Three Observations from Iowa State Cyclones' Loss to Arizona State Sun Devils

Here are three observations from the Iowa State Cyclones' loss to the Arizona State Sun Devils

Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell reacts during the fourth quarter against BYU at Jack Trice Stadium on Oct. 25, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones are coming off their fourth-straight loss in Week 10 to the Arizona State Sun Devils, and things aren’t looking good for the program right now. 

Coming into the week, the Cyclones were a significant favorite in the game and figured to be an excellent opportunity for them to snap their losing streak. Being at home against a team with their backup quarterback should have resulted in a win for Iowa State, but mistakes and missed opportunities held the program back once again. 

With three games left to go, it will be interesting to see where the rest of the campaign goes for Iowa State. There is still a chance to have a respectable record this year, but losses have piled up. This past week should have been a win for the Cyclones, but they dropped the ball once again. Here are three critical observations from the loss. 

What Happened to the Defense?

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

Coming into the year and in the beginning part of the season, this was a unit that was performing quite well. The injuries to the secondary have certainly hampered the unit, but this is also a team that has shown some vulnerabilities against the run.

In the loss to the Sun Devils the team was terrible in trying to stop quarterback Jeff Sims on the ground. The six-year senior totaled 229 rushing yards, which included an impressive 88-yard run. Not being able to slow him down in the rushing game and allowing explosive plays was a massive disappointment for the unit. 

Becht is Off

Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Since the loss to the Cincinnati Bearcats, which was one of his best games of the year, Rocco Becht has been off. The junior signal caller took some big hits in that game and since then has been making a lot of mistakes and has missed a lot of throws. 

Coming off a three-interception performance against the BYU Cougars, it wasn’t much better for Becht on Saturday. He once again threw an interception, with the game still very much in reach, and missed numerous players. Becht hasn’t been listed on the injury report, but something is off with the talented quarterback in the last couple of weeks. 

Season Feels Lost

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

With their fourth straight loss in the conference, the campaign is all but over for the Cyclones. While the hope is that they will play out the remaining conference games hard, they don’t have a chance of making the College Football Playoff or winning the Big 12 this year. 

It will be very interesting to see how the team responds to their fourth straight loss when they head on the road for a challenging matchup against the TCU Horned Frogs.