No. 22 Iowa State picks up where it left off in win over rival No. 17 Kansas State

Becht closed the game with five consecutive completions, including a massive 4th-and-3 completion that allowed the Cyclones to end the game in victory formation.

Afterward, head coach Matt Campbell discussed his gutsy fourth-down call, praising Becht.

"Our quarterback gives me a lot of confidence," Campbell told ESPN. "He's a great football player... It wasn't perfect all day long, but when we needed it the most, it was really good."

Arguably more impressive than Becht's performance down the stretch was Iowa State's defense in short-yardage situations.

The Cyclones stopped two Wildcats drives on 4th-and-1, the first in the red zone early in the second quarter and the next midway through the fourth at the Kansas State 30-yard line.

Iowa State is coming off one of the best seasons in program history, setting a program record for wins in a season and finishing the year 11-3. It reached the Big 12 championship game with an opportunity to earn an automatic CFP bid but lost handily to No. 11 Arizona State, ending the year with a thrilling 42-41 Pop-Tarts Bowl win over No. 10 Miami.

Despite the excellent season, Iowa State entered 2025 seventh in odds (+1100) to win the Big 12, and its over/under win total was set at 7.5. But thanks to a huge conference win in its opener, it could be just as legitimate a contender this year.