The Cyclone Whisperer of Ames
In the heart of Iowa, where cornfields stretch further than most coaches’ egos, Matt Campbell has been quietly building something special. While college football’s spotlight fixates on SEC juggernauts and Big Ten behemoths, Campbell’s Iowa State Cyclones have crept into the Big 12’s upper echelon, one gritty win at a time. The 2024 season was their crescendo: a 10-2 record, a No. 17 AP ranking, and a Big 12 Championship Game appearance—the program’s first—before falling 34-17 to Arizona State. This wasn’t a fluke but the culmination of Campbell’s decade-long project in Ames, turning a perennial doormat into a dark horse that’s no longer a secret. As 2025 looms, Iowa State stands poised to capitalize on the Big 12’s wide-open landscape. Here’s the fact-driven story of Campbell’s steady climb, the Cyclones’ 2024 breakthrough, and their path to sustained success, with a nod to the absurdity of making football matter in a state obsessed with wrestling and hogs.
The 2024 Season: A Breakthrough in Ames
Iowa State’s 2024 campaign was a masterclass in consistency, defying the program’s historical ceiling. Picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 preseason media poll, the Cyclones instead went 10-2 overall, 7-2 in conference play, tying for first with Arizona State and BYU. The season began with a 21-3 rout of North Dakota, where quarterback Rocco Becht threw for 267 yards and two touchdowns. A 20-19 nail-biter at Iowa, sealed by Kyle Konrardy’s 54-yard field goal with six seconds left, snapped a six-game Cy-Hawk losing streak and sparked a 7-0 start—the best since 1938.
Key wins included a 28-21 upset of No. 20 Kansas State, where running back Carson Hansen rushed for 114 yards, and a 38-35 thriller at West Virginia, with Becht’s 315 passing yards and a game-winning 34-yard field goal by Konrardy. A 45-19 blowout of Cincinnati showcased the defense, which forced three turnovers, including a pick-six by linebacker Beau Freyler. The only regular-season losses were tight: 19-15 at Kansas, where a late Becht interception squandered a comeback, and 29-21 to Texas Tech, where the Red Raiders’ Tahj Brooks ran for 134 yards. Iowa State clinched a Big 12 title game berth with a 26-21 win over Utah, as Becht ran for a 12-yard touchdown with 1:05 left.
The championship game against No. 15 Arizona State on December 7, 2024, was a step too far. Iowa State led 10-7 at halftime, but Arizona State’s Cam Skattebo rushed for 156 yards and two touchdowns, and a controversial pass interference call on Freyler swung momentum. The 34-17 loss stung, but the Cyclones rebounded with a 31-28 Pop-Tarts Bowl win over No. 20 Miami on December 28, 2024, where Becht threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns, earning game MVP honors. Iowa State finished 11-3, tying the program record for wins set in 2000, and ranked No. 15 in the final AP Poll—their highest since 2000’s No. 25.
Statistically, Iowa State averaged 29.9 points per game (48th nationally) and allowed 21.1 points (26th). The offense leaned on Becht (2,662 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, eight interceptions) and a balanced ground game led by Hansen (734 yards, nine touchdowns) and Abu Sama III (614 yards). The defense, coordinated by Jon Heacock, ranked 15th nationally in total defense (324.6 yards per game) and tied for 12th with 25 takeaways, including 16 interceptions. The Cyclones’ plus-11 turnover margin (ninth nationally) and 6.1 penalties per game (37th) reflected Campbell’s disciplined culture.
Matt Campbell: The Anti-Flash Architect
Matt Campbell, hired in November 2015 at age 36, is the antithesis of college football’s spotlight-chasing coaches. A Mount Union alum who won three Division III national titles as a player, Campbell cut his coaching teeth at Toledo, going 35-15 from 2012 to 2015. When he arrived in Ames, Iowa State was coming off five straight losing seasons, with only two bowl appearances since 2000. His first year, 2016, was a 3-9 slog, but by 2017, he led the Cyclones to an 8-5 record, upsetting No. 3 Oklahoma and No. 4 TCU. Since then, Campbell has posted seven winning seasons in eight years, with a 62-50 record through 2024—remarkable for a program that hadn’t had a winning coach since Dan McCarney (1995-2006).
Campbell’s loyalty to Iowa State is legendary. In December 2024, he turned down a reported eight-year, $68 million offer from Florida and interest from USC, choosing to stay with a new contract through 2032, with a base salary of $4.2 million and incentives up to $5.5 million. His decision, announced after the Pop-Tarts Bowl, cited family and program stability—his wife, Erika, and four children are rooted in Ames. Campbell’s process-driven approach, emphasizing “five core values” (trust, commitment, discipline, awareness, toughness), has built a roster of overlooked recruits and transfers into a cohesive unit. His staff continuity—Heacock since 2016, offensive coordinator Tom Manning since 2022—ensures schematic consistency.
In 2024, Campbell earned Big 12 Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award. His ability to win with three-star recruits (Iowa State’s 2024 class ranked 54th nationally) and develop talent like Becht, a former three-star, sets him apart. Off the field, Campbell’s “Campbell’s Kids” program raised $125,000 for pediatric cancer research in 2024, and his community engagement—think tailgate speeches and FFA visits—has made him an Ames icon.
Standout Performers and Returning Core
Iowa State’s 2024 success hinged on a balanced roster. Becht, a redshirt sophomore, emerged as a star, completing 61.8% of his passes and rushing for 349 yards and six touchdowns. His 68-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Higgins against West Virginia was a season highlight. Higgins, a senior, led receivers with 88 catches for 1,095 yards and nine touchdowns, earning All-Big 12 First Team honors. Tight end Ben Brahmer (28 catches, 456 yards) and receiver Jaylin Noel (66 catches, 718 yards) provided reliable targets. The offensive line, anchored by tackles Jim Bonifas and Brendan Black, allowed just 1.4 sacks per game (22nd nationally).
Defensively, Freyler, a senior, was the heart, recording 96 tackles, three interceptions, and a forced fumble, earning All-Big 12 First Team and third-team All-America honors from Phil Steele. Cornerback Jontez Williams (three interceptions) and safety Jeremiah Cooper (two interceptions) locked down the secondary, which ranked eighth nationally in pass efficiency defense (108.9 rating). Linebacker Jack Sadowski (62 tackles, two sacks) and defensive end J.R. Singleton (6.5 sacks) bolstered a front that held opponents to 4.2 yards per rush.
For 2025, Iowa State returns Becht, Hansen, Sama, Noel, Brahmer, and most of the offensive line, though Higgins and Bonifas graduate. Defensively, Cooper, Williams, Sadowski, and Singleton return, but Freyler’s departure leaves a leadership void. Kicker Kyle Konrardy, who went 18-for-21 on field goals with a 54-yard long, is back. The Cyclones added 10 transfers for 2025, including quarterback Tanner Mordecai (Wisconsin/SMU, 2,066 yards in 2023) as Becht’s backup, running back Keshawn Porter (Eastern Michigan, 512 yards), and linebacker Kamari Lassiter (Georgia, 37 tackles). The 2025 recruiting class, with 17 signees, includes three-star quarterback Alex Manske and receiver Reece Vander Zee, both Iowa natives.
The 2025 Schedule: Navigating the Big 12
Iowa State’s 2025 Big 12 schedule, released in November 2024, is manageable but tricky. The Cyclones open against Northern Iowa on August 30, a likely tune-up, followed by Iowa on September 6 in Ames, where they’ll aim to repeat their 2024 Cy-Hawk win. Non-conference games against Arkansas State (September 13) and FCS Drake (September 20) should pad the win column. Big 12 play begins at Baylor (September 27), a winnable road game, followed by Oklahoma State (October 4) at home. A trip to Kansas (October 11) is a revenge opportunity after 2024’s loss, while TCU (October 25) at home tests the defense against a high-powered offense.
November brings West Virginia (November 1) on the road, Kansas State (November 8) at home, and a pivotal trip to Utah (November 15), where Utah’s physicality mirrors Arizona State’s. The season ends at Oklahoma (November 29), a program rebuilding under Brent Venables. With no Texas or Oklahoma in the Big 12, and Arizona State losing Skattebo, the conference is wide open. Kansas State, BYU, and Utah are the main threats, but Iowa State’s 7-2 conference record in 2024 proves they can hang with anyone. A 9-3 or 10-2 season is realistic, with 11-1 possible if Becht elevates his game and the defense maintains its edge.
The Culture That Wins
Campbell’s greatest achievement is cultural. Iowa State’s 2024 roster featured 32 Iowans, including walk-ons, reflecting his “grow your own” ethos. The “Hilton Magic” atmosphere at Jack Trice Stadium drew 61,500 fans for the Kansas State game, with a season average of 59,876—fourth in the Big 12. Campbell’s “Cyclone Alley” pregame tradition, where players walk through tailgates, and his postgame field-storming celebrations (allowed after the Utah win) have galvanized fans. The program’s $150 million “Cyclone Football Performance Center,” opened in 2023, boasts NFL-caliber facilities, aiding recruiting.
The transfer portal, once a threat, is now a strength. Iowa State lost only three players to the portal post-2024 (none starters) while adding 10, a testament to Campbell’s retention skills. His staff’s use of “Pro Football Focus” analytics to scout opponents—grading every play—gave Iowa State a schematic edge, evident in their 25 takeaways. Campbell’s community ties, from hospital visits to 4-H events, make him untouchable in Ames, even as Power Four suitors circle.
The Big 12’s Dark Horse
Iowa State’s 2025 season is about seizing the moment. The Big 12, sans Texas and Oklahoma, is a land of opportunity, with no team dominating like 2024’s Arizona State. Campbell’s return ensures continuity, and Becht’s growth—potentially into a 3,000-yard passer—could make the offense elite. The defense, with Heacock’s 3-3-5 scheme, remains a turnover machine, and Konrardy’s leg is a weapon in close games. Losses to Arizona State and Kansas exposed areas to fix: third-down conversions (39.4%, 62nd nationally) and red-zone efficiency (82.5%, 84th).
A Big 12 title and College Football Playoff berth are within reach. Iowa State’s 11-3 record in 2024, with wins over ranked Kansas State and Miami, proves they belong. Campbell’s rejection of Florida sent a message: Ames is where he’ll finish what he started. The Cyclones aren’t flashy—they don’t need to be. In a conference of chaos, their quiet climb could end with a roar. Jack Trice Stadium’s red and gold will fly high, and the cornfields will rumble.
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