Iowa State Football Looking To Keep up Road Trend Under Jimmy Rogers

Iowa State Cyclones head football coach Jimmy Rogers will be looking to continue the program's road success.

Jul 8, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Iowa State head coach Jimmy Rogers speaks to reporters during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Over the last few seasons, the Iowa State Cyclones have separated themselves from the rest of the Big 12 in this key stat.

Iowa State has been an elite football program over the last few years, winning seven, 11, and eight games over the last three seasons, respectively. And while some other teams have had more success, no team has done better on the road than the Cyclones.

In 17 games, Iowa State went a shocking 11-6 against its opponents. The BYU Cougars are second at 11-7, followed by the Utah Utes at 10-7, the Texas Tech Red Raiders at 9-7, and the Arizona State Sun Devils at 9-7.

Outside of those five, the rest are .500 or below, with the Arizona Wildcats, TCU Horned Frogs, Houston Cougars, Baylor Bears, Kansas State Wildcats, West Virginia Mountaineers, Cincinnati Bearcats, Colorado Buffaloes, Kansas Jayhawks, Oklahoma State Cowboys, and UCF Knights all fitting under that threshold.

Iowa State has succeeded on the road

Nov 9, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Iowa State Cyclones helmets on the bench during the first quarter against the Kansas Jayhawks at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Now, unfortunately, those three successful seasons came under a different head coach, Matt Campbell. Over the offseason, he took his talents to the Penn State Nittany Lions to become their head coach.

The Cyclones hired Jimmy Rogers from the Washington State Cougars to become his replacement, and now he’s at the helm as they look to compete next season. But the issue is, Iowa State has an abundance of new players, as they aren’t returning a single starter on offense or defense.

It’s going to be new players, new coaches, and a new system that takes on the challenge of away wins. But at the end of the day, they are still wearing the same colors as the former players did the last few seasons.

Rogers has a lot to implement into this program if he wants to keep them at the height of college football, and one of the biggest things that he needs to add is the road mentality, finding a way to win even in tough settings. And that’s how Iowa State is going to grow next season, potentially making a bowl game and growing off of that.

The Cyclones play five road games next season, going to the Iowa Hawkeyes, BYU Cougars, Arizona Wildcats, Baylor Bears, and UCF Knights. Many are going to be tough games, but if Iowa State keeps the same mentality as they did in years past, they may keep the same status as the team that always finds a way to win, even on the road.