Iowa State’s loss to Utah was a reminder that football doesn’t get settled in 30 minutes.
The Cyclones spent the first half looking overmatched in just about every phase of a 31-17 defeat to No. 15 Utah, and there’s no way around how rough it was.
The rushing attack never got going. The passing game was off target.
The defense struggled against both the run and the pass. For a stretch, it looked like one of the most unwatchable Iowa State halves since the 62-14 incident against TCU.
Then the second half happened, and the Cyclones at least showed the version of themselves they can become.
That contrast is what made this one sting. Iowa State was down 24-3 at halftime, but the final score still came out 31-17, thanks to a much better second half.
The problem is obvious: good stretches are not enough. Against quality teams, the Cyclones have to string together four quarters, not just two.
A lot of the early-season offense talk had come with built-in excuses, and Iowa State’s 2-1 record helped make that easier. But after this game, the conversation has to get more serious.
The broadcast kept pointing out that Iowa State entered with only one third-down conversion of seven yards or longer all season, and that number didn’t improve Saturday. That’s not the kind of stat any successful team can live with.
Drives die too quickly when third-and-long becomes a dead end.
Even the shorter-yardage situations have not been especially sharp. And while the second-half improvement on third and fourth down was encouraging, it still doesn’t erase the bigger issue: the Cyclones have to execute from start to finish. They showed a similar pattern against Iowa, with some well-run series mixed in with too many wasted snaps over four quarters.
Jaylen Raynor’s accuracy and decision-making were also impossible to ignore. Those issues were easier to brush past when the results were still coming, but they are now front and center. Raynor still looks like the quarterback who gives Iowa State the best chance to win each Saturday, but he has to be better.
The defense had its own ugly opening half, and Utah running back Wayshawn Parker was a huge part of that. He turned 18 carries into 174 yards and added 65 receiving yards, making the Cyclones look helpless at times. Iowa State came into the season with the defense expected to be the stronger side of the ball, so giving up 24 first-half points to almost anybody is a bad sign.
The tackling was especially poor. Sullivan Schlimgen and Brody Miller each had a couple of solid stops in space, but not much else stood out in a good way. Parker kept bouncing off first contact and often needed a second hit to go down.
Iowa State was better defensively after halftime, though the sloppiness didn’t disappear. There were a few dumb penalties, along with a few more that weren’t called, and that kind of discipline issue can’t stick around if the Cyclones want to reach a bowl game.
This team is physical - maybe the nastiest Iowa State team in a long time - but there’s a difference between being nasty and being reckless. Utah quarterback Devon Dampier was hit late by Cyclone linemen probably five times, and one of those penalties wiped out 15 yards and extended a Ute drive, costing Iowa State valuable field position.
There’s still reason for some optimism, though. Iowa State has already gone through two of its toughest three games, and in both of them the Cyclones played a half where they looked right there with the opponent.
Jimmy Rogers’ first season still has the pieces to be a good one. The challenge now is putting them together.
In Other News...
Iowa State Is Still Missing The One Thing That Changes Everything
Oklahoma State looked a lot more like the team it hoped to be after shaking off an early setback and handling West Virginia 41-24, with quarterback Drew Mestemaker throwing for 389 yards and three touchdowns. The result mattered beyond Stillwater, too, because it left West Virginia already trying to regroup at the start of Big 12 play while the rest of the league continued to sort itself out, including Iowa States place in the early-season picture.
For the Cyclones, the larger concern is the same one that hovers over a handful of contenders in the conference: the difference between looking capable and looking complete. Iowa State has had enough good stretches, and enough individual bright spots, to stay in the conversation with teams like Utah, Cincinnati and Kansas State, but the Big 12 tends to expose any missing piece fast. Until that one thing shows up consistently, the margin for error stays thin. [Read more 🡒]
Tamin Lipsey Changes Everything For Iowa State At The Perfect Time
Iowa State got the kind of offseason boost every program hopes for when Tamin Lipsey was granted a legal fifth year of eligibility and will be back in the Cyclones backcourt. His return matters even more because the team is already dealing with an injury to guard Killyan Toure, making experienced perimeter play a priority as the roster takes shape.
Lipsey brings more than familiarity. Last season, he averaged 13.5 points, 5.1 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game, production that touches nearly every part of the floor and gives Iowa State a steadying presence on both ends. For a team trying to absorb one setback while keeping its upside intact, getting him back changes the outlook in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Faces A West Virginia Test That Could Frustrate Fans Again
West Virginia arrives in Ames with enough speed and playmaking to make this one feel familiar for Iowa State fans, who have seen their team get dragged into tight, frustrating game scripts before. The Mountaineers still have a lot to sort out after a loss to Oklahoma State, but quarterback Michael Hawkins gives them a dual-threat threat, wideout DJ Epps can stretch a defense, and running back Cam Cook has helped keep the offense moving on the ground.
For the Cyclones, the matchup is less about flash and more about whether they can keep West Virginia from turning the game into a track meet. Hawkins' ability to hurt teams both ways, plus linebacker Isaiah Patterson's production on defense, gives the Mountaineers a few paths to make this uncomfortable, and a difficult stretch ahead means they are not likely to treat this as just another stop on the schedule. [Read more 🡒]