The Good, Bad and Ugly for Iowa State Cyclones in Ugly Game Against Arizona State

The Iowa State Cyclones had another ugly performance against the Arizona State Sun Devils in Week 10.

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Things have fallen apart for the Iowa State Cyclones. After winning their first five games of the season, the wheels have come off with their losing streak now reaching four games.

In Week 10, they hosted the Arizona State Sun Devils at Jack Trice Stadium and had another ugly performance. They lost the game 24-19, struggling in multiple facets of the game, such as failing to convert on third downs.

Despite forcing three turnovers, the Cyclones could not take advantage. Arizona State also committed 11 penalties for 119 yards and still came away with a road victory. The opportunities to win were there, but they could not capitalize.

Now, Iowa State owns a record of 5-4 overall and 2-4 in the Big 12. 

The Good - Rushing Attack Remains Dominant

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Quarterback Rocco Becht has not been the same since taking a massive hit against the Cincinnati Bearcats. He has not been as sharp with his decision-making, and it has had a major negative impact on the team.

However, if there is one thing the offense can count on week in and week out, it is their rushing attack showing up. It took some time, with the ground game struggling out of the gate, but it is rolling right now.

Carson Hansen led the way against Arizona State. He carried the ball 18 times for 113 yards. Abu Sama III only had two carries but made the most of them with 14 yards.

With Becht not playing at the highest level, it is imperative that the rushing attack continues to be effective to give the team a chance to win.

The Bad - Kyle Konrardy Struggles

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A big reason that the losing streak started for the Cyclones was how many injuries the team was dealing with. Arguably, the biggest loss was Konrardy because it impacted multiple facets of the team’s game plan.

Without Konrardy, the offense was in a tough spot, having to consistently attempt fourth-down conversions. The coaching staff didn’t have a kicker they trusted, leaving plenty of points on the field.

Unfortunately, Konrardy wasn’t able to help the team much against the Sun Devils. He missed one of the two extra point attempts he had in the game and two of the four field goal tries.

In a one-possession game, every point counts. Missing seven points' worth of kicks certainly came back to bite Iowa State. At least it wasn’t chip shots he was missing; they were from 49 and 55 yards away.

The Ugly - Defense Gets Torched Again

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Injuries to the secondary have left the Cyclones’ defense in a brutal spot. They have struggled to slow down quarterbacks in recent games, getting picked apart for big plays.

Heading into the matchup with Arizona State, they looked to have an edge. The Sun Devils were not only without star quarterback Sam Leavitt, but their best playmaker, Jordyn Tyson, was also sidelined.

It didn’t end up mattering, with Jeff Sims putting forth a historic performance. He rushed for 228 yards, the most in Arizona State history for a quarterback, with two touchdowns. That was the main source of offense for the Sun Devils, with their quarterback rushing an eye-popping 29 times.

Sims completed 13-of-24 passes for 177 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He outplayed Becht, giving Arizona State an unexpected edge under center.