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Iowa State Cyclones Continue Heading in Right Direction of AP Poll With Another Win

Originally posted on Iowa State Cyclones on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Sep 14, 2025 4:24 PM ET

Week 3 of the college football season featured several ranked teams being defeated, but the Iowa State Cyclones were not one of those programs.

They played their first true road game of the year, heading to Jonesboro, Arkansas, to face off against the Arkansas State Red Wolves of the Sun Belt Conference. Their offense features a dangerous dual-threat quarterback, Jaylen Raynor, who showcased that ability throughout the game. He had 222 yards through the air and 83 rushing yards.

However, it wasn’t enough for the Red Wolves to pull off the upset. The Cyclones got the job done despite some brutal weather conditions, winning 24-16. Their rushing offense got on track, steamrolling an overmatched Arkansas State defense. 187 yards were gained on the ground with Carson Hansen leading the way with 116 and Abu Sama III adding 69.

Quarterback Rocco Becht kept his solid all-around performance up as well. He had a 10-yard rushing touchdown in the first quarter to help stake the team to an early 9-0 lead. The first interception of the season was thrown, but he still managed 265 yards passing to go along with a 27-yard touchdown caught by Dominic Overby.

Iowa State Moving Up AP Poll

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That performance was not only enough for the team to get a win, but also to continue their move up the AP Poll. On Sunday, the updated rankings were shared, and Iowa State now sits at No. 12. They moved up two spots from No. 14.

Iowa State is the highest-ranked Big 12 team heading into Week 4. The Utah Utes and Texas Tech Red Raiders are the other two programs, ranked No. 16 and No. 17, respectively. Three representatives in the top 25 are tied with the ACC for the third most amongst conferences. The SEC, with 11, and the Big 10, with seven, are ahead.

Heading into a bye week, the Cyclones will have the luxury of seeing how things shake out around the country before starting their conference schedule. The coaching staff is certainly happy about a 4-0 start, but there is still plenty of work left to do. One area to keep an eye on is special teams.

Checking in at 12

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— Iowa State Football (@CycloneFB) September 14, 2025

That unit struggled against the Red Wolves . Star kicker Kyle Konrardy missed a field goal attempt and an extra point attempt. Backup Chase Smith kicked the final extra point attempt of the game and nailed it. Backup safety Drew Surges also committed a costly roughing the punter penalty that extended what would have been a three-and-out drive for Arkansas State. They took full advantage, turning it into a touchdown.

It didn’t end up hurting the Cyclones this time, but those are areas that have to be cleaned up moving forward. Head coach Matt Campbell will certainly address that and any other shortcomings before facing off against the Arizona Wildcats on Sept. 27.