PRIMER: No. 14 Iowa State Visits Arkansas State

AMES, Iowa - No. 14 Iowa State, winners of six straight against non-conference opponents, travels to face Arkansas State in an early season road test. ISU is looking to start 4-0 in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history. It would also mark just the 10th 4-0 start in the program's 134 seasons.

Who: No. 14 Iowa State (3-0, 1-0 Big 12) at Arkansas State (1-1, 0-0 SBC)
Where: Centennial Bank Stadium (30, 406) – Jonesboro, Arkansas
When: Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025 – 3 p.m. CT

The Links
WATCH: ESPN2
PxP: Mike Monaco; Analyst: Kirk Morrison; Sideline: Dawn Davenport
LISTEN: Cyclone Radio Network – Varsity App, TuneIn Radio or Radio Affiliates
PxP: John Walters; Analyst: Eric Heft; Sideline: Ryan Harklau
GAME NOTES: ISU // ASU
LIVE STATS
2025 FOOTBALL YEARBOOK
MEDIA CENTER

INSIDE THE SERIES
2nd Meeting
Overall: 1-0
Home: 1-0
Road: 0-0
Neutral: 0-0
Campbell vs. ASU: 3-0
Last Meeting: 9/21/2024 (ISU 52, ASU 7)

CYCLONES vs. RED WOLVES
The Cyclones and Red Wolves are meeting for the second time in the programs' history. ISU is 4-1 all-time against teams from the Sun Belt Conference and won last season's meeting against ASU, 52-7, in week three at Jack Trice Stadium.

Iowa State is the first Big 12 team and the highest ranked squad to ever visit Arkansas State's Centennial Bank Stadium.

Rocco Becht vs. Arkansas State (2024)

ROAD WARRIORS
Iowa State travels to Jonesboro, Arkansas for its first true road test of the season. The Cyclones are 8-2 in their last 10 true road games and 10-3 overall in their last 13 games away from Jack Trice Stadium.

A big reason for that success is Iowa State's attention to detail and Matt Campbell's emphasis on winning in the margins. Last season, the Cyclones ranked in the top-20 nationally in turnover margin (18th, +9) and penalty yards per game (1st, 28.0). Through three games this season, ISU is +2 in turnover margin and has committed just nine penalties (3.0 per game).

CYCLONES IN THE RED ZONE
Sometimes stats don't tell the whole story, perhaps none more than ISU's seemingly underwhelming 75 percent scoring rate inside the red zone this season. However, a deeper dive into the stat paints a different picture.

Iowa State has put points on the board on 12 of its 16 trips to the red zone this season. Take away three possessions that ended on Cyclone kneel downs at the conclusion of the game, including two at the opponent one-yard line, and ISU is scoring at a 92 percent clip inside the red zone this season. The lone opportunity where the Cyclones came away empty handed was on the first red zone trip of the season in Dublin due to a fumble in the pouring rain.

When Iowa State gets the ball inside the red zone, quarterback Rocco Becht loves to find his big tight ends. Benjamin Brahmer (3) and Gabe Burkle (1) have combined for four touchdowns inside the red zone this season. Brahmer ranks No. 2 nationally and leads the Big 12 in touchdown receptions and, among tight ends, is tied for the nation's lead in touchdown catches. Together, Brahmer and Burkle have 23 receptions for 255 yards this season, the most by a tight end duo in the FBS.

Benjamin Brahmer vs. Iowa (2025)

SPECIAL TEAMS, SPECIAL PLAYS, SPECIAL PLAYERS
Special teams play has been another major focus for Campbell over the last several years and the Big 12 is noticing. An Iowa State player has won Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week in three-consecutve weeks to open the season (Aiden Flora, Kyle Konrardy x2).

Iowa State is the nation's only school with a 65-plus yard punt (Tyler Perkins) and multiple 50-plus yard field goals (Konrardy) this season.

For the second-straight season, Konrardy made a 54-yard game-winning field goal against Iowa. Last weekend's kick came on the heels of his school record 63-yard field goal against South Dakota. Konrardy's 63-yarder is the longest field goal in FBS this season and he is the only FBS kicker with two makes from 50-plus yards this season.

Prior to being dinged up against South Dakota, Flora was averaging 58.5 yards per punt return and 28.0 yards per kick return in the first two games. Against USD, Flora had punt returns of 66 and 51 yards, marking the first time since 1974 that Iowa state had multiple 50-plus yard punt returns in a game.

KYLE KONRARDY GOOD FROM 54 YARDS 😱@CycloneFB takes the lead with less than 2 minutes left to play pic.twitter.com/ccLBmrWDVq
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) September 6, 2025

D-LINE GETTING IT DONE
Iowa State's defensive line has been named the Big 12's defensive line of the week twice this season. As a unit, the Cyclone defensive line made life difficult for the Iowa offense on Saturday for much of the game. They kept the pressure on Hawkeye QB Mark Gronowski, combining for three QB hurries and two sacks as the defense held Iowa to just 83 yards passing and 214 yards of total offense.

Domonique Orange leads the effort in the middle of the line and while his presence doesn't always result in stats in the Cyclones' 3-3-5 defense, Orange had a career-high six tackles against Iowa and its All-Big Ten and Preseason All-American center Logan Jones last week. He received Bednarik Award National Player of the Week honors for his effort against the Hawkeyes.

Orange - a two-time member of The Athletic's Bruce Feldman's "Freaks List" - has benched 450 pounds, squatted 650 and cleaned 365 while boasting a 34-inch vertical. The Kansas City, Missouri native improved his conditioning during the offseason in hopes of playing more snaps. The result has been noticeable with Orange topping 40 defensive snaps in two of three games, including 52 against Iowa. By comparison, last season he played 40-plus defensive snaps just once.

Yale transfer Tamatoa McDonough, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week, delivered the final blows following Konrardy's game-winning field goal. He sacked Gronowski on second and third down with Iowa having no timeouts to help seal the victory.

In total, the Cyclone defensive line has combined for 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, seven QB hurries and a pass break up this season.

Domonique Orange vs. Iowa (2025)

OTHER KEY STORYLINES

Iowa State, which has not trailed this season through three games, rose to No. 14 in this week's AP poll and is inside the Top 15 for the second-straight season.
Since the start of the 2024 season, ISU owns an .824 winning percentage (14-3), among the nation's Top 10 in that time.
ISU has allowed just 471 points in the second half of its 55 games since the start of the 2021 season,, an average of 8.6 points. This season, the Cyclones have allowed only 17 points in the second half, an average of 5.6 per game.
Rocco Becht is one of FBS's best quarterbacks. He is the FBS active leader with a TD pass in a school-record 21-straight games and is just the third QB in school history to pass for 7,000 career yards. Becht has led the Cyclones to 21 wins in his career, including six in which they were tied or trailed in the fourth quarter.
Marcus Neal Jr. tallied a career-high nine tackles, including two for a loss, and a sack against Iowa. He leads ISU, ranks sixth in the Big 12 and is T-15 nationally with 22 tackles this season.
Offensive tackle Tyler Miller has made 30-consecutive starts for the Cyclones, the longest among Big 12 offensive linemen.
Wide receiver Brett Eskildsen has a 20-plus yard reception in all three games this season. He is averaging 23.1 yards per catch, a top-20 mark nationally.
Jeremiah Cooper's eight career interceptions are tied for the fifth-most nationally among active players.

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

To listen, CLICK HERE.

WEEKLY MEDIA AVAILABILITY
Matt Campbell, Jon Heacock, Abu Sama III, Brett Eskildsen, Tamatoa McDonough and Marcus Neal Jr. met with the media on Tuesday to preview this weekend's game. Watch their interviews below.

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Players Mentioned

Rocco Becht

Benjamin Brahmer

Gabe Burkle

Jeremiah Cooper

Brett Eskildsen

Aiden Flora

Kyle Konrardy

Tamatoa McDonough

Tyler Miller

Marcus Neal Jr.

Domonique Orange

Tyler Perkins

Abu Sama III

Sponsors

Iowa State University Athletics