AMES - Carson Willich has spent plenty of time on the training table, and even more time learning patience.
The Iowa State linebacker has torn an ACL in one knee before arriving in Ames in 2022, then tore the other in 2024 and missed the entire season. Along the way, he’s had to watch the Cyclones beat Iowa twice in the Cy-Hawk Series without him taking part in either win.
He was on the sideline when then-walk-on kicker Kyle Konrardy drilled a late 54-yard field goal to beat the Hawkeyes 20-19 at Kinnick Stadium two seasons ago. Then, after Willich opened the 2025 season in Dublin with five tackles against Kansas State, a foot injury kept him out for the next three games - including the 54-yard Konrardy kick that beat Iowa again last fall at Jack Trice Stadium.
Now the fifth-year linebacker finally gets his shot in the rivalry. Iowa State and No.
21 Iowa, both 1-0, meet at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Kinnick Stadium on NBC, and Willich is in line for his first career Cy-Hawk start.
“It’s been a journey,” Willich said on media day. “But I’ve used those (bouts with) adversity as opportunities to grow.
You can do two things with adversity. You can either let them sink in and kind of go down from there, or use it as an opportunity to grow and get better from it.”
That mindset has defined Willich’s path. The 6-1, 220-pound Blue Springs, Mo., native came through with a career-high seven tackles in the Cyclones’ season-opening win and has emerged as a tone-setter for a defense that prides itself on speed and discipline.
“He’s one of those guys who’s gonna take accountability,” ISU’s first-year defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit said. “He’s not afraid to ask any questions and then he’s gonna take it and run with it. He’s continuing to work to be his best.”
But the challenge Saturday is a big one. Iowa State enters as a two-touchdown underdog and is coming off a 38-10 win over Southeast Missouri State in which head coach Jimmy Rogers counted 19 missed tackles. Willich was among those who missed at least one.
“He was one of the guys that spun off (a) long run,” Bobbit said. “He was there to make the play. Just gotta finish it.”
That’ll be a much taller order against Iowa running back Kamari Moulton, who ripped Northern Illinois for 183 yards and three touchdowns on just 11 carries in a 40-0 win. With an almost entirely new defensive line in front of them, Willich and fellow starters Sullivan Schlimgen and Willie Breland III will have to help keep the Hawkeyes from breaking the game open on the ground or through the air.
“We’ve got to be ready to play downhill,” Bobbit said. “We can’t sit and wait. We’ve got to be ready to attack.”
For Willich, that aggressive mindset comes after years of being forced to watch from the wrong side of the sideline. His second ACL tear was followed by a severe staph infection that doctors feared could lead to amputation, but two more surgeries solved the problem.
“In that moment, I’m in the hospital bed, not knowing what really to think if I’m being honest with you,” Willich recalled. “I put all my faith in God.”
He eventually wrote himself a message that became his phone’s inspirational screen saver, then updated it again before this season. The latest version is simple and direct.
“It’s just stay healthy for the 2026 season,” he said. “And be the best teammate I can.
I think that’s the biggest thing. I’ve learned to take it day-by-day in this journey.
Every day is a new day to grow and get better.”
In Other News...
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The timing could be useful, too, with Big 12 competition already showing up in the first AP Top 25 poll of the regular season as Texas Tech, BYU, Utah and Houston all landed in the rankings. Iowa State still has plenty of work ahead, but getting a healthy piece back in the backfield would only help as the Cyclones try to keep pace in a league where every week seems to bring another ranked opponent into the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Heads Into Jimmy Rogers First Cy-Hawk With One Big Unknown
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For Iowa State, the emphasis has been on the Hawkeyes offense as a whole rather than trying to chase one name off the depth chart. Defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit said the focus is on Iowas scheme, while players such as wide receiver Tony Diaz and Iowa States Isaac Terrell loom as key pieces in a game that already carries its usual emotion and now adds one more layer of uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Just Created A Fascinating New Cy-Hawk Setup
Iowa State opened the season with a clean defensive showing against Southeast Missouri, and Isaac Terrells three sacks gave the Cyclones an early sign that the front can set the tone this fall. It was the kind of start that coaches like to see in September, especially for a team trying to build rhythm and confidence before the schedule tightens.
The long-range schedule news adds another layer to that momentum. Iowa State has adjusted its 2027 slate with the idea of giving itself better preparation heading into the Cy-Hawk showdown, creating a setup that should leave more breathing room before Iowa arrives. For a rivalry game that always carries extra weight, that kind of planning could matter just as much as what happens on the field in the weeks leading up to it. [Read more 🡒]