Iowa State Football Needs More From This Key Player in Second Half of the Season

The Iowa State Cyclones are coming off their bye week, and the team will enter the second half of their season with a 3-3 record.

So far this year, the Cyclones have been able to exceed expectations following a brutal offseason. Iowa State lost nearly their entire roster to the transfer portal when Matt Campbell left, leaving Jimmy Rogers with a tough situation to inherit.

A lot of credit should go to Rogers and the coaching staff for the job that they have been able to do so far. Taking over a program that was completely gutted is not an easy task, but the Cyclones being 3-3 so far is impressive.

With the team coming off their bye week, this will be a key time for improvements. The second half of the schedule will be all Big 12 games for Iowa State, and there are some challenging matchups.

These games will not be easy for the Cyclones, and if they want to become bowl-eligible, they need to find a way to get some wins. So far, Iowa State is 1-2 in conference play, with their one win coming against the West Virginia Mountaineers. If the team is going to have a successful last six games, they will need their quarterback Jaylen Raynor to play at a higher level.

Second Half of the Year Will Be Key for Raynor

Oct 9, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) runs the ball during the first half against the BYU Cougars at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With a 3-3 record so far, the team has to be pleased with where they are so far. However, due to expectations not being overly high coming into the year, the Cyclones have been able to exceed them so far.

Now, with the team being .500 and entering the second half of the year, the goal will certainly be to pick up some more wins and become bowl-eligible. That isn’t going to be an easy task for the team, and they are going to need Raynor to play at a higher level.

So far in six games, Raynor has totaled 1,001 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns, four interceptions, and has completed 57.4% of his passes. While he has been a factor on the ground as well, the team needs more from him and the passing offense if they are going to win Big 12 games.

In their recent game against BYU, he totaled just 98 passing yards, which isn’t going to get the job done. Overall, the passing offense has to do more than it has, and that starts with Raynor.

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