived up to the hype and then some.
Between the three mascots dancing and terrorizing fans, the corpse of the strawberry Pop-Tart from last year making an appearance, Rocco Becht picking which Pop-Tart would be sacrificed and the actual working toaster trophy, this bowl game was a thrill.
Becht also deserved to pick which Pop-Tart to eat. All season, his poise showed each week, and it came down to the final drive of the season, a drive where his confidence never wavered and he won another game.
For those who say bowl games outside of the College Football Playoff don’t matter, I invite you to watch the Pop-Tarts Bowl back through the lens of the Cyclones. It mattered to them, and for good reason.
It didn’t matter to Miami quarterback Cam Ward, it seemed, as the possible top pick in the NFL Draft played just one half of the game. He broke the all-time career touchdown record in FBS college football and then opted out for the rest of the game.
I understand Ward probably wanted to improve his draft stock and break the record, but that felt a little ‘me before my team’ in my eyes.
Sure, there were some Cyclones that didn’t play, but Ward playing just half of the game was baffling.
Now, Becht, the redshirt sophomore quarterback, had four game-winning drives this season. Those included the 54-yard field goal from Kyle Konrardy to beat Iowa, the massive comeback to beat UCF after Becht threw basically two pick-sixes, the road scare against Utah and the bowl game against Miami.
The quarterback sneak is something Becht performed many times this season, and it was the play that put the Cyclones in front for the final time. That whole drive was the whole season in a nutshell: Iowa State trailed, time was running out, Becht led the team down the field and won the game on a sneak.
Becht, though he had his ups and downs, still had one of the best seasons from a quarterback standpoint in Cyclone history. His 25 touchdowns were the second most in a season in school history, as was his 3,505 passing yards.
In terms of a total career, Becht is third all-time in passing touchdowns with 48, behind Bret Meyer, who had 50 from 2004-07. For career passing yards, Becht is fourth and trails Austen Arnaud by just under 100 yards.
Of course, it’s Brock Purdy who leads all of those stat categories, but if Becht continues to steadily improve each season, and has receivers like Noel and Higgins, I have no doubt that he can pass Purdy in some, if not all of those stats.
This season was what every Cyclones fan wanted, and probably needed. It gave us some of the most memorable moments and players in Iowa State history.
This team was special. I’ve been watching Iowa State football my whole life, and to have a front-row seat to this season was truly a blessing and something I won’t take for granted. I’ll look back on this season as one I’ll never forget, like most Cyclone fans.
It’s hard to say goodbye to players like Noel, Darien Porter, J.R. Singleton and Beau Freyler, among others, but I’m happy they stayed and I’m going to smile because this season happened.
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<title>‘Excited to be back’: Cyclones host Kansas in return to play after 10 day break</title>
<link>https://iowastatedaily.com/307456/sports/excited-to-be-back-cyclones-host-kansas-in-return-to-play-after-break/</link>
<comments>https://iowastatedaily.com/307456/sports/excited-to-be-back-cyclones-host-kansas-in-return-to-play-after-break/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Kayde Sheaffer, Sports Reporter]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 01 Jan 2025 01:55:03 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports / Womens Basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Addy Brown]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[audi crooks]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[big 12]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[big 12 basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[bill fennelly]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[college basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[cyclones]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[iowa state]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[jayhawks]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[kansas]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[sydney harris]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[women's basketball]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[AMES – Iowa State returns to Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday to play Kansas, resuming its Big 12 conference schedule after a week-long break. With a seven-day break from school and practice to enjoy the holidays, the Cyclones’ much-needed pause came at a crucial time for the team to regroup and strengthen their skills and love...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[AMES – Iowa State returns to Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday to play Kansas, resuming its Big 12 conference schedule after a week-long break.
With a seven-day break from school and practice to enjoy the holidays, the Cyclones’ much-needed pause came at a crucial time for the team to regroup and strengthen their skills and love for the game.
“It was a nice little reset. Get home with the people you love and see people you haven’t seen in a while,” sophomore forward Addy Brown said. “It’s always great to just relax and get that breakaway and you’re going to be more excited to get back and I think that has kinda shown in our last few practices. The energy is really high and everybody is excited to be back.”
Despite the team being back in Ames, the Cyclones still have time off from school. With the continued education break, Iowa State head coach Bill Fennelly emphasized to the team that during this break, they are to function as full-time professional basketball players. Encouraging their free time to improve their skills and contribute to the team’s overall success.
“As I have told them, this is the only time you are really like a pro, you’re out of school and you can spend the extra minutes in the gym,” Fennelly said.
With the extra time on the court, Fennelly has utilized practice to strengthen 3-point shooting and the team’s defense to better prepare for the upcoming Big 12 Conference games.
“Defense, just really focusing on defense,” junior guard/forward Sydney Harris said. “We have been running a little bit more for fouls and [Fennelly] always says ‘You can’t guard them at the free-throw line.’ A couple of games recently we have kinda been bailing teams out and stuff, so that’s really the main thing we have been focusing on.”
“I told our team when we came back from Christmas there are a couple specific things we had to work on and one of them was the shot selection,” Fennelly said. “There’s a difference between open and getting a better shot and there’s a difference between passing up a shot you should take and that’s a really fine line to walk.”
Like the Cyclones, the Jayhawks have used their break to regroup after suffering a previous loss. During its Big 12 Conference opener, Kansas was handed its second loss of the season after an 86-66 defeat on its home court to Baylor.
Leading the Jayhawks is sophomore guard S’Mya Nichols, who contributed a team-high 25 points during her 35 minutes of play against the Bears. Nichols holds a season-high of 257 points and 59 assists, averaging 21.4 points per game.
“S’Mya Nichols is a pro. If you look at her numbers and minutes, it is staggering to see a kid that leads their team in basically everything; scoring, rebounding, free throw attempts, assists,” Fennelly said. “She has the ball in her hands a lot and she is really really good at what she does.” 
Despite holding a one-game winning streak over the Cyclones from their last meeting in January last season, Iowa State is aware of the challenges that may come across with Kansas’ strong defense and its ability to guard sophomore center Audi Crooks.
“The thing with them that I have always been impressed with is they are never going to beat themselves, ever,” Fennelly said. “The pace is going to be the way they want to play, they are going to do their stuff, they are going to make it hard to score and that’s the kind of team they have there, forever. I think it’s just another year of the same thing Kansas does year in, year out.”
In hopes of starting the new year strong, Iowa State will face Kansas at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Hilton Coliseum. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
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<title>No. 3 Iowa State avoids upset in rematch with Colorado in 79-69 win to begin Big 12 play</title>
<link>https://iowastatedaily.com/307453/sports/no-3-iowa-state-avoids-upset-in-rematch-with-colorado-in-79-69-win-to-begin-big-12-play/</link>
<comments>https://iowastatedaily.com/307453/sports/no-3-iowa-state-avoids-upset-in-rematch-with-colorado-in-79-69-win-to-begin-big-12-play/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Pavle Markovic, Assistant Sports Editor]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 31 Dec 2024 06:09:49 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports / Mens Basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[big 12]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[brandton chatfield]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[buffaloes]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[colorado]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Curtis Jones]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[cyclones]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[iowa state]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[joshua jefferson]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[mens basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[sports]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[After an eight-day holiday break, No. 3 Iowa State traveled to Boulder, Colorado, to take on the Buffaloes to begin Big 12 conference play. While these two teams met at the Maui Invitational on Nov. 27, that game did not count towards their conference records. However, it still allowed each team to familiarize themselves with...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[After an eight-day holiday break, No. 3 Iowa State traveled to Boulder, Colorado, to take on the Buffaloes to begin Big 12 conference play.
While these two teams met at the Maui Invitational on Nov. 27, that game did not count towards their conference records. However, it still allowed each team to familiarize themselves with their style of play before facing each other in late December.
That familiarization played a big factor in Monday night’s matchup, as the Cyclones pulled out a tough 79-69 win over Colorado to start Big 12 conference play 1-0.
Jefferson’s career-high eight steals help Cyclones force turnovers 
With Iowa State’s biggest strength coming from forcing turnovers, it was key for the Cyclones to force the Buffaloes into some unwanted situations early on.
Just like it did during the Thanksgiving break, Iowa State utilized its strengths to force Colorado into turnovers, as the Cyclones forced a total of 19, 12 of which came in the first half.
With these turnovers came the ability to put points on the board, as Iowa State scored 24 points off the 19 turnovers they forced on the Buffaloes.
While it wasn’t as good as when the Cyclones put up 37 points off Colorado’s turnovers in Maui, Iowa State still got the job done by keeping the pressure on all game long.
A big reason for the Cyclones’ success from the turnover margin was from junior forward Joshua Jefferson, who set a new career high in steals with eight.
The Saint Mary’s transfer had been known to be a Swiss Army knife for Iowa State, due to his ability to make plays happen on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
That role came in handy yet again, as Jefferson forced five of his eight steals in the first half, and finished with 13 points on 50% field goal shooting with seven rebounds.
Jones leads Iowa State in scoring despite sluggish start
Another player who once again shined in the areas he usually does was senior guard Curtis Jones, as he led the Cyclones with 20 points off the bench with eight of his points coming from the free throw line.
But, Jones’ scoring did not come to him right away. He struggled throughout the majority of the first half, as he went 0-for-6 from the field and missed all three 3-point attempts in the first 17 minutes of play.
However, while Jones struggled to put the ball in the basket from the field, he still managed to make his minutes count. Jones converted on all four free throw attempts to avoid being shut out during this stretch.
It wasn’t until 2:44 on the clock that Jones finally found his shooting stride, when he cashed in on a long 3-point attempt to give him his first points other than the charity stripe.
Jones then followed with one final 3-pointer to end the half on a second-chance opportunity from the corner to give Iowa State a six-point lead heading into the half.
While the second half was much of the same for Jones, he still found ways to put points on the board for the Cyclones with an additional four points from the free throw line and added six points from the field to give him a total of 20 points for the game.
Chatfield provides spark off the bench with second-chance opportunities
One of the most underrated parts of a basketball game comes from the second-chance opportunities that are presented to the team on offense.
This aspect of the game was in favor of Iowa State Monday night, as the Cyclones outscored Colorado in that category 21-16.
But, one of the players on Iowa State that made this happen was redshirt senior forward Brandton Chatfield.
Mostly known for coming off the bench to relieve starting center Dishon Jackson, Chatfield did the same once again but had potentially one of his best games as a Cyclone.
In Monday night’s game, Chatfield scored a season-high nine points on 3-of-4 shooting. Three points came from the free throw line on seven attempts, and he added seven rebounds and two blocks.
However, Chatfield’s biggest achievement in the game against the Buffaloes came from his ability to outsize the Colorado players and be in a position to grab key rebounds, as all seven of his rebounds came off the offensive glass.
Chatfield played a crucial role for Iowa State. Whether by extending plays after securing one of his seven rebounds or capitalizing on second-chance opportunities with putbacks and the potential to draw fouls, his efforts helped the team recover from its mistakes.
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<title>A rivalry renewed: No. 3 Cyclones open Big 12 play against a familiar foe in Colorado</title>
<link>https://iowastatedaily.com/307448/sports/a-rivalry-renewed-no-3-cyclones-open-big-12-play-against-a-familiar-foe-in-colorado/</link>
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<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Brett Twelmeyer, Sports Editor]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 30 Dec 2024 17:12:34 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports / Mens Basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[big 12 basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[buffaloes]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[college basketball]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[colorado]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[cyclones]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[iowa state]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[iowa state basketball]]></category>
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<category><![CDATA[tj otzelberger]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[No. 3 Iowa State has finally reached the Big 12 portion of the schedule, and it begins with a familiar opponent. That opponent is Colorado, which is back in the Big 12 after the implosion of the Pac-12, where the Buffaloes spent 13 seasons. Though the two are conference foes again, the Cyclones already faced...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[No. 3 Iowa State has finally reached the Big 12 portion of the schedule, and it begins with a familiar opponent.
That opponent is Colorado, which is back in the Big 12 after the implosion of the Pac-12, where the Buffaloes spent 13 seasons.
Though the two are conference foes again, the Cyclones already faced Colorado, but it didn’t count towards the conference record. On Nov. 27, Iowa State won 99-71 in the fifth-place game at the Maui Invitational.
Since the in-season tournament was already planned before the Buffaloes rejoined the Big 12, that game counted as a non-conference game. It’s an oddity, but that’s the world of college athletics nowadays.
In that game, the Cyclones had six players score 10 points or more, led by sophomore forward Milan Momcilovic with 24. It was a day where not many shots were missed.
Colorado did have a few players grab buckets with ease, however. Guard Julian Hammond III led the Buffaloes with 20 points, and forward Andrej Jakimovski scored 18.
Those two will likely be the ones to lead Colorado again, along with center Elijah Malone, as all three score more than 10 points per game.
Since that game in Maui, a whole month has gone by. Iowa State went 5-0 to wrap up its non-conference slate and won each game at an average of 23.8 points. Two of those wins were over Power 5 schools in Marquette and Iowa, each ending in a nine-point win.
The Buffaloes have also gone undefeated since they faced the Cyclones. Their best win of those came in a 72-55 home win over in-state rival Colorado State.
“They’re undefeated at home,” Iowa State head coach T.J. Otzelberger said. “When you enter into league play, I think it becomes even more important when you go on the road that you’re a team that focuses on getting stops and on the defensive end of the floor.”
While Iowa State will be favored to beat the Buffaloes again, this game should be a bit more competitive. That’s because this game is at home for Colorado in Boulder.
In their only true road game so far, against Iowa, the Cyclones trailed for the majority of the game but found just enough in the end to win in Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the first time in 10 years.
The last time Iowa State played Colorado on the road was in the 2010-11 season, and the Buffaloes won that one 95-69.
Funny enough, the two teams played each other three times that season, and are currently slated to do the same this season. Iowa State hosts Colorado on Feb. 18, and if things work out, a Big 12 Tournament game can happen too.
“When we first came in and there’s 10 teams and a true round robin, that’s a different animal and I think everybody knows each other so well because there are fewer teams and you play everybody twice,” Otzelberger said. “In this game against Colorado, certainly we could end up playing them who knows how many times this year, for sure three and could go beyond that.”
Starting Big 12 play with a win is always important, and stealing a win on the road makes it that much more meaningful.
New for this season is the 20-game Big 12 schedule, up from 18, which was the usual total for a while. Every team will play five teams twice, five only at home and five only on the road.
Colorado is one of the five teams Iowa State gets at home and on the road. The others include Arizona, Kansas, Kansas State and UCF.
Over the next three months, each game will become more important than the last in a conference that boasts some of the best teams in college basketball.
Iowa State and Colorado tip-off at 8 p.m. Monday from Boulder. The game will be broadcast live on the CBS Sports Network.
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<title>PHOTOS: Sights around Iowa State’s Pop-Tarts Bowl win and celebration</title>
<link>https://iowastatedaily.com/307444/sports/photos-iowa-state-celebrates-pop-tarts-bowl-win/</link>
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<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Elizabeth Lane, Visual Editor]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 29 Dec 2024 04:48:53 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Multimedia]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Multimedia / Photos]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Multimedia / Photos / Sports]]></category>
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<category><![CDATA[beau freyler]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[bowl game win]]></category>
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<category><![CDATA[jaylin noel]]></category>
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<div class="photocredit"><a href="https://iowastatedaily.com/staff_name/elizabeth-lane/">Elizabeth Lane</a></div> <div class="photocaption">
J.R. Singleton (58) and Jaylin Noel celebrate by eating toasted Pop-Tarts during the Pop-Tarts Bowl trophy ceremony after beating the University of Miami 42-41, Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida, Dec. 28, 2024. </div>
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<title>Sweet victory: Rocco Becht’s heroics help lead No. 18 Iowa State to first 11-win season</title>
<link>https://iowastatedaily.com/307396/sports/sweet-victory-rocco-bechts-heroics-help-lead-no-18-iowa-state-to-first-11-win-season/</link>
<comments>https://iowastatedaily.com/307396/sports/sweet-victory-rocco-bechts-heroics-help-lead-no-18-iowa-state-to-first-11-win-season/#respond</comments>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[ Pavle Markovic, Assistant Sports Editor]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 29 Dec 2024 03:09:14 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports / Football]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[cam ward]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[carson hansen]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[cyclones]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[football]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[gabe burkle]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[hurricanes]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[iowa state]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[jaylin noel]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[matt campbell]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[miami]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[pop-tarts bowl]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Rocco Becht]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[sports]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://iowastatedaily.com/?p=307396</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ORLANDO — Heading into Saturday night’s game, Wesley Chapel, Florida, native Rocco Becht was looking forward to coming back to the state he grew up in and potentially finishing off Iowa State’s historic season on the right note in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against No. 13 Miami (FL). Despite a battle that lasted until the very...]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[ORLANDO — Heading into Saturday night’s game, Wesley Chapel, Florida, native Rocco Becht was looking forward to coming back to the state he grew up in and potentially finishing off Iowa State’s historic season on the right note in the Pop-Tarts Bowl against No. 13 Miami (FL).
Despite a battle that lasted until the very end, the redshirt sophomore quarterback put No. 18 Iowa State on his back, as his one-yard score on a fourth-and-one sealed the sweet 42-41 win for the Cyclones over the Hurricanes Saturday night.
But for Becht, being from Florida meant just a little bit more to secure this big win to end off his second full season as a starter, as he played the hero role in front of his friends and family.
“This was my first game back in Florida, at the collegiate level,” Becht said. “I had a bunch of my friends here tonight for the first time to see me play, so it was really special for me to get this win.”
Becht’s final stat line of the game had him throwing for 270 yards on a 61% completion rating with three touchdown passes, along with 23 rushing yards on eight carries with the game-winning touchdown he scored with 56 seconds left in the game.
But out of all the drives in the game, what played the most integral part in Saturday night’s high-scoring affair was the last drive that Becht and the Cyclones’ offense had to endure.
Prior to this drive, the Pop-Tarts Bowl had gotten off to a hot start with a fumble on the very first play of scrimmage from the Miami offense that led to Iowa State taking an early 7-0 lead.
The touchdown that got the Cyclones the early lead came from a nine-yard pass from Becht to redshirt sophomore tight end Gabe Burkle, who caught his first career touchdown on that pass.
However, this early score only fueled what was a total of eight consecutive drives with a touchdown from both Iowa State and Miami.
Each side traded blows that kept the game competitive and entertaining, with Becht leading the Cyclones, and Heisman finalist quarterback Cam Ward leading the way for the Hurricanes.
At the half, Miami held its only lead of the half after a 30-yard field goal made the score 31-28.
During the late second quarter and early parts of the third quarter, the Iowa State offense struggled to find ways to keep up with the Hurricanes or even take back the lead, as punts and a turnover on downs highlighted the Cyclones’ struggles.
But, after a 10-play, 75-yard drive that resulted in a four-yard touchdown from wide receiver Jaylin Noel, it looked like Iowa State had broken out of its previous struggles.
While the touchdown only brought the game back within three points, as Miami would have its biggest lead of 10 before this score, it still brought a spark back to the offense that had rode a first half full of excitement.
A quick three-and-out would follow for the Cyclones on the following drive, but then it came down to the final drive for this Iowa State offense, which started after the Cyclones defense forced the one and only Hurricanes punt late in the fourth quarter.
The drive started on the Iowa State 16-yard line, with 6:31 left on the game clock.
Slowly but surely, Becht and the Cyclones offense found themselves crossing into Miami’s side of the field and with an opportunity to take back the lead for the final time in the game that would give them an eventual win.
Whether it came from Becht’s ability to use his legs or his arm to find Noel, he found ways to make plays happen that eventually set up Iowa State in the game-winning position.
But just like earlier in the game, the Cyclone offense stalled, but this time in a crucial spot.
Iowa State had found its way inside the Hurricanes five-yard line after a 13-yard connection from Becht to Noel that left 1:56 on the clock.
Following the two-minute timeout, it was first-and-goal from the Miami four-yard line with multiple opportunities to score the game-tying touchdown.
Two incompletions would force the Cyclones into a third-and-goal, but after a defensive holding call on the Hurricanes, it gave Iowa State a new set of downs while being two yards away from glory.
But just like before, the Cyclones struggled to find a way to punch it in after multiple attempts from sophomore running back Carson Hansen and an incompletion from Becht.
Then it came down to one final play, fourth-and-one from the Miami one-yard line with 56 seconds left in the game.
As the anticipation grew from the sidelines and the crowd, it was left to one man to bring Iowa State its first 11-win season in program history, and that was Becht.
His one-yard score went on to tie the game up at 41, and after a successful extra point from redshirt freshman kicker Kyle Konrardy, it gave the Cyclones the one-point advantage and the most points scored in a bowl game by any Iowa State team in program history.
Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell has given Becht props all season long for becoming a leader and having the clutch ability to pull out wins in key situations, as he did the same thing Saturday night.
“There’s been good days and tough days,” Campbell said. “But his ability and his character to have great selflessness; he’s the guy that’s going to give everybody else the credit when it goes really good, and he’s the first guy to stand up and take the blame when it goes bad. To me, that’s real leadership. Hard to find it today. But man, I’d go to war with this guy any day because of what he’s about and what he stands for.”
Becht had not flinched in those types of situations, as he’d been used to dealing with close and stressful situations like these before.
“We’ve been in those situations before and practice them all the time,” Becht said. “Our team has the poise and confidence to go execute in the biggest moments and we did that.”
With an eventual stop by the Iowa State defense, the Cyclones went on to win the Pop-Tarts Bowl by a singular point.
The win in particular would mean a lot to Noel, as he would be playing in his final game with Iowa State after spending all four of his seasons with the Cyclones.
“It’s meant the world to me,” Noel said. “For me to be able to be a leader on this team and God’s trust in me, I had to play for them. Those guys come in every day and look up to me, and if I wasn’t going to play, then that’s just not what leaders do. So to be able to play in this game and be able to go out there one last time with this team means everything to me.”
Along with Noel, who had dealt with a lot of adversity during his time, would be Campbell, who had just led a program to its first 11-win season ever while becoming the winningest head coach in program history earlier in the season.
He accredited the big win to the team who had gone through so much together, that only made it right to finish off their historic season with a sweet win like they did on Saturday night.
“This team has faced a lot of adversity,” Campbell said. “With some really tough injuries that we’ve had to deal with all season, they’ve never flinched. We’ve been in some tough situations and our ability to just keep playing only comes from the locker room demanding it.”
With the personal satisfaction of finishing out a 14-game schedule came from taking part in eating the edible mascot, which was chosen by the winning team’s MVP.
That MVP was awarded to Becht, who chose to make the cinnamon roll mascot edible for him and his whole team to enjoy after a hard-fought win.
“I really like cinnamon rolls, so when I heard about the choices that’s the one I was going to go to,” Becht said.
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