Rushing Attack for Iowa State Football Leads Team to Impressive Win

Coming into their Week 3 matchup against Bowling Green, the Iowa State Cyclones were hopeful for a convincing win, and that is exactly what they were able to accomplish.

Last week, the Cyclones proved that they might be better than many expected. Iowa State went on the road to Iowa and played a Top 25 Hawkeyes team right down to the wire.

While they ultimately lost, they did prove that they can compete with some very good teams. The Cyclones are a team that is seemingly going to be led by their defense. This is a unit that has been really impressive so far, but the team came into Week 3 hoping to see some improvements on the offensive side of the ball.

Against a Bowling Green team that came into this matchup struggling a bit, Iowa State put together a really strong overall performance. Furthermore, what was encouraging to see was how well they ran the ball.

Iowa State Dominates

Iowa State quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) runs for a first down against Bowling Green during the first quarter on Sept. 19, 2026, at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Due to all of the changes and losing every starter on offense, it has taken some time for the Cyclones to get going on that side of the ball. On Saturday, they clearly came into the game with a focus on running the football, and they dominated in that area.

On the ground, the Cyclones were able to total over 300 yards, with multiple players having strong games. Leading the way for Iowa State was Aiden Flora. The young running back was able to have his breakout game in Week 3.

Flora was the leading rusher for the team with 194 yards on just 12 carries. He was able to reach the end zone twice as a runner. However, he was also able to return a punt for a touchdown, giving him three scores overall on the day.

While it was Flora who led the way, Jaylen Raynor also had a good game on the ground, totaling 60 yards. The passing attack still could use some improvement, but they didn’t have to do much in that area with the success on the ground.

Furthermore, it was Arnold Barnes III who saw a good amount of action in the lopsided game. The senior back totaled over 60 yards and scored two touchdowns on the ground.

Overall, this was a really impressive performance by the Cyclones, but it was the ground game that really shined in this one. While success against Bowling Green was to be expected, this was an encouraging sign for the team heading into Big 12 play.

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