Rocco Becht and No. 22 Iowa State beat No. 17 Kansas State 24-21 in Dublin on Saturday. (Photo By Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)
(Brendan Moran via Getty Images)
No. 22 Iowa State stuffed No. 17 Kansas State on multiple fourth-down attempts and converted a massive one itself on the way to a 24-21 win to kick off the 2025 college football season.
The Cyclones sealed the game with a huge fourth-down conversion from QB Rocco Becht to RB Carson Hansen with a little more than 2 minutes left. Instead of kicking a field goal from the K-State 17-yard line to potentially go up 27-21 with plenty of time for Kansas State to get a touchdown, Iowa State and coach Matt Campbell went for it on fourth-and-3.
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Hansen snuck out open into the left flat and nearly scored a touchdown as his right forearm hit the turf just before the ball got across the line.
Becht said after the game that he was given two play calls to run for the fourth down and had the ability to choose which one he liked better.
“We’ve worked on it in practice and it’s been working for us, and I felt more confident in it and had trust in my guys,” Becht told ESPN.
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With Kansas State out of timeouts, Iowa State was able to kneel out the clock at the goal line to secure the win. Hanson’s forearm hitting the ground just before he got into the end zone was massive for bettors who had wagered on the game’s total.
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The over/under was 50.5 points for most of the week and over 80% of the money at BetMGM was on the over.
The Cyclones took a 10-point lead shortly after Kansas State failed on fourth down for the third time in the game. With Iowa State up 17-14 and 8:19 remaining, Kansas State went for it on fourth-and-1 from its own 30. And QB Avery Johnson got stopped short of the sticks.
Four plays later, Becht scored on a 7-yard TD run. But Kansas State quickly responded with a 65-yard TD pass to Jerand Bradley on the first play of its next possession to cut the lead back to three.
Kansas State was just 1-of-4 on fourth downs throughout the game. RB Joe Jackson got stuffed with a yard to go in the first half inside Iowa State’s 10-yard line and the Wildcats also failed on a fourth-and-9 in the second half.
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The two teams combined for 24 points in the fourth quarter after Iowa State led 14-7 at the end of the third quarter. The eventful final quarter was preceded by an entertainingly ugly first half.
Each team fumbled twice in the first two quarters. Iowa State fumbled at the K-State 1-yard line after the Wildcats muffed a punt early in the first quarter.
Starting RB Dylan Edwards dropped that punt and was injured on the play. He didn’t return to the game as he watched from the sideline without his helmet.
Becht finished 14-of-28 passing for 183 yards and two TDs as Iowa State finally found open space in the run game in the second half. Hansen finished with 16 carries for 71 yards.
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Johnson was 21-of-30 passing for 273 yards and two TDs, though he had a couple of passes he’d like to have back — especially on the fourth-down attempt earlier in the second half when he threw behind his receiver. In Edwards’ absence, Jackson led the team with 12 carries for 51 yards.
