AMES - Jimmy Rogers isn’t interested in hearing Iowa State’s matchup with Bowling Green described as a “gimme.”
The Cyclones are sitting as 23.5-point favorites for Saturday’s 11 a.m. nonconference finale at Jack Trice Stadium, and the opponent arrives at 0-2 after a rough start that included a 56-7 loss at Nebraska last week and just 169 yards of offense. But for Iowa State’s first-year head coach, none of that turns this into a casual afternoon.
“These games make me a little more nervous than most because I’ve lost some games that ‘quote, unquote’ we should have won,” Rogers said. “There are no should haves in football. You either do or you don’t and we need to come out and play our best ball.”
Iowa State is coming off a 16-13 loss at No. 18 Iowa, a game in which the Cyclones led for all but 15 seconds before a handful of costly mistakes swung the Cy-Hawk series result. The Hawkeyes were two-touchdown underdogs entering the game, but they took advantage of excellent second-half field position to finish the comeback.
“Never felt like we took our foot off the gas in any way,” Rogers said. “We just didn’t play well enough to win.
There were some critical errors in there that we want back and that’s the game of football. You don’t get redos in this.
You have 12 (regular-season games) and you have to make the most of all of them.”
That urgency carries into a game Iowa State expects to use to sharpen itself before Big 12 play opens next week against No. 17 Utah at home.
The Cyclones will also be doing it with some injury concerns. Rogers said wide receiver Evan Boyd is out for the season after suffering a severe leg injury against Iowa, while safety Drew Surges, cornerback Beni Ngoyi and defensive end Jack Janikowski were also banged up.
“(Surges) was out today,” Rogers said. “We’ll see what it looks like tomorrow.
Same thing with Beni. Limited him today - his ankle, but al the other ankles that you saw were back out there practicing today.”
Bowling Green may be winless, but Rogers doesn’t see a team without threats. The Falcons lost their home opener 20-13 to FCS power Tarleton State before the Nebraska defeat, and he pointed to quarterback Jay Kastantin, a 6-4, 235-pound Division II transfer, as well as the rest of the offense as a group that can strike if given the chance.
“I think the quarterback’s dynamic,” Rogers said of Kastantin, who has passed for 346 yards and rushed for 29 yards in two games at the FBS level. “The tight end (Jeremiah Scoby) is a special talent and they have some running backs and wide receivers that can go the distance if given the opportunity.
Watching them, I think they’re way better than maybe the 0-2 start that they’ve had. They’ve turned the ball over, which has hurt them.
They play hard. There’s no question they’re gonna come in with the belief that they can win this game.”
For Rogers, that belief is exactly why Iowa State can’t approach Saturday like anything less than a real test.
“These games - in the world’s eyes it’s a ‘gimme,’” Rogers said. “It ain’t no ‘gimme” to me.”
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Iowa State Suddenly Has A Passing Game Problem To Solve
Iowa States passing game took a hit in the Cyclones game against Iowa when wide receiver Evan Boyd went down with a knee injury, and head coach Jimmy Rogers said he will miss the rest of the season. Boyd arrived as a transfer with Power Four experience and was expected to be a meaningful part of the offense, so his loss changes the early shape of the receiver room in a hurry.
Carter Pabst and freshman Jamal Polite Jr. are now among the players with a chance to absorb some of those snaps and targets. For Iowa State, the challenge is not just replacing one receivers production, but finding a way to keep the passing game balanced enough to support the rest of the offense after losing a player it had counted on. [Read more 🡒]
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The case is still moving through the courts, with both sides ordered to submit legal findings by Sept. 17, 2026. For Iowa State, the issue carries obvious weight because Lipsey has been central to the programs recent success, and his eligibility status could eventually affect how the Cyclones approach their roster planning for the next season and beyond. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Just Raised Expectations For Jimmy Rogers In A Big Way
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Now comes the part that will really define how much this start matters. Iowa State still has a demanding run ahead, with conference play and a mix of home and road tests set to tell whether this is simply a promising opening or the start of something more durable, and bowl eligibility will depend on how the Cyclones respond once the schedule stiffens and the margin for error gets thinner. [Read more 🡒]