The Iowa State Cyclones got exactly what they needed in Week 3: a convincing win over Bowling Green and a real spark from Aiden Flora.
After the loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes on the road, Iowa State came home looking to reset. They didn’t get the win against Iowa, but they did show they could go toe-to-toe with a top 25 team away from home. Against Bowling Green, the Cyclones had a much more manageable task, and they handled it the way a heavy favorite should.
Iowa State controlled the game in just about every area. The special teams were sharp, the defense was strong, and the offense turned in its best outing of the season. The biggest development, though, came on the ground.
That run game had been slow to wake up through the first two weeks, but Saturday looked different. Flora led the charge with the best performance of his career, and he did it in a big way.
He finished with 194 rushing yards on only 12 carries and scored two touchdowns on the ground. He also added a punt return touchdown, keeping his impact felt all over the field.
Flora’s rise has been one of the more notable storylines for Iowa State. He was one of the few players to stay with the program after the departure of Matt Campbell, and his role was always headed upward. Last season, he stood out as a punt returner, and Jimmy Rogers quickly made him a scholarship player.
With Carson Hansen and Abu Sama III gone, Flora entered the season as the projected starting running back. The first two games were uneven, but Week 3 was the kind of breakout that changes the conversation.
Now Iowa State turns to next week’s Big 12 opener against the Utah Utes, and Flora’s role only gets bigger from here. The passing game still hasn’t fully come alive, which makes his production even more important as the Cyclones look to carry this momentum forward.