It's been 20 years since an Iowa State football player did this

Red-shirt sophomore Caden Matson from Iowa's Humboldt High returns a blocked punt for a TD in Saturday's win over Baylor

Iowa State Cyclones defensive back Caden Matson (43) scores on a blocked against Baylor Bears, on Oct. 5, 2024. The red-shirt freshman scored 49 touchdowns at Iowa's Humboldt High School. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Caden Matson found the end zone 49 times his senior season at Humboldt High School, helping the Wildcats reach the Class 3A state semifinals.

This past Saturday, he earned his first college touchdown with Iowa State, helping the Cyclone secure a 5-0 start with a convincing 43-21 victory over Baylor inside a booming Jack Trice Stadium.

Matson, a redshirt sophomore defensive back who has carved out a role on special teams for ISU head coach Matt Campbell’s team, scooped up a blocked punt and darted to the end zone to give the Cyclones a first half lead.

“I blacked out a little bit,” Matson admitted during a post-game interview following the contest. “I remember thinking I’ve got to cross the goal line, and once I did, I remember pointing to the crowd.”

The special teams TD via blocked punt was the first in 20 years for Iowa State, which heads to West Virginia this coming Saturday for another key Big 12 Conference showdown.

Caden Matson smiled as he spoke with reporters following Iowa State's victory over Baylor on Saturday. The red-shirt sophomore from Iowa's Humboldt High School returned a blocked punt for a touchdown, the first Iowa State player to do so in 20 years. | Iowa State Football

Matson was a two-time all-state selection at Humboldt, earning IPSWA first team honors in Class 3A as a senior. He produced 49 touchdowns as a senior, 33 passing and 16 rushing as the team's starting quarterback. He completed 161-of-233 passes for 2,611 yards, while rushing for 1,636 yards. As a junior, threw for 1,515 yards and 14 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,068 yards and 18 touchdowns.

On defense, Matson tallied 59 tackles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions. He also lettered with the school's basketball team.

At Iowa State, Matson is majoring in agricultural business.

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