PRIMER: No. 22 Iowa State vs. South Dakota

AMES, Iowa - No. 22 Iowa State returns home to host 2024 FCS semifinalist South Dakota in the home opener at Jack Trice Stadium. The Cyclones are 1-0 following a 24-21 win against Big 12 foe No. 17 Kansas State last weekend in the Aer Lingus Classic in Dublin, Ireland.

Who: No. 22 Iowa State (1-0, 1-0 Big 12) vs. South Dakota (0-0, 0-0 MVFC)
Where: MidAmerican Energy Field at Jack Trice Stadium (61,500) – Ames, Iowa
When: Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025 – 2:30 p.m. CT
PURCHASE TICKETS | PURCHASE PARKING

The Links
WATCH: FOX
PxP: Tim Brando; Analyst: Devin Gardner; Sideline: Josh Sims
LISTEN: Cyclone Radio Network – Varsity App, TuneIn Radio or Radio Affiliates
PxP: John Walters; Analyst: Eric Heft; Sideline: Ryan Harklau
GAME NOTES: ISU // USD
LIVE STATS
IOWA STATE GAME NOTES
2025 FOOTBALL YEARBOOK
MEDIA CENTER

INSIDE THE SERIES
10th Meeting
Overall: 9-0
Home: 7-0
Road: 1-0
Neutral: 1-0
Campbell vs. USD: 0-0
Last Meeting: 10/10/1959 (ISU 41, USD 6)

CYCLONES vs. COYOTES
Iowa State and South Dakota are set to meet for the 10th time but the first since 1959. It will be the first meeting between the teams at Jack Trice Stadium, but ISU does lead 7-0 in games played in Ames.

STARTING WITH A WIN
Iowa State started the season with a win over its conference rival, No. 17 Kansas State, Week 0 in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland. The victory gave ISU back-to-back wins against Top-20 opponents for the first time since 1973.

Both teams battled through heavy rain and a sloppy field in the first half as they worked through typical offseason rust, but the second half saw both squads put points on the board. In the end, it was Iowa State who prevailed over the Wildcats, 24-21, behind a strong second-half performance from quarterback Rocco Becht.

Becht was 8-for-13 for 105 yards and a TD through the air with another score on the ground in the second half. ISU's rushing attack, led by a veteran offensive line, also found its groove with 107 of the Cyclones' 130 rush yards coming in the final two quarters. The Iowa State defense had seven tackles for a loss, matching last season's high against Big 12 foes, and held K-State to just 110 rush yards, including only 21 from dual-threat quarterback Avery Johnson.

Aer Lingus Classic Trophy Celebration

FOURTH DOWN SUCCESS
Head coach Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser have shown they are not afraid to keep the ball in their quarterback's hands in critical situations. In 2024, Iowa State was the Big 12's best team, and the second-best nationally, on fourth down, converting at an 80 percent clip (20-for-25). The success continued in week zero as the Cyclones converted all three fourth-down tries, while holding K-State to just 1-for-4 on fourth down.

CLOSE CONNECTIONS
Located just 220 miles apart, there are a few close ties between the Iowa State and South Dakota football programs.

USD GM Josh Rosenthal spent three seasons (2019-21) on Iowa State's staff as assistant director of player personnel.
On the field, USD QB Aidan Bouman was a three-star recruit and spent his first two seasons on Iowa State's roster. He did not play in a game for the Cyclones before transferring.
SIBLINGS: ISU tackle Tyler Miller's brother Jesse is a redshirt sophomore tight end for South Dakota. Cyclone freshman defensive back Mason Ellens and USD redshirt freshman running back Julius Ellens are also siblings.
USD running back Jaylen Anderson attended Perry High School in Perry, Ohio, the same high school that Matt Campbell attended some 20-plus years earlier.
ISU freshman running back Ryver Peppers and USD redshirt sophomores WR Larenzo Fenner and DB Roman Tillmon all attended Fort Osage High School in Independence, Missouri. In 2023, their final season playing together, Fort Osage went 11-3. Peppers had 1,634 rushing yards and 21 rushing TDs that season as a sophomore.

Tyler Miller vs. Kansas State (2025)

OTHER KEY STORYLINES

Iowa State has won four-straight home openers and is 6-3 in home openers under Matt Campbell. ISU is 38-12 all-time in home openers at Jack Trice Stadium.
ISU is 17-6 in its last 23 games with an 8-2 record in true road games during the stretch.
The Cyclones had the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week (Marcus Neal Jr.), Special Teams Player of the Week (Aiden Flora), Freshman of the Week (Dominic Overby) and Defensive Line of the Week.
Defensive back Jeremiah Cooper made the start at cornerback against K-State after playing safety for much of his career. This allowed other young, but talented players to appear in the secondary. Marcus Neal Jr. (So.), Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman (R-Fr.), Jamison Patton (Jr.) all started in the secondary with others such as Drew Surges (R-So.), Ta'Shawn James (R-So.), Carson Van Dinter (R-Fr.) and seeing significant snaps at safety.
Becht has a TD pass in 19 consecutive games, the nation's longest active streak and Big 12's longest since Baker Mayfield's 40-game streak. He owns eight career games with a passing TD and a rushing TD, the second-most among active FBS players.
The Cyclone offensive line has a combined 210 games played and 110 career starts.
Dominic Overby and Brett Eskildsen both hauled in their first-career TD receptions in the win against K-State.
Linebacker Caleb Bacon made his much anticipated return to the field after suffering a season-ending injury just five plays into the 2024 season. Bacon logged four tackles, a TFL and QBH in game one against the Wildcats.

Becht to Overby for six! 🙌

📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/tKh3aEyHvY
— Iowa State Football (@CycloneFB) August 23, 2025

CYCAST WITH THE CYCLONE RADIO CREW
John Walters, Eric Heft and Ryan Harklau sit down to preview South Dakota ahead of this weekend's game. The podcast is presented by Van Wall Equipment.

To listen, CLICK HERE.

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Be sure to check out the "Know Before You Go" article on Cyclones.com for all up to date information regarding gameday inside Jack Trice Stadium.

GameDay Timeline

WEEKLY MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Matt Campbell, Jon Heacock, Carson Hansen, Jim Bonifas, Jeremiah Cooper and Kooper Ebel met with the media on Tuesday. Watch their interviews below.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Caleb Bacon

Rocco Becht

Jim Bonifas

Jeremiah Cooper

Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman

Kooper Ebel

Mason Ellens

Brett Eskildsen

Aiden Flora

Carson Hansen

Ta’Shawn James

Tyler Miller

Marcus Neal Jr.

Dominic Overby

Jamison Patton

Ryver Peppers

Drew Surges

Carson Van Dinter

Sponsors

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