The 2023 Iowa State Cyclones football team represented Iowa State University as a member of Big 12 Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by eighth-year head coach Matt Campbell, the Cyclones compiled an overall record of 7–6 with a mark of 6–3 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for fourth in the Big 12. Iowa State was invited to the Liberty Bowl, where the Cyclones lost to Memphis. The team played home games at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa.
Schedule
Game summaries Vs. Northern Iowa
Statistics UNIISU First downs 19 11 Total yards 279 250 Rushes/yards 37/106 27/134 Passing yards 173 116 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 17–35–2 14–18–0 Turnovers 2 0 Time of possession 34:24 25:36 Team Category Player StatisticsUNI Passing Theo Day 16–34, 164 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT Rushing Tye Edwards 16 CAR, 72 YDS Receiving Logan Wolf 3 REC, 40 YDSIowa State Passing Rocco Becht 10–13, 113 yards, 2 TD Rushing Cartevious Norton 11 CAR, 49 YDS Receiving Benjamin Brahmer 1 REC, 36 YDS, TD
Vs. Iowa
Statistics UIISU First downs 9 19 Total yards 235 290 Rushes/yards 29/112 31/87 Passing yards 123 203 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 12–22–1 23–44–1 Turnovers 1 1 Time of possession 26:30 33:30 Team Category Player StatisticsUI Passing Cade McNamara 12–22, 123 YDS, 1 INT Rushing Jaziun Patterson 10 CAR, 86 YDS, TD Receiving Luke Lachey 3 REC, 58 YDSIowa State Passing Rocco Becht 23–44, 203 yards, TD, INT Rushing Cartevious Norton 21 CAR, 59 YDS Receiving Jayden Higgins 8 REC, 95 YDS, TD
At Ohio
Statistics ISU OU First downs 13 18 Total yards 271 247 Rushes/yards 23/38 37/112 Passing yards 233 135 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 17–24–2 16–32–0 Turnovers 2 0 Time of possession 24:09 35:51 Team Category Player StatisticsIowa State Passing Rocco Becht17–24, 233 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing Rocco Becht 9 CAR, 31 YDS Receiving Daniel Jackson 3 REC, 65 YDSOU Passing Kurtis Rourke16–32, 135 yards, TD Rushing Kurtis Rourke 7 CAR, 58 YDS Receiving Sam Wiglusz 5 REC, 53 YDS, TD
Vs. Oklahoma State
Statistics OSUISU First downs 18 20 Total yards 409 422 Rushes/yards 24/131 34/74 Passing yards 278 348 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 23–48–2 27–38–0 Turnovers 2 0 Time of possession 25:19 34:41 Team Category Player StatisticsOSU Passing Alan Bowman 23–48, 278 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing Ollie Gordon II 18 CAR, 121 YDS Receiving Jaden Nixon 3 REC, 60 YDS, TDIowa State Passing Rocco Becht 27–38, 348 yards, 3 TD Rushing Eli Sanders 15 CAR, 58 YDS, TD Receiving Jaylin Noel 8 REC, 146 YDS, TD
At No. 14 Oklahoma
Statistics ISUOU First downs 16 30 Total yards 352 523 Rushes/yards 27/150 41/157 Passing yards 202 366 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 19–37–2 26–39–1 Turnovers 2 1 Time of possession 26:56 33:04 Team Category Player StatisticsISU Passing Rocco Becht 15–33, 188 YDS, 2 TD, 2 INT Rushing Abu Sama 7 CAR, 67 YDS Receiving Jayden Higgins 3 REC, 91 YDS, TDOklahoma Passing Dillon Gabriel 26–39, 366 yards, 3 TD, INT Rushing Marcus Major 19 CAR, 66 YDS Receiving Jalil Farooq 5 REC, 81 YDS
Vs. TCU
Statistics TCUISU First downs 23 16 Total yards 398 353 Rushes/yards 37/185 37/215 Passing yards 213 138 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 21–36–4 16–28–0 Turnovers 4 0 Time of possession 27:42 32:18 Team Category Player StatisticsTCU Passing Josh Hoover 11–19, 119 YDS, TD, INT Rushing Emani Bailey 21 CAR, 152 YDS Receiving Warren Thompson 2 REC, 35 YDSIowa State Passing Rocco Becht 16–28, 138 yards, TD Rushing Eli Sanders 16 CAR, 99 YDS, TD Receiving Jaylin Noel 7 REC, 34 YDS
at Cincinnati
Statistics ISUUC First downs 17 15 Total yards 362 214 Rushes/yards 38/123 33/115 Passing yards 241 99 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 15–25–0 15–29–2 Turnovers 0 2 Time of possession 33:40 26:20 Team Category Player StatisticsISU Passing Rocco Becht 15–25, 241 YDS, 2 TD Rushing Eli Sanders 16 CAR, 52 YDS Receiving Jayden Higgins 6 REC, 172 YDSCincinnati Passing Emory Jones 14–26, 96 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing Emory Jones 15 CAR, 72 YDS Receiving Chamon Metayer 4 REC, 43 YDS, TD
At Baylor
Statistics ISUBU First downs 19 17 Total yards 400 306 Rushes/yards 35/162 25/67 Passing yards 238 239 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 19–31–1 24–41–1 Turnovers 2 2 Time of possession 33:33 26:27 Team Category Player StatisticsISU Passing Rocco Becht 19–31, 238 YDS, TD, INT Rushing Eli Sanders 14 CAR, 90 YDS Receiving Jaylin Noel 8 REC, 76 YDSBaylor Passing Blake Shapen 24–41, 239 yards, TD, INT Rushing Dawson Pendergrass 8 CAR, 37 YDS, 2 TD Receiving Monaray Baldwin 6 REC, 117 YDS, TD
Vs. No. 21 Kansas
Statistics KansasISU First downs 16 16 Total yards 361 333 Rushes/yards 35/74 29/75 Passing yards 287 258 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 14–23–0 21–27–1 Turnovers 0 1 Time of possession 30:27 29:33 Team Category Player StatisticsKU Passing Jason Bean 14–23, 287 YDS, TD Rushing Devin Neal 21 CAR, 57 YDS, 2 TD Receiving Lawrence Arnold 3 REC, 112 YDS, TDIowa State Passing Rocco Becht 20–26, 216 yards, INT Rushing Eli Sanders 14 CAR, 57 YDS, TD Receiving Dmitri Stanley 5 REC, 59 YDS
At BYU
Statistics ISUBYU First downs 21 18 Total yards 443 318 Rushes/yards 37/234 38/188 Passing yards 209 130 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 16–25–0 11–28–2 Turnovers 0 3 Time of possession 33:01 26:59 Team Category Player StatisticsISU Passing Rocco Becht 15–23, 203 YDS, 2 TD Rushing Abu Sama III 8 CAR, 110 YDS, 2 TD Receiving Jaylin Noel 5 REC, 98 YDS, 2 TDBYU Passing Jake Retzlaff 10–27, 104 yards, TD, 2 INT Rushing Jake Retzlaff 17 CAR, 64 YDS Receiving Isaac Rex 3 REC, 52 YDS, TD
Vs. No. 7 Texas
Statistics TexasISU First downs 23 16 Total yards 404 332 Rushes/yards 34/123 21/9 Passing yards 281 323 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 23–33–0 24–32–1 Turnovers 1 1 Time of possession 31:18 28:42 Team Category Player StatisticsTexas Passing Quinn Ewers 23–33, 281 YDS, 2 TD Rushing CJ Baxter 20 CAR, 117 YDS Receiving Xavier Worthy 4 REC, 77 YDSIowa State Passing Rocco Becht 24–32, 323 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT Rushing Abu Sama III 7 CAR, 11 YDS, Receiving Jayden Higgins 7 REC, 104 YDS
At No. 19 Kansas State
Statistics ISUKSU First downs 10 32 Total yards 488 497 Rushes/yards 23/258 54/209 Passing yards 230 288 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 8–12–0 24–48–1 Turnovers 2 1 Time of possession 17:48 42:12 Team Category Player StatisticsISU Passing Rocco Becht 8–12, 230 YDS, 3 TD Rushing Abu Sama III 16 CAR, 276 YDS, 3 TD Receiving Jaylin Noel 3 REC, 160 YDS, 2 TDKSU Passing Will Howard 24–48, 288 yards, TD, INT Rushing DJ Giddens 31 CAR, 114 YDS, TD Receiving Ben Sinnott 10 REC, 136 YDS, TD
Vs. Memphis—Liberty Bowl
Statistics MemphisIowa State First downs 22 19 Total yards 530 446 Rushes/yards 32–166 20–0 Passing yards 364 446 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 24–34–0 22–40–0 Turnovers 0 0 Time of possession 34:24 25:36 Team Category Player Statistics Iowa State Passing Rocco Becht 22/38, 446 yards, 3 TD Rushing Abu Sama III 12 carries, 4 yards Receiving Jayden Higgins 9 receptions, 214 yards, TD Memphis Passing Seth Henigan 24/34, 364 yards, 4 TD Rushing Blake Watson 15 carries, 107 yards Receiving Roc Taylor 8 receptions, 102 yards
Personnel Coaching staff Iowa State Cyclones Name Position Consecutive season at Iowa State in current position Previous position ISU profile Matt Campbell Head coach 8th Toledo – Head coach (2012–2015) Jon Heacock Defensive coordinator 8th Toledo – Assistant head coach / defensive coordinator / safeties (2014–2015) Nathan Scheelhaase Offensive coordinator / quarterbacks 1st Iowa State – Running game coordinator / running backs / wide receivers (2021–2022) Tyson Veidt Assistant head coach / linebackers 8th Toledo – Linebackers (2014–2015) Deon Broomfield Passing game coordinator / safeties 3rd Houston Texans – Defensive assistant (2020) Ryan Clanton Offensive line 1st Northern Iowa – Offensive coordinator / offensive line (2018–2022) Jordan Langs Special teams coordinator / running backs 1st Indiana Wesleyan – Head coach (2016–2022) Noah Pauley Wide receivers 1st North Dakota State – Wide receivers (2019–2022) Hank Poteat Cornerbacks 1st Wisconsin – Cornerbacks (2021–2022) Eli Rasheed Defensive line 8thToledo – Defensive line (2009–2015) Jake Waters Offensive quality control 4thUTEP – Wide receivers (2018–2020)Reference:
Transfers Outgoing Nate GlantzQBMcNeese StateTayvonn KyleCBVirginia Jayden GrayCBLouisiana Tech Blake PetersonDESouth Dakota StateMason ChambersSIncarnate WordHunter ZenzenLBNorth Dakota State Tristan MichaudWRSouth Dakota Deon SilasRBRhode Island Sean ShawWRTexas State Howard BrownDEBoise State Johnny WilsonDLUnknown Hunter DeyoIOLBowling Green
Incoming Tobechi OkoliDLAuburnTanner HughesQBButte CollegeJayden HigginsWREastern KentuckyZachary LovettLBMissouriArlen Harris Jr.RBStanford
References