Dec 7, 2024; Arlington, TX, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) scores a rushing touchdown against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

No. 15 Arizona State owns Big 12 title game with rout of No. 16 Iowa State

Bo Skattebo rushed for 170 yards and accounted for three touchdowns as No. 15 Arizona State clinched a College Football Playoff spot with a 45-19 rout of No. 16 Iowa State on Saturday in the Big 12 title game at Arlington, Texas.

Skattebo rushed for two scores and also had a receiving touchdown for the Sun Devils (11-2), who won their sixth consecutive game. Sam Leavitt completed 12 of 17 passes for 219 yards and three touchdowns and also ran for a score for Arizona State.

Sun Devils star receiver Jordyn Tyson (left arm) missed the game but Xavier Guillory stepped up to make two touchdown catches.

The Sun Devils, who were picked to finish last as a newcomer in the 16-team Big 12, are hoping to land a first-round bye in the 12-team playoff. The conference was on the outside of the four byes as of Tuesday’s unveiling but the Atlantic Coast Conference title game result could provide an opening if Clemson defeats SMU.

Rocco Becht completed 21 of 35 passes for 214 yards, two touchdowns and one interception for the Cyclones (10-3), who saw their chances from a playoff spot come to an end. Jaylin Noel and Carson Hansen caught touchdown passes and Jayden Higgins had seven catches for 115 yards.

Skattebo ripped off a 28-yard gain on the first offensive play to set the tone. He later had runs of 42 and 53 yards and also scored on a 33-yard reception.

Skattebo scored on a 3-yard run to give the Sun Devils a 17-10 lead with 10:49 left in the first half. He had the 42-yard run on that drive.

Late in the half, the Sun Devils were back in their own end when Skattebo broke loose on the 53-yard scamper. He also ended the drive by scoring from the 2 to give Arizona State a 14-point lead with 27 seconds to go.

Iowa State’s chances of rallying disintegrated in the third quarter as Abu Sama twice lost fumbles and Becht was intercepted by Keith Abney II.

The Sun Devils scored on short drives of 43, 26 and 38 yards to put the game away.

Leavitt tossed touchdown passes of 8 and 21 yards to Guillory in a span of 71 seconds to make it 38-10. And Skattebo caught the short pass from Leavitt and turned it into a 33-yard score with 2:57 left in the third quarter.

Becht tossed a 25-yard touchdown pass to Noel with 7:27 left in the contest.

–Field Level Media

Nov 30, 2024; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils running back Cam Skattebo (4) celebrates with quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) after scoring a touchdown against the Arizona Wildcats in the first half during the Territorial Cup at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Big 12 championship game capsule: Arizona State vs. Iowa State

Big 12 championship game
Arizona State (10-2) vs. Iowa State (10-2)
Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, at Noon ET
Arlington, Texas, AT&T Stadium
TV: ABC
Early line: Arizona State -1.5 (FanDuel)

What’s at stake:
Where Arizona State is in the standings on Tuesday will determine if the Sun Devils are facing a must-win situation as the Big 12 very well could be a one-bid league. Arizona State has been a scorching-hot team down the stretch and probably doesn’t want to leave its fate to the committee in hopes of getting an at-large bid.

Iowa State has recorded the first 10-win season in school history and didn’t secure its spot until BYU defeated Houston late Saturday night in Provo, Utah. The Cyclones badly want to win this game to ensure they are part of the field as they clearly will get passed over if they are a three-loss squad.

How they got here:
Big 12 newcomer Arizona State was picked to finish last in the 16-team league, proving that those involved in the balloting aren’t a group of geniuses. The Sun Devils lost to Texas Tech in Week 4 and their only other setback (to Cincinnati) came when quarterback Sam Leavitt (rib) was sidelined. Arizona State roared to the finish with five straight wins, including a 49-7 road trampling over Arizona on Saturday.

Iowa State beat rival Iowa on Sept. 7 and shut out Houston three weeks later as part of a 7-0 start. But consecutive losses to Texas Tech and Kansas knocked the Cyclones out of the CFP Top 25, making a berth feel like a long shot. Yet Iowa State recovered with three straight victories, including a must-win affair with Kansas State on Saturday before receiving the help it needed from BYU to gain the conference title game berth over Colorado.

Names to know:
–Arizona State
QB Sam Leavitt
Has put together a surprisingly good season with 2,444 yards and 21 touchdowns against five interceptions. He has three passing scores in four of his five games since returning from the injury.

RB Cam Skattebo
Tough guy is the face of Arizona State’s rise with 1,398 yards and 17 TDs on the ground along with 35 catches for 468 yards and two scores.

WR Jordyn Tyson
Collected 75 receptions for 1,101 yards and 10 scores, accumulating 444 of the yards over the past three games.

–Iowa State
QB Rocco Becht
Has 20 touchdowns against eight interceptions while throwing for 3,021 yards, joining Brock Purdy — the former Mr. Irrelevant — as the lone Iowa State quarterbacks to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a season twice.

WR Jayden Higgins
Has 80 catches for 1,068 yards and nine touchdowns while he and teammate Jaylin Noel (1,013) are the first duo to top 1,000 receiving yards in the same season in school history.

CB Jontez Williams
Those four interceptions lead a unit that allowed 21 or fewer points on eight occasions.

Xs and Os:
Arizona State has taken to smashing the not-any-good label and has been the best team in the Big 12 in November. Second-year coach Kenny Dillingham had just three wins in his first season and now has the Sun Devils being that team others don’t want to face.

Iowa State had won nine games in a season on just three occasions prior to this season but now has a chance to win 11 or more this season. The Cyclones won’t scare anyone on the overall talent spectrum but the late-season exploits point to a team that is about to play itself into the playoffs.

Prediction:
Iowa State 19, Arizona State 17

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell watches his team play the Cincinnati Bearcats at Jack Trice Stadium. The Iowa State Cyclones won the game 34-17.  Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

No. 18 Iowa State tops No. 24 Kansas State for 1st 10-win season

No. 18 Iowa State scored 14 points off turnovers and defeated No. 24 Kansas State 29-21 on Saturday on a frigid night in Ames, Iowa.

The Cyclones (10-2, 7-2 Big 12) will face Arizona State in the Big 12 Championship Game on Dec. 7 if BYU beats Houston later Saturday. The Cyclones last won a conference football championship in 1912 when they were members of the Missouri Valley Conference.

Iowa State has 10 wins in a season for the first time in school history.

The Wildcats (8-4, 5-4) have lost three of their past four games.

Rocco Becht threw for 137 yards and two touchdowns for the Cyclones. Avery Johnson racked up 220 yards passing and three touchdowns for the Wildcats (8-4, 5-4), who have lost three of their past four games.

Trailing 24-14, Kansas State looked poised to make it a one-score game midway through the third quarter after a first-and-goal at Iowa State’s 5-yard line. But two short gains set up a 21-yard field-goal attempt that was blocked.

The Wildcats converted on their next possession as Johnson hit Garrett Oakley for a 7-yard touchdown to trim their deficit to 24-21 with 4:41 left in the third. Kansas State stopped Iowa State on fourth-and-2 at the Kansas State 7. On the Wildcats’ ensuing possession, Johnson was called for intentional grounding in the end zone, extending the Cyclones’ lead to 26-21 with 13:22 left in the game.

Iowa State then got a 20-yard field goal by Kyle Konrardy with 6:16 left to cap the scoring.

Johnson’s throw on the first play of the game was ruled a backward pass, which was recovered by Iowa State at the Kansas State 27-yard line. Six plays later, Becht found Jayden Higgins for a 15-yard touchdown.

After going three-and-out on their second drive, the Wildcats found their footing. Johnson found Jayce Brown for a 28-yard touchdown to cap a 10-play, 83-yard drive and tie the score at 7-7.

Iowa State regained the lead early in the second quarter on a 41-yard field goal by Konrardy. Kansas State then turned the ball over again when Keagan Johnson fumbled at the Wildcats’ own 30 after making a reception. Five plays later, Becht found Jaylin Noel in the back of the end zone for a 17-7 lead.

Kansas State got back into the game when Johnson threw a 65-yard touchdown to Brown to cut the Wildcats’ deficit to 17-14 with 5:49 left in the first half.

Becht’s 5-yard run with 43 seconds left in the second quarter gave Iowa State a 24-14 halftime lead.

–Field Level Media

Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht (3) passes the ball against Cincinnati during the third quarter in the week-12 NCAA football at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Ames, Iowa.

Rocco Becht, No. 22 Iowa State to test Utah’s stingy defense

Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht put it succinctly after his team’s 34-17 win over Cincinnati last week.

“Whenever the ball is in my hands,” he said, “I can make a play with it.”

Becht will try to keep making those plays on Saturday night when the 22nd-ranked Cyclones bid to keep their Big 12 Conference championship hopes alive in Salt Lake City against struggling Utah.

After losing two straight games to fall behind BYU (9-1, 6-1) and Colorado (8-2, 6-1) in the conference, Iowa State (8-2, 5-2) needed Becht to make plays to get back on track. He threw a third-quarter touchdown to put the Cyclones ahead for good at 17-10 and added a fourth-quarter scoring run after the Bearcats trimmed their deficit to three points.

Becht completed 24 of 33 passes for 234 yards while adding 48 yards on seven rushes. He comes into this week’s game with 2,628 passing yards and 17 touchdowns.

What Becht gets on Saturday night likely will be earned. The Utes (4-6, 1-6) have dropped six straight games but the defense hasn’t been responsible for much of it, save for last week’s 49-24 defeat at Colorado.

Shedeur Sanders carved Utah up for 340 passing yards and three touchdowns in its first bad game of the year defensively. The Utes gave up an average of 20.4 points over their first five losses but simply haven’t been able to score enough to help their defense.

“This is, bar none, the best defense that we’ll play,” Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said. “You look at their front seven, all fifth- and sixth-year seniors, some of the best defensive players in the country at their position.”

But Utah’s offense simply hasn’t been competent since veteran quarterback Cam Rising suffered an injury in a September win over Baylor that sidelined him for three games. Rising then was knocked out in his return game at Arizona State on Oct. 11 with what turned out to be a season-ending injury.

Freshman Isaac Wilson has showed flashes of brilliance from time to time but simply hasn’t played with the consistency needed to win at this level.

“Right now, I’m in the ‘Twilight Zone.’ It’s the most difficult year of my coaching career, hands down,” Utes coach Kyle Whittingham said. “Not even close.”

Wilson has thrown for 1,436 yards and 10 touchdowns but also has tossed 11 interceptions and completed only 54.8 percent of his attempts. Aside from running back Micah Bernard and his 880 rushing yards, the offense is starved for consistent production.

Picked to win the Big 12 in July, Utah must win this week and next week at UCF just to qualify for a bowl game.

“We’re just not potent enough on offense,” Whittingham said.

While the Utes scrape out 22.7 points and 353.8 yards per game, Iowa State is averaging 31.4 and 434.2, respectively.

The Cyclones own a 4-1 lead in the all-time series but the teams haven’t played since 2010, when Utah went to Ames and scored a 68-27 victory.

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones running back Abu Sama III (24) runs the football against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the first half at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Iowa State snaps 2-game skid with convincing win over Cincinnati

Rocco Becht passed for one score and rushed for another to lead Iowa State to a 34-17 victory over Cincinnati in Big 12 play on Saturday night at Ames, Iowa.

Stevo Klotz caught a touchdown pass and Carson Hansen and Abu Sama III rushed for a score as Iowa State (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) halted a two-game losing streak. Becht completed 24 of 33 passes for 234 yards and rushed for 48 more to keep the Cyclones in the mix for a berth in the Big 12 title game.

Quarterback Brendan Sorsby rushed for 141 yards and one touchdown on 14 attempts but had just 66 yards on 11-of-19 passing for the Bearcats (5-5, 3-4). Corey Kiner rushed for 120 yards on 18 carries and Evan Pryor rushed for a touchdown for Cincinnati, which dropped its third straight game.

Iowa State took a 17-10 lead early in the third quarter when Becht tossed a 26-yard touchdown pass to Klotz. Kyle Konrardy tacked on a 52-yard field goal to make it a 10-point cushion with 2:53 left in the quarter.

The Bearcats moved within three when Sorsby broke free on a 41-yard scoring run with 11:44 remaining in the game.

The Cyclones answered with a 15-play, 68-yard drive and averted disaster when Becht reached high to tip and then collect a high snap. The broken play led to Becht running 15 yards for a touchdown to give Iowa State a 27-17 lead with 4:04 left.

The Cyclones put the game away on fourth-and-two when Sama exploded for a 27-yard touchdown run with 1:09 left to make it a three-score game.

Cincinnati scored on the game’s opening possession with Pryor scoring on a 12-yard run.

The Cyclones knotted the score on Hansen’s 2-yard touchdown run with 1:53 left in the quarter.

Nathan Hawks booted a 29-yard field goal to give the Bearcats a 10-7 lead with 12:18 remaining in the second quarter. Konrardy knotted the score with a 35-yard field goal with eight seconds left.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas Jayhawks running back Devin Neal (4) runs the ball during the first quarter against the Iowa State Cyclones at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images

Devin Neal’s milestone day helps Kansas beat No. 17 Iowa State

Jalon Daniels was 12-of-24 passing for 295 yards and two touchdowns and Devin Neal added two rushing touchdowns as Kansas defeated No. 17 Iowa State on 45-36 Saturday in Kansas City, Mo.

All of Kansas’ conference home games are being played at Arrowhead Stadium because of stadium renovations in Lawrence, Kan.

Neal passed June Henley for the career rushing yardage leader on his first carry of the game. He finished the game with 116 rushing yards, giving him 3,951 in his career.

Rocco Becht was 24-of-37 for 383 yards for Iowa State (7-2, 4-2 Big 12), which has lost two straight games.

The Jayhawks (3-6, 2-4 Big 12) kept their slim bowl hopes alive.

Neal stretched a 31-13 halftime lead with his second touchdown of the game, and the 43rd of his career, early in the second half.

Carson Hansen answered with a 13-yard touchdown for ISU. Becht’s 27-yard touchdown pass to Jaylon Jackson and Becht’s 2-point conversion trimmed the deficit to 38-28. But Becht threw an interception to Mello Dotson, who returned it 25 yards for the clinching score with 5:58 remaining.

Becht hit Jaylin Noel with an 18-yard touchdown, but Kansas was able to run out the clock.

Iowa State started the scoring with a 99-yard drive following a Kansas punt on its opening drive. Becht hit Noel for a 27-yard touchdown to cap a seven-play drive.

Kansas responded quickly. Daniels hit Luke Grimm across the middle on the Jayhawks’ second play and Grimm went 70 yards for the tying touchdown. On the next drive, Neal went around the left end for a 13-yard touchdown run, his 42nd rushing touchdown of his career for a Kansas record.

Daniels then found Quentin Skinner for a 24-yard touchdown and a two-score lead.

Kyle Konrardy hit a 22-yard field goal for Iowa State.

But Daniels found Skinner for a 62-yard pass down the right sideline, setting up Daniels’ 2-yard touchdown run.

Tabor Allen then hit a 47-yard field goal to match his career best with 1:01 left in the first half.

Konrardy hit a 38-yard field goal in the final play of the half.

–Field Level Media

Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht (3) reacts after made a first down against UCF during the first quarter in the week-8 NCAA football at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024, in Ames, Iowa.

Rocco Becht, No. 9 Iowa State stage dramatic comeback win vs. UCF

Rocco Becht led the No. 9 Iowa State Cyclones on a game-winning drive in the final two minutes of Saturday’s Big 12 home game against the UCF Knights, as Iowa State won 38-35.

The Iowa State (7-0, 4-0) sophomore quarterback led the Cyclones on an 11-play, 80-yard drive where Becht either threw or ran it himself on every play. It ended with Becht going straight at the goal line for a one-yard rushing touchdown and a follow-up two-point quarterback draw to grab the lead with 30 seconds left.

UCF (3-4, 1-3) had one final possession to try and either tie or go ahead, but the drive ended prematurely with Jacurri Brown throwing an interception to Jontez Williams.

Becht ended the night with 371 total yards, with 274 passing yards, 97 rushing yards and three total touchdowns. Carson Hansen added 91 rushing yards with two touchdowns.

Becht kept his composure late after throwing two interceptions that led to UCF touchdowns in the second and fourth quarters. In the second, it was Brandon Adams returning an interception 63 yards to the endzone.

In the fourth, Braeden Marshall returned a deflected pass off the hands of Jaylin Noel 70 yards for what was initially ruled a touchdown. After review, Marshall dropped the ball at the one-yard line, but UCF retained possession and ran in a touchdown on the next play.

The Knights challenged the Cyclones most of the night with an overpowering rushing attack. RJ Harvey had 196 rushing yards in the loss, and two touchdowns which included an 80-yard touchdown run that put Harvey over 3,000 yards in his NCAA career. Brown, starting in his first game at quarterback for UCF, added 154 rushing yards with two rushing touchdowns.

Iowa State’s win ties the program record for best start at 7-0, and the 4-0 start to the conference schedule is the best start to a conference slate in the Cyclones’ history.

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2024; Waco, Texas, USA;  Baylor Bears wide receiver Josh Cameron (34) makes a touchdown catch against Brigham Young Cougars cornerback Therrian Alexander III (24) during the second half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Baylor faces tough test vs. No. 16 Iowa State’s methodical style

Baylor head coach Dave Aranda has watched enough film of No. 16 Iowa State to know what to expect on Saturday night in Ames, Iowa.

But just because the Bears know what to expect doesn’t guarantee they can overcome it.

“They ball control offensively and just eat up clock,” Aranda said this week. “And then on the other side of it, defensively, it’s kind of the same thing in reverse. They’re going to rush three, they’re going to drop everybody back, and they’re going to make it so that you have to have the discipline to put a 10-play drive together. …

“That philosophy has treated them well. They kind of choke you out, slowly.”

Baylor (2-3, 0-2 Big 12) will try to escape the chokehold in what promises to be a raucous environment at Iowa State (4-0, 1-0). The Cyclones are promoting a “white out” under the lights as they look to improve to 5-0 for the first time since 1980.

Iowa State is coming off a 20-0 win over Houston a week ago. The Cyclones have outscored opponents 113-29 this season.

The Cyclones’ dominance has captured attention across college football, particularly the defense, which has allowed only 7.3 points per game to rank fourth in the nation.

Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell acknowledged that his team is playing in a much brighter spotlight now than it was at the beginning of the season. He responded candidly when a reporter asked how he thought his players would handle the extra attention.

“You don’t know how they’re going to handle it,” Campbell said. “They’re 18- to 22-year-olds.

“I think the great thing about what we’re trying to do is consistently become the best of us that we can be because that’s what it’s going to take. Unfortunately, our sport is extremely humbling. As soon as you think you figured it out, you’re going to get humbled really fast. It’s just too competitive. There’s just too many good teams, too many good situations.

“You’ve got to be hungry. You’ve got to be a team that is willing to sacrifice everything it takes. That’s not just Saturday. That’s like, ‘Man, can I keep taking care of my body? Can I keep practicing great on Tuesday? Can I keep practicing great on Wednesday? Can I keep practicing great on Thursday?’ And that’s hard. …

“The challenge of having elite success at this level is: Are you mentally tough enough to show up every day and be your best?”

Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht has 896 passing yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions. Abu Sama III is the team’s top rusher with 225 yards and a score on 40 carries.

On defense, J.R. Singleton leads the Cyclones with three sacks.

Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson has passed for 787 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. He also has rushed for 116 yards and three scores.

Josh Cameron is Robertson’s top target in the passing game. He has 16 catches for 267 yards and three touchdowns.

On defense, safety Corey Gordon Jr. leads the team with a pair of interceptions.

Baylor is eager for a victory after losing back-to-back games by single digits. The Bears lost 38-31 in overtime against Colorado on Sept. 21 and 34-28 in regulation against then-No. 22 BYU on Saturday.

Aranda said his players were determined to stop the skid.

“(There is) frustration,” he said. “Urgency. I think if I had to choose another (phrase), I would say, ‘All in.’”

–Field Level Media

Iowa State Cyclones wide receiver Jaylin Noel (13) celebrates after a touchdown against Iowa during the third quarter in the Cy-Hawk series at Kinnick Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Iowa City, Iowa.

No. 20 Iowa State still savoring Iowa upset, resets with Arkansas State

What can Kyle Konrardy and No. 20 Iowa State do for an encore?

Konrardy’s 54-yard field goal with six seconds left lifted the Cyclones to a 20-19 win at instate rival Iowa on Sept. 7. For his troubles, the redshirt freshman earned 54 boxes of Pop-Tarts, the breakfast pastry that has its name attached to a bowl game.

After a bye week to bask in the glow of the big win and work on some of those Pop-Tarts, Iowa State returns to action Saturday afternoon with a game against Arkansas State in Ames, Iowa.

Making Konrardy’s game-winner even more remarkable was he hadn’t attempted a field goal in a college game before that game. He missed from 41 yards out just before halftime and then connected on a 46-yarder early in the fourth quarter, pulling his team within 19-17.

His approach for the game-winner?

“Not think,” he said. “That’s it. Just go out there, not think and do what you do.”

The Cyclones (2-0) rode a stingy defense to a fast start. They’ve allowed just one touchdown and 22 points so far, although North Dakota and Iowa haven’t exactly posed two-dimensional threats to truly test a defense.

Still, it was the defense that kept Iowa State in contention when its offense bumbled its way through the first half. The Cyclones forced Iowa to settle for short field goals after long drives.

It was the program’s biggest comeback since 2020, when it trailed Baylor by 14 points.

“It’s a law of progression, nothing ever just goes straight to success,” Cyclones coach Matt Campbell said. “The great teams, man, the special ones, they can make those down moments blips and get right back on the road to success.”

While Iowa State tries to maintain its early momentum, Arkansas State (2-1) shoots for an upset. The Red Wolves never really threatened Michigan last week in a 28-18 loss in Ann Arbor but at least made the final score respectable with two fourth-quarter touchdowns.

Arkansas State created its chances by intercepting three passes but ultimately generated just three points, which was the key factor in its first loss. Backup quarterback Timmy McClain fired a pair of touchdown passes in the last six minutes.

The Red Wolves opened their season with narrow home wins against Central Arkansas, one of the top FCS programs in the country, and Tulsa. They sport a balanced attack that’s led by Jaylen Raynor, who’s thrown for 712 yards and three touchdowns, and Corey Rucker, who’s caught 17 passes for 265 yards and a pair of scores.

Zak Wallace, the team’s leading rusher with 124 yards, has scored 40 touchdowns in a career that started at FCS UT Martin.

“We can say that we’re kind of slept on,” he said. “You don’t hear about (us) a lot but we’re here.”

This will be the first matchup of Arkansas State and Iowa State.

–Field Level Media