The Jimmy Rogers era at Iowa State opened with a clean, convincing result, and the Cyclones didn’t need long to show what kind of identity they want to build.
In Rogers’ first game with the program, Iowa State rolled past Southeast Missouri 38-10 at Jack Trice Stadium in Week 1 of the 2026 college football season. The start was pushed back a half hour because of inclement weather, but once the game got going, the Cyclones handled business.
That was no small thing considering the shape of this roster. Iowa State entered the season with 83 new players and no returning starters on either side of the ball from 2025, which made the opener a true unknown. Still, the first look was encouraging, especially on defense.
The front seven set the tone from the jump. Isaac Terrell, who came in with plenty of attention as arguably the best player on the roster, was a wrecking ball all afternoon. He finished with three sacks, giving him half of Iowa State’s six total sacks and making life miserable for Southeast Missouri quarterback Braylen Ragland.
The pressure never really let up. Iowa State piled up 12 tackles for loss, and Terrell wasn’t alone in the backfield. Carson Willich, Malcolm Jones and Jack Janikowski all recorded multiple tackles for loss as the Cyclones kept the Redhawks behind the sticks.
By the end of the day, the defense had allowed just 209 total yards, including 142 through the air and 67 on the ground. Iowa State also forced three turnovers, picking off one pass and recovering two fumbles.
Offensively, Jaylen Raynor gave the Cyclones a little bit of everything. His passing line was uneven - 8-of-16 for 184 yards - but he found the end zone twice as a thrower and twice more with his legs. He added 32 rushing yards, and his debut showed exactly why his dual-threat ability matters.
Dominic Overby was the top target in the passing game, finishing with 85 receiving yards. He came close to turning one catch into a long touchdown before stepping out of bounds on the way to the end zone. Omari Hayes and Easton Miller also finished with two receptions apiece to share the team lead.
Iowa State now moves to 1-0 and heads to Iowa City in Week 2 for the Cy-Hawk Rivalry game against the Iowa Hawkeyes, a team the Cyclones have beaten two years in a row.
In Other News...
Iowa State Fans Just Got Fresh Ammo In Iowas Pride Debate
A new Nielsen report gave Iowa State fans another reason to brag in the ongoing Iowa pride debate. The data, which ranked the top 20 college football fan bases by market using eight engagement metrics from January 2025 through May 2026, placed the Des Moines/Ames market second overall and put it at the top in apparel purchases, social media following and radio listening.
For a state where football bragging rights never really cool off, that matters. Iowa and Iowa State are both rolling into the 2025 season with openers on the schedule, the Hawkeyes against Northern Illinois and the Cyclones against Southeast Missouri, and the market numbers only sharpen the local split over which fan base shows up loudest, spends the most and stays most connected when the season gets going. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State May Have Found A New Defensive Weapon In Beni Ngoyi
Near the end of the second quarter against Southeast Missouri, Iowa State got a glimpse of what Beni Ngoyi might bring to the back end of the defense. The junior from Lincoln, Nebraska, reached out with one hand and picked off Braylen Ragland, a play that helped set up a scoring drive for the Cyclones and instantly made the former wide receiver look right at home in his new role.
Ngoyi made the move to defensive back before the 2025 season, and the early returns suggest the transition could give Iowa State another versatile piece to work with. Plays like that one are exactly why teams keep searching for athletes who can change the feel of a game in a single snap, and Ngoyi already looks capable of doing it with the kind of ball skills that don't need much time to show up. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Flashed One Encouraging Sign Fans Needed To See
The season opener gave Iowa State exactly the kind of early baseline it needed, and the defense supplied the clearest reason for optimism in a 38-10 win over SEMO. The Cyclones were disruptive from the start, getting after the quarterback, controlling the line of scrimmage and making the Redhawks work for every inch on the ground, the sort of showing that can steady a team while the offense is still finding its rhythm.
Jaylen Raynors debut was a little more uneven, even with the scoreboard reflecting four total touchdowns. Iowa State also mixed and matched along the offensive line, which made the unit look unsettled at times and left some real room for growth in run blocking. For a team that wants to build momentum quickly, the encouraging part is obvious, but the bigger test is whether the offense can catch up to a defense that already looks ahead of schedule. [Read more 🡒]