Iowa State didn’t have to look far for the biggest reason behind its 38-10 win over Southeast Missouri State in Week 1. The Cyclones got a loud defensive statement from Isaac Terrell, and the veteran edge rusher was rewarded for it with Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Terrell was everywhere the Redhawks didn’t want him to be. He finished with three sacks on Braylen Ragland, added a quarterback hit and logged four total pressures. All of his damage came behind the line of scrimmage, where he piled up three tackles for loss and three total tackles in just 27 snaps, according to PFF (subscription required).
The production matched the eye test. Southeast Missouri State’s offensive line had no answer for him, and Terrell’s afternoon at Jack Trice Stadium was as disruptive as it was efficient. He posted an 83.4 overall grade, the third-best mark on the Iowa State defense behind Jack Janikowski’s 88.4 and Beni Ngoyi’s 84.6.
Terrell also graded out well in every phase, with a 70.8 run defense grade, a 75.1 tackling grade and a 79.3 pass rush grade. It was a clean continuation of what he did in 2025, when he recorded 7.0 sacks and 12 tackles for loss.
Wide receiver Dominic Overby also made his presence felt, leading the Cyclones with 86 receiving yards on two catches. But the night belonged to Iowa State’s defense, and Terrell was the headliner.
That’s the kind of opening burst head coach Jimmy Rogers and defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit were looking for from their senior captain. Terrell played under Bobbit last year with the Washington State Cougars, and now Iowa State will need that same level again if it wants to keep stacking wins.
The challenge gets much bigger in Week 2. The Cyclones head to Iowa City for their first Cy-Hawk Rivalry game of the season, a major early test in Rogers’ first year in charge. If Iowa State is going to have a shot at pulling the upset, another Terrell performance like the one he put together against Southeast Missouri State would be a strong place to start.
In Other News...
Iowa State Has A New Defensive Force Ahead Of Cy-Hawk Week
Isaac Terrell gave Iowa State exactly the kind of disruptive afternoon that gets noticed beyond one box score, earning Big 12 defensive player of the week honors after piling up three sacks, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry in the win over Southeast Missouri. For a defense trying to set a tone early in the season, that kind of edge from the front seven is the sort of development coaches and teammates can build around.
The timing only makes it more interesting with Cy-Hawk week arriving, especially with the 2026 meeting at Kinnick Stadium set for an NBC broadcast and a designated commentary crew. Iowa State personnel, including head coach Jimmy Rogers and defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit, are lined up for their game-week media availability, and Terrells emergence gives those conversations a little more urgency as the Cyclones turn from one opponent to a much bigger stage. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Faces Its Real Test Now As Cy-Hawk Pressure Builds
Iowa State opened the Jimmy Rogers era with a comfortable 28-point win over Southeast Missouri, but the real measuring stick arrives quickly in Week 2 with a trip to face rival Iowa, which sits No. 21 in the AP Top 25. After a clean start, the Cyclones are heading into the kind of game that tends to reveal how ready a team really is, especially with Cy-Hawk pressure hanging over every snap.
Rogers also used a recent media session to spotlight something that often gets overlooked this time of year: the role of walk-ons in building a roster. He pointed to the value those players bring in practice and depth, and his comments fit a program-wide reality that the Cyclones know well, even if the calendar is already pushing them toward a much bigger stage. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Already Looks Like A Different Test For Iowa State
Iowa State handled Southeast Missouri State in Week 1, but the bigger value of that opener may be in how it frames the road ahead. Around college football, some teams turned in performances that changed the way their schedules now look, and the Cyclones can already see how a few early results are reshaping the feel of their own slate.
The most immediate effect is in how certain opponents are being viewed after the opening weekend. Some teams that had been expected to provide a stiffer test did not look the part, while a few others showed enough early strength to make later matchups appear more daunting than they did in August. For Iowa State, the shifting perception matters just as much as the win itself, because the margin between a manageable stretch and a tricky one can change quickly in September. [Read more 🡒]