Grading Iowa State Football Units in Win Over SEMO

How did each Iowa State Cyclones football unit fare in their game against the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks?

Sep 5, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones tight end Vince Benetti (37) celebrates with Iowa State Cyclones tight end Jack Bjorn (48) after the touchdown against the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last weekend, the Iowa State Cyclones played in their first game of the season, taking on the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks.

Coming into the game, it seemed pretty likely that Iowa State would struggle, considering they had a first-year head coach in Jimmy Rogers, as well as bringing in an abundance of new transfers on both sides of the ball.

But the Cyclones actually played well, winning 38-10 to start the season off on the right foot.

Let’s rate all three sides of the ball in Iowa State’s week one dominant victory.

Offense - C+

Iowa State quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) celebrates with team mates after score a touchdown during the fourth quarter in the week one NCAA football at Jack Trice Stadium on Sept. 5, 2026, in Ames, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The offense had a pretty average game compared to what was expected. They scored 38 points, which is great and more than most would have thought, but the way they got the points wasn’t exactly the most intriguing way possible.

Quarterback Jaylen Raynor struggled to throw the deep ball, meaning the pass game overall didn’t look great. Only a few receivers and tight ends were able to make plays altogether. The run game was great, though.

Raynor was able to get two touchdowns on the ground, and both Aiden Flora and Cameron Pettaway had some big moments in the game. While the offensive line wasn’t great, they were decent enough to allow the offense to flourish.

A C+ feels right for a pretty mediocre but not bad performance.

Defense - A-

Sep 5, 2026; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones cornerback Beni Ngoyi (5) intercepts a pass intended for Southeast Missouri State Redhawks wide receiver Khylen Harris-Norman (16) at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

While the defense did allow 10 points, which should be the standard for playing against an FCS school, they actually looked great in the process. Isaac Terrell and the defensive line were the stars of the show, totaling six sacks in the game and causing havoc in the SEMO backfield.

The linebackers looked great as well, with Sullivan Schlimgen, among others, making tons of plays. While the defensive backs weren’t fantastic, an unbelievable interception by Beni Ngoyi showcased what they are capable of.

It wasn’t a flawless performance, but they looked like a really good unit and proved that they can be competitive next week against the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Special Teams - D+

Iowa State's Kyle Konrardy (97) kicks a field goal against Baylor during the fourth quarter of a game at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Ames. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The special teams were the big shock of the day. Going into the season, many expected the Cyclone special teams unit to be one of the most feared in the Big 12, but it was quite the opposite on Saturday.

Flora fumbled a punt that gave the Redhawks the ball back in good field position in the first half, and SEMO also recovered an easy onside kick in the fourth quarter to get the ball back, which was luckily overturned because of an infraction.

While the overall game wasn’t horrible on special teams, the identity seemed to be their consistent mistakes that led to less possession of the ball, making it ultimately tougher for the team to pull out the win.