AMES - Aiden Flora and Vince Benetti first lined up together back in little league baseball in Adel, and now the Iowa State teammates are making bigger plays on a much bigger stage.
That old connection paid off in Saturday’s 45-42 Homecoming win over West Virginia at Jack Trice Stadium, when Flora found Benetti on a two-yard halfback toss for a touchdown. Flora, the Cyclones’ star tailback, finished with five total touchdowns in the win - three rushing and two passing - while Benetti, the tight end who began his Iowa State career at defensive end, added another milestone to his breakout season.
“It was just something special,” Flora said. “Then just being on the sideline, giving him a hug … We’ve talked about it. Two ADM (High School) guys going in there and connecting and both scoring a touchdown.”
What started as youth baseball in Adel has turned into a pretty unlikely Big 12 storyline. Flora has become Iowa State’s runaway leader on the ground with six rushing touchdowns, while Benetti has emerged as the team’s top touchdown pass catcher with three.
The Cyclones are now 3-2 overall and 1-1 in Big 12 play as they head into Friday’s 9:15 p.m. matchup with No. 8 BYU at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah.
Jimmy Rogers didn’t try to dress it up any more than that.
“I didn’t write it up as that, but it’s pretty cool,” the Iowa State head coach said. “I don’t think about those things when plays are going in and you’re gonna write a soap opera story on teammate to teammate out of high school, but it’s cool. Those guys are two guys (who) came here, believed in themselves, and they’re making the most of their experience.”
The moment also fit the broader mood around Iowa State right now: a team leaning hard on belief, depth and whoever is ready when called. Rogers said the Cyclones have been hit by a wave of injuries, with 13 players out who would be playing right now and could be sidelined for the season.
“We’ve had a run of bad injuries,” Rogers said. “I think we have 13 people out (who) would be playing right now (and) are not, (who) are potentially out for the season. So we put a roster together with expectations of people, as they earn roles, to be in there and be healthy.”
Among the players missing or limited are offensive lineman Caden Maas, defensive linemen Caden Crawford and safety Drew Surges. Maas and Crawford did not play against West Virginia. Surges returned after missing two games, but left in the third quarter and did not come back.
That leaves Iowa State heading into a tough stretch with more responsibility on the younger and less experienced pieces on the roster. The Cyclones face BYU on Friday, then get their bye week before heading back out to play Arizona on Oct. 24.
“They’ll be trusted to go in and play at a high volume and there should be no drop off,” Rogers said. “And that’s really having pride in performance. That’s also having competitive maturity and not just waiting for their time to come.”
Flora and Benetti have already shown that kind of edge. And for Flora, who sits second in the Big 12 with 594 rushing yards on 73 carries, every snap still feels like a gift.
“I thank (God) each and every day,” Flora said. “Thankful that I get to play the game.
A lot of people don’t get to play this game at this level, whether it’s health issues or they just don’t get a shot. So each and every day you get to walk out on the field is truly something special.”
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Iowa State May Have Found The Playmaker Its Offense Needed
Cody Jacksons breakthrough in the 45-42 win over West Virginia gave Iowa State a new layer of explosiveness at a time when the offense needed one. The transfer receiver went from no catches in his first two games to a 160-yard afternoon, giving quarterback Jaylen Raynor a reliable downfield option as Raynor put together a career-high 264 passing yards and a touchdown.
The Cyclones also got plenty of help elsewhere, with Aiden Flora powering the ground game with three rushing touchdowns and Ryver Peppers returning from injury to add depth at running back. It was the kind of balanced showing that can change the feel of an offense, especially with several players also matching or tying career highs in tackles and receptions. [Read more 🡒]
Aiden Flora Just Changed How Dangerous Iowa State Looks
Week 5 in the Big 12 offered another reminder that Iowa States ceiling may be rising as the season settles in, and Aiden Flora was at the center of it. His standout game gave the Cyclones a different kind of threat to account for, the sort that can force defenses to adjust their plans and change the way a matchup feels from the opening series.
For Iowa State, that matters because the league is already crowded with teams trying to separate themselves, from Texas Techs defensive grind in its win over Colorado to Baylors steady position in the mix. TCUs offensive issues under Sonny Dykes only sharpen the picture, and Floras emergence gives the Cyclones a new variable as the conference race starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]