Jul 13, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell is interviewed during the Big 12 football media day at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

QB intrigue looms large as Iowa State hosts Northern Iowa

An ongoing state investigation into illegal sports gambling by college athletes has left the Iowa State depth chart looking dramatically different entering Saturday’s season opener against visiting Northern Iowa in Ames.

With likely starting quarterback Hunter Dekkers part of the probe, the Cyclones may offer multiple looks under center as they try to stretch their winning streak against the Panthers to four.

Rocco Becht and J.J. Kohl competed for the starting role during camp, but a true No. 1 has not yet emerged.

“Throughout the week will probably help decide that,” Iowa State coach Matt Campbell said. “I would expect that you’re certainly going to see both Rocco and J.J., and maybe even some opportunities for Tanner (Hughes).”

Aiming to regroup following a 4-8 season, the Cyclones will offer multiple new looks, including at running back. The program will attempt to replace would-be returning rusher Jirehl Brock, who was charged in the gambling investigation and has left the program.

The Panthers figure to go as redshirt senior quarterback Theo Day does. Day was the class of the Missouri Valley Conference at the position in 2022, leading the league with 3,121 yards and 26 touchdowns through the air, while also ranking first in pass efficiency, total offense and yards per attempt.

“For us, it presents a great challenge out of the gate,” Campbell said. “One of the better quarterbacks that I’ve seen in a while.”

Northern Iowa needed to replace four starters on its offensive line. Jared Penning, the position group’s lone holdover, shifted to left tackle. The rest of the unit includes Iowa transfer Josh Volk at right guard and Chase Arends at center.

“Chase is in the right spot to help neutralize some of the communication errors that might happen and Jared is in the right spot because of the talent that he has,” Panthers coach Mark Farley said.

Farley enters one win shy of 175 career victories. He has guided the Panthers to wins against the Cyclones in 2007, 2013 and 2016.

–Field Level Media

Jan 2, 2021; Glendale, AZ, USA; Iowa State Cyclones running back Breece Hall (28) against the Oregon Ducks in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

No. 7 Iowa State opens with Northern Iowa, high expectations

Expectations may have been higher once upon a time for No. 7 Iowa State, but it’s hard to convince its rabid fan base otherwise at this point.

The defending Big 12 Conference regular season champs return virtually every player of note ahead of Saturday’s season opener with FCS opponent Northern Iowa in Ames and expect to sell up to 49,000 season tickets — a school record.

“We’ve earned the expectations people have for us,” said Cyclones running back Breece Hall to the Des Moines Register. “We know how good we can be.”

The job coach Matt Campbell has done is nothing short of spectacular. Iowa State has jumped multiple levels in his five years, going from occasionally competitive to good to suddenly a contender to play for a national title.

Campbell has won three Big 12 Coach of the Year awards in the last four years. The Cyclones’ 32 wins over the past four seasons is the most in program history. And with 19 starters returning, Iowa State has the experience to match its burgeoning skill.

What’s more, the players are comfortable with wearing a target that most Cyclone teams have shot at in vain.

“This is where we’ve always wanted to be with our program,” said quarterback Brock Purdy. “This is what we’ve envisioned, so it’s a reality for us now. We know that.”

Hall rushed for 1,572 yards and 21 touchdowns last year, while Purdy completed 66.6 percent of his passes for 2,750 yards with 19 scores and nine interceptions. The defense is led by middle linebacker Mike Rose, who notched 96 tackles, including 10 1/2 for losses, and intercepted five passes.

In going 9-3 last year and beating Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl, Iowa State finished one of its best seasons with a quality win over a proven brand name. And even its one so-called bad loss in the first game turned out to be not so bad when Louisiana spent most of the year in the Top 25.

That defeat might be why the Cyclones pledge not to overlook Northern Iowa. Another reason might be the last time the teams played. It took Iowa State three overtimes to hold off the Panthers 29-26 just two years ago.

UNI went 3-4 in the spring, when the Missouri Valley Football Conference opted to play its schedule due to COVID-19, and failed to qualify for the 16-team FCS playoff field. It expects to do better than its predicted finish of fifth place in the MVFC because it returns all 22 starters.

“If we can win our league, which I know we can, we can win a national championship,” wide receiver Logan Wolf said to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier.

The Panthers’ top returnee might be defensive tackle Jared Brinkman, an All-America pick on the FCS level who was his conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. Offensive tackle Trevor Penning, who’s 6-7 and 335 pounds, is considered an NFL prospect.

Will McElvain has started 21 games for UNI and tossed 20 touchdown passes as a freshman, but coach Mark Farley brought in Michigan State transfer Theo Day to compete for the starting job. It’s not known who will take the first snap on Saturday.

–Field Level Media