Iowa State’s Week 4 matchup with Utah didn’t just open with a number - it moved fast.
The Cyclones started as 11.5-point home underdogs in Jack Trice Stadium, but within hours that line had dropped all the way to 7.5. The over-under sits at 48.5 for a game that now pits Iowa State’s 2-1 start against a Utah team that is still unbeaten at 3-0 and ranked No. 15.
Iowa State is 2-1 against the spread this season, with the lone miss coming in Week 1 against SEMO. Through three games, the Cyclones have actually outperformed the number by about 11 points.
They’re also coming off a 55-7 win over Bowling Green at home, while Utah rolled past Utah State to stay perfect. The Utes also have wins over Idaho and Arkansas.
There’s also a timing wrinkle for kickoff. Illinois and No.
7 Ohio State are on the Big Noon Kickoff window, and that game usually starts closer to 11:15 or 11:20, which could push Iowa State’s kickoff back a few minutes. Rain is also a possibility in the forecast.
Monday brings a busy media schedule in Ames. Head coach Jimmy Rogers, defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit and players Braden Smith, Arnold Barnes III, David Coffey and Beau Goodwin are all set to meet with reporters this afternoon at the Stark Performance Center.
Bobbit’s defense has plenty to point to after nearly posting a shutout against Bowling Green. A defensive miscommunication was the only thing that kept the Falcons from being blanked, but Utah brings a much bigger challenge.
The Utes lead the Big 12 with 47.3 points per game and rank third in the league at 7.4 yards per play. Devon Dampier and the passing game are producing 9.4 yards per attempt, which leads to a conference-best nine passing touchdowns.
On the ground, Utah is averaging 5.8 yards per carry, has scored 10 rushing touchdowns and is piling up 232.7 rushing yards per game.
There was also some good news for Iowa State’s younger players in the win over Bowling Green. Barnes scored his first touchdown, and Goodwin picked off his first pass. Rogers said he expects Barnes to keep seeing more chances as the season moves forward.
The volleyball team wrapped up nonconference play with a sweep of Texas A&M Corpus Christi in Vegas, winning 25-17, 25-17 and 25-19 on Sunday. That gives Iowa State a 6-5 record heading into Big 12 play.
Rachel Van Gorp finished with 22 digs, her third match with at least 20 this season. The Cyclones hit above .300 as a team for just the second time this year, and Pam McCune was especially efficient, making one error in 15 swings for a .733 hitting percentage - the seventh-best single-match mark in Iowa State history. Setter Aa Martin added 33 assists, four kills and four digs.
Now the schedule turns sharply. Iowa State opens Big 12 play Friday at Texas Tech, which enters at 8-4 after dropping back-to-back matches, including a 3-1 loss to Iowa on Saturday.
In Other News...
Tamin Lipsey Gives Iowa State A Huge Boost With One Catch
Tamin Lipseys path back to Iowa State basketball just got a major lift, at least for now. A Monroe County Circuit Court injunction in Indiana cleared the way for Lipsey and roughly 90 other athletes to receive a fifth year of eligibility, giving the Cyclones guard a potential avenue to return for the 2026-27 season under a challenge to the NCAAs new age-based rule.
For Iowa State, the development matters because Lipsey has been central to the programs recent rise, and any chance to keep that core intact is worth watching closely. The catch is that the NCAA is expected to appeal, so while the ruling opens the door, his status is still far from settled as the legal fight over which 2022 high school graduates qualify continues to play out. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Gets An Early Big 12 Test It Cant Fake
Utah has spent the opening month looking every bit like a Big 12 heavyweight, outscoring its first three opponents by a combined 142-24 and stacking up impressive numbers on both sides of the ball. Now the Utes step into conference play against Iowa State, a team that has built its own early case with strong defensive production and a run game led by its top rusher. It is the kind of league opener that should tell both programs something real about where they stand.
For Iowa State, this is less about surviving an early test than meeting a contender on the same field and finding out whether its defensive foundation can travel. The matchup also carries some added familiarity, with the two programs having a recent history that gives this one a little more edge than a typical opener. Both coaches have already acknowledged the stakes of the moment, and the Cyclones now get a first Big 12 measuring stick they cannot really sidestep. [Read more 🡒]
Tamin Lipsey Just Changed Iowa States Ceiling Again
A court ruling in Indiana has opened the door for nearly 90 college athletes to play another season, and that includes a familiar name for Iowa State fans in Tamin Lipsey. Judge Kara Krothe granted a preliminary injunction in Monroe County Circuit Court, giving the group access to a fifth year of eligibility and setting up a potential ripple effect across college basketball.
For the Cyclones, Lipseys possible return matters because it keeps one of the programs most important pieces in the picture as the roster takes shape for another run. The ruling also touches several other notable players around the country, from Malik Reneau to Tre White, and the NCAA is expected to appeal, so the final answer is still unsettled even if the immediate impact is already being felt. [Read more 🡒]