Iowa State Cyclones Veteran Leader Praises Teammates Response to Some Adversity

The Iowa State Cyclones continue stepping up when it is needed most.

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Based on their record, the Iowa State Cyclones are one of the best teams in the nation through the first four weeks of the college football season.

Entering Week 4 action, they were the only program with four wins. It has been earned the hard way, starting the campaign in Ireland before playing two games in Ames before heading to Jonesboro, Arkansas for a visit to the Arkansas State Red Wolves. That trip to face off against a Sun Belt Conference team speaks volumes about some of the disadvantages Iowa State faces when it comes to their peers.

They do not have the NIL pool to woo players or the money to pay G5 teams to visit Jack Trice Stadium. It puts them in a tough spot in some regard, but that hasn’t fazed Matt Campbell and his squad. For the second consecutive year, they are 4-0, defying the odds.

Iowa State's Ability To Overcome Adversity Has Impressed Rocco Becht

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That has been achieved despite some uneven performances on the field. The Cyclones have yet to have everything clicking on all cylinders. But, there isn’t a weakness on the team that hasn’t been countered by a strength.

Whatever challenge has faced them to this point, they have figured out a game plan to overcome it. It is something that their leader, quarterback Rocco Becht, has been most proud of. He recently spoke about how the team has handled adversity, not allowing anything to get in the way of their ultimate goal: winning football games.

“It’s hard to win games,” said Becht, via Rob Gray of Cyclone Fanatic. “I think this team’s done a good job of handling adversity and just continuing to get wins no matter what.”

Last week’s performance against the Red Wolves was far from Becht’s best. He completed only 14-of-25 passes and had his first interception of the season. But, when the team needed him the most, he was able to step up and make a play.

Rocco Becht Stepped Up When Needed Most

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The offense’s first touchdown of the afternoon cam via his legs. He had a 10-yard scamper into the end zone for a score. His second touchdown of the afternoon was even more impressive.

After a roughing the punter call provided Arkansas State with new life, their offense drove down the field for a touchdown to take a 10-9 lead. The Cyclones offense took the field with 39 seconds remaining in the half. That was more than enough time for Becht to lead the team down the field.

A lightning-quick score was recorded. In five plays and 25 seconds, Iowa State went right down the field. Becht went 3-for-3 on the drive, throwing for 76 yards. His final throw was a perfectly placed ball to Dominic Overby for a 27-yard touchdown. The drive was capped off with a two-point conversion with the star quarterback connecting with running back Carson Hansen to give their team a 17-10 halftime lead.

Becht's TD toss to @Overby_Dom extended his streak to 22 games with a TD pass, the longest active streak in FBS.

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— Iowa State Football (@CycloneFB) September 13, 2025

Iowa State would ride that lead in the second half. One touchdown was scored in the fourth quarter, giving the team a 24-16 lead, that ended up being the final score. It was the 22nd win Becht’s career, putting him into second place in program history, breaking the tie with Bret Meyer.

While complimentary of how his teammates have handled adversity, Becht deserves some credit, too. It was far from his cleanest game, but he made big plays at the right times to get his team over the hump and lead them to a win.