Iowa State Cyclones Shockingly Struggled in This Key Area Against Sun Devils

In what area did the Iowa State Cyclones struggle in Week 10?

Iowa State Cyclones' football head coach Matt Campbell talks to coaching staffs at the sideline against Arizona State during the third quarter in the Big-12 showdown at jack Trice Stadium on Nov. 1, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones suffered their fourth straight loss in Week 10 to the Arizona State Sun Devils. In a rematch of the 2024 Big 12 title game, the Cyclones once again came up short. 

Despite being a sizable favorite coming into the matchup, this could arguably be the worst loss of the year for Iowa State. The Sun Devils were playing without arguably their best two offensive players, quarterback Sam Leavitt and wide receiver Jordyn Tyson. 

It was announced during the week that Leavitt was going to be out for the rest of the year due to injury, and it never appeared like Tyson was going to be playing in this one. Despite key offensive players being out, the Cyclones didn’t take advantage. There weren’t many positives for the team in Week 10 on either side of the ball and with four straight losses it’s hard to predict where the team goes from here. 

The hot 5-0 start to the campaign resulted in them being ranked 14th in the nation. This program seemed destined to play for a Big 12 title, but that has since gone away. As expected in a highly disappointing loss, the team has multiple areas that let them down. However, their inability to stop quarterback Jeff Sims in the running game was one of the most glaring problems. 

Run Defense Disappoints

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This wasn’t the first time that Iowa State played a dual-threat quarterback this year, but they looked completely lost at times against Sims. The six-year senior simply overpowered them and then ran past them on the ground, leading his team to the upset victory. 

In what might arguably be the best game of his career, Sims totaled 177 passing yards and one passing touchdown. However, it was his performance on the ground that made the difference. As a runner, he totaled 229 yards on the ground with two rushing scores. That included an electric 88-yard run for a touchdown. 

As a recipient of the Jack Trice scholarship, @CycloneFB WR Daniel Jackson reflects on the legacy of the late Cyclone and what he means to the program to this day. pic.twitter.com/sHJXziKrwk

— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) November 1, 2025

Iowa State prides themselves on having a good run defense, but the unit has shown some inconsistencies this year. This showing was certainly a poor one and arguably was worse than how they performed against the Cincinnati Bearcats. 

Letting a quarterback run for 229 yards is a bad look for the unit and was one of the main reasons why the team lost. Now, they will be heading on the road for a tough matchup against the TCU Horned Frogs. With the team seemingly in disarray, it’s hard to predict what’s next for the program.