Iowa State Football Has Found a New Identity

Iowa State running back Aiden Flora (21) runs with the ball for a touchdown as West Virginia defensive back Chams Diagnu (7) pursues during the third quarter of a Big 12 Conference football game on Oct. 3, 2026, at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Iowa State Football Has Found a New Identity

Originally posted on Iowa State Cyclones on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Oct 7, 2026 7:00 AM ET

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As the Iowa State Cyclones get set for a big game against the BYU Cougars on Friday night, the team might have found a new identity in their recent win.

In Week 5, the Cyclones were able to get their biggest win of the young season and altered their outlook for the year. The game against the West Virginia Mountaineers was one of the biggest of the year, and this was a matchup that the team needed to get at home.

If Iowa State were to have lost this game, things could have spiraled a bit. The matchup against the Cougars on Friday is not going to be an easy game, and the team will be hoping to play spoiler.

Even though the Cougars are ranked eighth in the country, they did suffer a little bit of a scare last week against the TCU Horned Frogs. They were able to come away with the win, but it wasn’t as easy as expected.

For the Cyclones, they will be hoping to have another strong game, and if they move the ball as they did against the Mountaineers, they can play with any team in the Big 12.

Coming into the year, it was hard to predict what the identity for the team was going to be with all of the new faces. However, after the win against West Virginia, it is pretty clear.

Iowa State Has New Identity

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Through five games, it is clear that the identity of the Cyclones is running the football with their talented running back, Aiden Flora. The sophomore has quickly emerged as one of the best running backs in the conference, and he is certainly the focal point of the offense.

In the win against the Mountaineers, he totaled five touchdowns, with three coming on the ground and two through the air. While throwing one touchdown pass was a surprise, seeing Flora throw two was truly shocking.

Going from being a special teams guy last year to now the clear-cut starting running back for the Cyclones, the development has been pretty outstanding.

Going forward, it is clear that as long as he is on the field, he is going to be the identity of Iowa State on offense. Flora is on pace for a 1,000-yard season and has really found his groove as a player.

While it won’t be easy, leaning on the ground game and keeping this game close against BYU is certainly possible. If Flora has another big game, anything can happen.

This article first appeared on Iowa State Cyclones on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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