Midseason Report Card for Iowa State Cyclones Running Backs

Here is the midseason report card for the talented running backs in the Iowa State Cyclones' backfield.

Oct 4, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Iowa State Cyclones running back Abu Sama (24) carries the ball against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the second half at Nippert Stadium. | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones have hit the midway point of their season, and the team is hoping to have a strong second half. So far through seven games, the Cyclones have a record of 5-2 and 2-2 in the conference. Unfortunately, those two losses have come back-to-back, knocking them out of the Top 25. 

With Iowa State being on their bye week, they must be preparing for a massive game coming up at home against the BYU Cougars. The Cougars are the 15th ranked team in the nation currently and will be looking to get a signature road win to help improve their resume. For Iowa State, a win might be what’s needed to push them back into the Top 25 and keep their postseason hopes alive. 

Overall, it has been a good year so far despite some recent losses. This was a team coming into the year that figured to be well-balanced and that has mostly been the case. One area for the team that has been strong to start the year has been in their backfield. Here is the midseason grade for the running backs of the Cyclones. 

Midseason Grade: B

Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This is a backfield that features two talented backs in Carson Hansen and Abu Sama III. So far, both have contributed in a positive way for the team, and each has shown to be capable of carrying the workload. 

Due to a recent injury for Hansen that has forced him to miss the last game and a half, it has been Sama who has had the opportunity to shine. Through seven games, he is now the leading rusher for the team with 481 yards on the ground. With a 5.2 yards per carry average, the junior running back has been strong for the program. 

However, even though Sama has made the most of recent opportunities, it was Hansen who was the leading rusher for the team before he got injured. So far, Hansen’s numbers have been strong as well, totaling 348 rushing yards and a 4.4 yards per carry average. 

In the passing game, Sama is a bit of a non-factor with just one reception this year compared to the 11 for Hansen. With both backs being very talented, the backfield for the Cyclones is a good one. Utilizing both players down the stretch will be important to help this offense be the best that it can be.