PRIMER: No. 9 Iowa State Hosts UCF

AMES, Iowa - No. 9 Iowa State looks to match the best start in school history when it hosts UCF Saturday evening at Jack Trice Stadium in the first meeting between the teams. The last 7-0 start for the Cyclones came in 1938, while ISU also looks to get to 4-0 in conference play for the first time in program history.

Who: No. 9 Iowa State (6-0, 3-0 Big 12) vs. UCF (3-3, 1-2 Big 12)
Where: MidAmerican Energy Field at Jack Trice Stadium (61,500) – Ames, Iowa
When: Saturday, Oct. 19, 2024 – 6:30 p.m. CT
PURCHASE TICKETS | PURCHASE PARKING

The Links
WATCH: FS1
PxP: Trent Rush; Analyst: Spencer Tillman
LISTEN: Cyclone Radio Network – Varsity App, TuneIn Radio or Radio Affiliates
PxP: John Walters; Analyst: Eric Heft; Sideline: Ryan Harklau
LIVE STATS
IOWA STATE GAME NOTES
GAME PROGRAM
2024 FOOTBALL YEARBOOK
MEDIA CENTER

INSIDE THE SERIES
First Meeting
Overall: 0-0
Home: 0-0
Road: 0-0
Campbell vs. UCF: 0-0
Last Meeting: -

GAME PROMOTIONS
Jack Trice Stadium will be rocking on Saturday night. Be sure to stay in your seats at halftime for the drone show!

Done Show Graphic

50 SEASONS AT JACK TRICE STADIUM
Iowa State's is in its 50^th season of play at Jack Trice Stadium. Learn more about the stadium's history by clicking here.

NUMBERS OF NOTE
3 - Jontez Williams has an interception in three-consecutive games. He leads the Big 12 and ranks No. 6 nationally in total interceptions (3).

5 - Kooper Ebel has either led or co-led ISU in tackles in three of the last four games. He has a TFL in five-straight games.

11 - Rocco Becht has 11 passing plays of 50-plus yards since last season, tied for the second-most nationally.

26 - The Cyclone defense has 26 interceptions since 2023, tied for the second-most nationally in that span. Individually, Jeremiah Cooper has seven of those, which is tied for the third-most in the nation since 2023.

WINNING IN THE MARGINS
Coach Matt Campbell constantly preaches winning in the margins and taking care of the details. Well, this season, the Cyclones have been doing all the little things right.

PENALTIES: Iowa State is one of the least penalized teams in the nation. The Cyclones rank No. 2 nationally and tops in the Big 12 in fewest penalty yards per game (27.7).
TURNOVERS: ISU has a turnover margin of +9, which leads the Big 12 and ranks No. 4 nationally. Looking at points off turnovers, Iowa State is outscoring its opponents 55-3.
SPECIAL TEAMS: The Cyclones have been sound on special teams this season. Iowa State won at Iowa via a game-winning field goal and has blocked two punts, one of which was returned for a touchdown. ISU is one of 10 teams in the country with two blocked punts this season.
NEGATIVE PLAYS: Iowa State has largely avoided big negative plays on offense this season. ISU ranks second in the Big 12 and No. 10 nationally in sacks allowed (5).

SECOND-HALF STOPPERS
Since the start of the 2021 season, ISU has allowed just 353 points in the second half of its 44 games, an average of 8.0 points.This season, ISU is allowing just 4.3 points and 121 yards in the second half of games.

The Cyclones have allowed just 13 points in the fourth quarter of games, a single touchdown in a blowout win against Arkansas State and a late TD at West Virginia.

Malik Verdon vs. West Virginia (2024)

JAY-SQUARED
Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins make up one of the nation's best receiving duos. Iowa State is one of three schools nationally, along with Ohio State and Washington, with two receivers over 500-plus receiving yards on the season.

Jay-Squared Stats
Jaylin Noel	29 rec, 528 yds, 18.2 ypc, 3 TD
Jayden Higgins	39 rec, 505 yds, 12.9 ypc, 5 TD
TOTAL	68 rec, 1033 yds, 15.2 ypc, 8 TD

Noel has a reception in 38-straight games, tied for the fourth-longest active streak nationally while Higgins has scored a touchdown in seven of the last eight games and 11-of-19 as a Cyclone.

OTHER KEY STORYLINES

Matt Campbell is 21-11 in October at ISU. The Cyclones are looking to complete a perfect October for the second-straight season and fourth time under his direction.
The Cyclones are bowl eligible for the seventh time in nine seasons under Campbell.
The Cyclones improved to 6-0 for the first time since 1938 with a win against West Virginia last weekend. It was ISU's sixth-straight Big 12 road victory and the Cyclones are now 11-3 in their last 14 games, including 7-1 in road games.
Iowa State's defense, under the direction of Jon Heacock, leads the Big 12 and ranks fifth nationally allowing just 11 points per game. Its passing defense has been stout, yielding just 145.7 yards per game (fifth nationally). Overall, ISU is allowing just 285.3 yards of total offense, No. 15 nationally and tops in the Big 12.
Six different Cyclones have combined for 10 interceptions to rank among the nation's top five. Since the start of the 2023 season, ISU has 26 interceptions in 19 games, tied for the second-most nationally in that span.
Rocco Becht had one of the best games of his career at West Virginia, completing 18-of-26 passes with one touchdown. He has a TD pass in 10-straight games, which is tied for the third-longest streak in school history.

CYCAST WITH THE CYCLONE RADIO CREW
John Walters, Eric Heft and Ryan Harklau sit down to preview Iowa State's home matchup against UCF. The podcast is presented by Van Wall Equipment.

To listen, CLICK HERE.

WEEKLY MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Matt Campbell, Jon Heacock, Rocco Becht, Jayden Higgins, J.R. Singleton and Beau Freyler met with the media on Tuesday. Watch their interviews below.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Rocco Becht

Jeremiah Cooper

Kooper Ebel

Beau Freyler

Jayden Higgins

Jaylin Noel

J.R. Singleton

Jontez Williams

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics